David Braddy is no stranger to success in the tradition-rich FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes, far from it.
The veteran South Florida trainer saddled his fifth winner in the series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida on July 31, when Champion Equine LLC's My Sassenach scored a 9 ¼-length triumph in the $100,000 Desert Vixen at Gulfstream. My Sassenach's victory came 30 years after Braddy last enjoyed success in the six-furlong first leg of the FSS series for fillies with Mystic Obsession in 1991.
Saturday, Braddy is slated to saddle My Sassenach for the $200,000 Susan's Girl at Gulfstream in hopes of winning the seven-furlong second leg of the FSS series for fillies for the first time since scoring with Staci's Toy, who won the first two legs in 1989 before finishing second in the third leg, the My Dear Girl.
“It's nice to have a nice horse again, no question,” said Braddy, who has saddled 1055 winners during a career that commenced in 1981.
Braddy saddled Sly Rajab for a victory in the 1998 Affirmed, but his four other FSS triumphs have come with fillies.
“I do like the fillies,” Braddy said. “It just seems like they try harder. I don't know if that's right or wrong, but I do like the fillies.”
There's a lot to like about My Sassenach in Saturday's Susan's Girl. The daughter of Uncaptured broke her maiden in the Desert Vixen with the authority that would seem to make the extra furlong of the Susan's Girl well within her range.
“There's always concern. We're hoping she can do it,” Braddy said. “This is a nice filly. I think she can handle the seven-eighths, but you never know until you run the seven-eighths. She has been doing good, so hopefully she does OK.”
My Sassenach launched her career with a second-place finish in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight race, after which it was determined that she raced with an undetected lung infection. The Florida-bred filly was obviously in perfect health for the Desert Vixen, in which she rated off the early pace before she made a three-wide sweep to the lead on the turn into the homestretch and drew away for a comfortable victory.
“She came out of the race good, and she's been training good here for this next race,” Braddy said.
Miguel Vasquez has the return call aboard My Sassenach in the Susan's Girl, which will co-headline Saturday's FSS program at Gulfstream with the $200,000 Affirmed, the seven-furlong open division.
Jacks or Better Farm Inc's Rachel Rock is scheduled to make her official debut in the Susan's Girl, although she came very close to making her first start in the Desert Vixen, only to run off riderless before the race and be scratched by the stewards.
“She's a half-way first-time starter. She's been saddled; she's been with the pony; and then she decided she didn't want to participate,” Nicks said. “We've been working with her in the morning. Hopefully, her little quirks are behind her. She seems to have quite a bit of talent. It's just timing. We'd like to have a race in her early on. Pedigree wise and this-and-that, we haven't gotten started as early this year.”
The daughter of Jess's Dream came back to register a five-furlong 'bullet' workout in 59.08 seconds.
“We're just trying to figure out what causes her little moments,” Nicks said. “She's very professional and laidback in general but then something sets her off. We're trying to figure out what that is.”
Samy Camacho has the call on Rachel's Rock, whose owner/breeder, Jacks or Better Farm, has a record 19 Florida Sire Stakes victories.
Trainer Roger Laurin's Demurely, who finished a distant second behind My Sassenach following a five-wide rally in the Desert Vixen, is set to return in the Susan's Girl. The daughter of Uncaptured entered the first leg of the FSS series off an impressive debut victory May 28.
Laurin homebred Veiled Prophet, a daughter of Uncaptured who has finished second in both of her career starts, will accompany Demurely in the starting gate.
Chantal Sutherland has the return mount aboard Demurely, while Luca Panici is scheduled to ride Veiled Prophet for the first time.
Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC's Noble Dreamer will return in the Susan's Girl after disappointing in the Desert Vixen with a troubled-but-distant fourth-place finish as the 7-5 favorite. The daughter of Noble Bird had previously broken her maiden impressively by 7 ¼ lengths at Gulfstream June 18 after a second-place finish behind Demurely in her debut.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will also be represented in the Susan's Girl by Stefania Farms LLC's Spectacular Gal, a one-start maiden by Jess's Dream.
J.C. Diaz Jr. has the call on Noble Dreamer, while Edwin Gonzalez has been named on Spectacular Gal.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has sent LNJ Foxwoods' Outfoxed to Gulfstream for the Susan's Girl. The daughter of Valiant Minister finished a distant third in a July 15 maiden special weight race at Saratoga in her only start.
Edgard Zayas has accepted the mount aboard the Florida-bred filly, who was purchased for $360,000 at the OBS April 2-year-olds-in-training sale.
CCF Racing Stable LLC's Dear Mama Mia and trainer Daniel Pita's Devilette will enter the Susan's Girl off strong second-out maiden scores.
Carlos David-trained Dear Mama Mia, a daughter of Chitu, withstood stretch-long pressure to prevail by a neck in an Aug. 1 six-furlong maiden special weight race at Gulfstream. Romero Maragh is scheduled to ride Dear Mama Mia for the first time.
Devilette romped to a 5 ¼-length score on August 13 for Pita, who saddled Princess Secret for victories in the Susan's Girl and My Dear Girl last year. Cristian Torres has the call aboard the daughter of Khozan.
Wendell Yates and Ronald Brown's Sequin Lady, a daughter of He's Had Enough who finished a close third behind My Dear Girl in her debut; and Angel Ruiz-Lozano's Lluvia, a five-race maiden by Handsome Mike; round out the field.
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