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Diamond Oops Tuning Up For Gulfstream’s Summit Of Speed

With the Summit of Speed just a month away, next Saturday's $60,000 Hollywood Lakes and $75,000 Game Face at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., will serve as key local preps for several entrants.

Millionaire Diamond Oops figures to be the one to beat in the Hollywood Landing, a six-furlong overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up that will serve as a prep for the $200,000 Smile Sprint (G3) July 3 at Gulfstream.

The six-furlong Smile will co-headline the Summit of Speed card with the $350,000 Princess Rooney (G2), a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares that has been designated as a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' race.

Diamond Oops captured the 2019 edition of the Smile Sprint before going on to finish second in Grade 1 stakes back-to-back, once on dirt at Saratoga and once on turf at Keeneland. He started his 2020 campaign with a solid fourth-place finish in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream while stretching out to 1 1/8 miles. Back at one turn, Diamond Oops won the Twin Spires Turf (G2) at Churchill and the Phoenix (G2) on dirt at Keenland before getting a break following a pair of off-the-board finishes in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland and the Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream. The son of Lookin At Lucky, who is owned by trainer Patrick Biancone, Diamond 100 Racing Club and partners, is coming off a fourth-place finish in the April 30 Twin Spires Turf.

Ournationonparade, a two-time optional claiming allowance winner during the Championship Meet, is being pointed to the Hollywood Lakes and could give Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and trainer Kathy Ritvo a third Smile prospect.

Dean and Patti Reeves and Ritvo already have a pair of strong prospects for the Smile in Double Crown and Frosted Grace. Double Crown, who closed out his 2020 campaign with a runner-up finish in the Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico in October, came off a 6 ½-month layoff a late-rallying triumph over multiple-stakes winner Chance It in a May 23 stakes-quality allowance at Gulfstream, setting up a likely rematch in the Smile. Frosted Grace, who finished second behind Grade 1 winner Mischevious Alex in the Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3) during the Championship Meet, is coming off a third-place finish in the Maryland Sprint (G3) at Pimlico following a very troubled start.

John Minchello's Competitive Speed, who was twice graded stakes-placed during the Championship Meet, is scheduled to make her first start since finishing off the board in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) in the Game Face, a 6 ½-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies. The Javier Gonzalez-trained daughter of Competitive Edge, who won the Glitter Woman in January before finishing third in both the Davona Dale (G2) and Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), was bumped out of the starting gate in the Kentucky Oaks and never recovered.

e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Sound Machine has already established herself as a Princess Rooney candidate by registering a gutsy 2 ¾-length victory in Saturday's $75,000 Musical Romance at Gulfstream.

“We'd love to win a graded-stakes with her. She's by Into Mischief; she's graded stakes-placed already; and she's won two stakes,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “To win a graded stakes with her would be huge.”

Chuck Willis Scores Fourth Win in Row in Monday's Golden Glades
Tracy Farmer's Chuck Willis ($9.40) led from gate to wire to win Monday's $70,000 Golden Glades at Gulfstream Park, notching his fourth win in a row.

The Irish-bred 5-year-old gelding, who captured an April 22 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream off an 8 ½-month layoff, ran a mile over firm turf in 1:33.38 under Miguel Vasquez in the overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up.

The Mark Casse-trained Chuck Willis had won one of four starts in Europe before finishing off-the-board in his North American debut in the Grey Stakes (G2) at Woodbine in October 2018. The son of Kodiac was sidelined for 19 months before winning back-to-back optional claiming allowances over Woodbine's synthetic surface and going to the sideline for another 8 ½-month layoff.

“We're very thankful to Mr. Farmer for being so patient with him. It's going to pay off for him,” said Nick Tomlinson, Casse's assistant trainer. “He's the real deal. He's had some hiccups along the way, but he can be a pretty serious horse.”

Vow Me Now and Edwin Gonzalez chased Chuck Wills throughout the race but fell a half-length short of catching him. Renaissance Frolic, the 2-1 favorite ridden by Edgard Zayas, finished third, a length back.

