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Orphaned, Bottle-Fed Filly Court Return Headlines Saturday’s Via Borghese Stakes

Ivan Dalos' stakes-winning homebred filly Court Return, beaten a neck in the E. P. Taylor (G1) last time out at Woodbine, will race south of the border for the first time in her career facing eight rivals in Saturday's $100,000 Via Borghese at Gulfstream Park.

The fifth running of the 1 3/16-mile Via Borghese for fillies and mares 3 and up on the grass serves as a supporting stake to the $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3), which features a lineup led by Grade 1 winners Firenze Fire and Mind Control and defending champion Diamond Oops.

Post time for the first of 11 races is 12:05 p.m.

Trained by Canadian Hall of Famer Josie Carroll, Court Return is a younger half-sister to multiple Grade 1 turf winners Channel Maker and Johnny Bear, both Sovereign Award winners in Canada. The 4-year-old filly has run exclusively at Woodbine, with 10 of her 12 lifetime starts coming on the grass.

Court Return has breezed once on the turf at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, since arriving in South Florida. She is out of the late Horse Chestnut mare In Return, the Sovereign Award winner as