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Casse Hoping Cutback In Distance Will Bring Out Got Stormy’s Best In Jaipur

The popular Got Stormy, a 6-year-old Get Stormy chestnut trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, will cut back in distance in Saturday's Grade 1, $400,000 Jackpocket Jaipur, a six-furlong Widener turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Following a pair of turf starts going one mile to start her 2021 campaign, including a nose win in the G3 Honey Fox at Gulfstream Park in February, Got Stormy will cut back to three-quarters of a mile in attempt to replicate winning form from last year that saw her post back-to-back G3 wins in the 6 1/2-furlong Ladies Sprint at Kentucky Downs and the 5 1/2-furlong Buffalo Trace Franklin County at Keeneland.

“It worked for her last year,” said Casse. “The only race so far of any significance this year was too short for her so we opted to give her a try going a mile with moderate success. So, we wanted to see if cutting her back didn't help.”

Got Stormy boasts a record of 28-11-5-3 with purse earnings in excess of $2.1 million and has faced the boys on six occasions with one win and four seconds, all in graded company, led by a memorable score in the 2019 G1 Fourstardave covering the mile in 1:32 flat over the firm inner turf at Saratoga.

Casse has enjoyed tremendous success with turf females, campaigning stalwarts Tepin, the 2015-16 Champion Grass Mare, who banked in excess of $4.4 million, including a score in the 2015 G1 Breeders' Cup Mile and the 2016 Group 1 Queen Anne at Ascot; and Catch a Glimpse, winner of the 2015 G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, who earned Horse of the Year honors in Canada that year.

The veteran conditioner said Got Stormy ranks with the best fillies he's trained.

“I had Tepin and Catch a Glimpse, who were both Breeders' Cup winners. Got Stormy is a multiple Grade 1 winner and a track record holder and she's right up there with those girls,” said Casse.

Casse said he would like to chart a path to send Got Stormy back to the Breeders' Cup which will eventually involve stretching the chestnut mare out again as this year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint will be contested at five furlongs on the Del Mar turf.

Got Stormy did capture the 2019 G1 Matriarch at one-mile on the Del Mar turf.

“It would be nice to win a Breeders' Cup with her,” said Casse. “The Sprint is maybe too short, but she's had luck at Del Mar. Usually, you get a pretty firm turf at Del Mar, so for her to have a shot out there, it would have to be in the Mile.”

Casse said Tyler Gaffalione will maintain the mount aboard Got Stormy against a loaded Jackpocket Jaipur field expected to include Bound For Nowhere (Wesley Ward), Casa Creed (Bill Mott), Fast Boat (Joe Sharp), Gregorian Chant (Phil D'Amato), Greyes Creek (Paulo Lobo), Justaholic (Tom Clark), Oleksandra (Neil Drysdale), Sombeyay (Peter Miller), and Stubbins (Doug O'Neill).

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Turf Will Have To Wait: Kimmel Pointing The Reds Toward Ohio Derby

While The Reds didn't quite knock one out of the park in Saturday's off-the-turf Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., trainer John Kimmel hopes to give the son of second crop-sire Tonalist a graded stakes win and said he is considering the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 26 at JACK Thistledown in Ohio.

Owned by Flanagan Racing, The Reds arrived at the nine-furlong Pennine Ridge off a victory, via disqualification, in the Federico Tesio at Pimlico Race Course on April 24. Kimmel said he was hoping Saturday's test would be a prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational on July 10. But when inclement weather forced the race to the main track, he said that the chestnut colt's turf debut will likely have to wait.

“Had we gotten to test him out on the grass maybe we could have tried the Belmont Derby, but I'm not really sure now,” said Kimmel. “I think running a mile and an eighth on dirt for a half-million against some of the big class citizens might be a better option for him.”

The Reds was a maiden winner at fifth asking on January 31 over the main track at Aqueduct before finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Gotham at the Big A.

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Quality Runs Deep Among Shine Again Nominations At Pimlico

Graded-stakes winners Hibiscus Punch, Pacific Gale and Victim of Love, 11-time stakes winner Anna's Bandit and Chub Wagon, undefeated through six starts, top 19 horses nominated to the $100,000 Shine Again at historic Pimilco Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The Shine Again for fillies and mares 3 and up is one of five stakes worth $475,000 in purses Sunday, June 13, that drew a total of 117 nominations. The six-furlong Shine Again is the only stakes both scheduled for the main track and as part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

No Guts No Glory Farm homebred Anna's Bandit has yet to make her 7-year-old debut, having gone unraced since finishing third in the Dashing Beauty last July at Delaware Park. The Great Notion mare owns 17 career wins and more than $780,000 in purse earnings.

Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson's Hibiscus Punch became a stakes winner with her 41-1 upset of the Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) Feb. 20 at Laurel Park, finishing fifth last out in the Derby City Distaff (G1) May 1. Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Victim of Love, winner of the What a Summer last January at Laurel, defended her 2020 victory in the Vagrancy (G3) May 8 at Belmont Park over fellow Shine Again nominee Sadie Lady.

Third in the Vagrancy, Holly Hill Stables' Pacific Gale won the seven-furlong Inside Information (G2) and 6 ½-furlong Hurricane Bertie (G3) over the winter at Gulfstream Park for trainer John Kimmel. Daniel Lopez and George Chestnut's Chub Wagon kept her perfect record intact with a popular two-length triumph in the six-furlong Skipat May 15 at Pimlico on the Preakness (G1) undercard.

Also prominent among nominees are Maryland-based multiple stakes winners Dontletsweetfoolya, Hello Beautiful and Never Enough Time as well as Rising Seas, second May 22 in the Winning Colors (G3).

The four remaining June 13 stakes are all scheduled for the grass, including the $100,000 Prince George's County for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles and $100,00 Searching for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 ½ miles.

Three of the top four finishers from the Dinner Party (G2) May 15 at Pimlico are among the 26 Prince George's County nominees – Talk Or Listen, Midnight Tea Time and 2020 Saranac (G3) winner Bye Bye Melvin, who respectively ran second, third and fourth. Also nominated are Corelli and Grade 2 winner Pixelate, separated by a nose in the 1 1/16-mile Henry S. Clark April 24 at Pimlico; 2019 Kent (G3) winner Eons; stakes winners Alwaysmining, Clubman, Doc Boy, English Bee and Logical Myth, third in the March 20 Muniz Memorial (G2); and 2020 Maryland Million Turf runner-up Cannon's Roar.

Among 19 nominees to the Searching are 2020 Dowager (G3) winner Blame Debbie; Crystalle, winner of the P.G. Johnson and second in the Miss Grillo (G2) in 2019; Judi Blue Eyes, a winner of two straight since being put back on grass by leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez; 2020 Long Island (G3) winner Mutamakina and Christophe Clement-trained stablemate Sorrel, third in the Gulfstream's March 27 Orchid (G3); Sister Hanan, third in the $125,000 The Very One (G3) Feb. 27 at Gulfstream; and stakes winners Luck Money and Thankful.

Sprinters 3 and up will go five furlongs in the $100,000 Stormy Blues for females and $100,000 Ben's Cat. The Stormy Blues attracted nominations from Soaring Softly (G3) winner Bye Bye; stakes winners Amanzi Yimpilo and Wesley Ward-trained stablemate Wink; Door Buster, Farsighted, Illegal Smile, Prodigy Doll and Tobys Heart. Also nominated is Lucky 7 Stables' six-time stakes winner Street Lute, yet to race on turf.

Most popular among horsemen, the Ben's Cat's 27 nominees include 2020 Futurity (G3) runner-up After Five; Eastern Bay, a stakes winner and runner-up in the 2020 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) on dirt that also owns two wins from six grass starts; multiple stakes-winning Maryland-bred Fiya; Hemp, third in the Chick Lang (G3) on dirt May 15 at Pimlico; 2019 Ben's Cat winner Oldies But Goodies; So Street, winner of the 2019 Howard County on the Laurel turf; and multiple dirt stakes winner Whereshetoldmetogo.

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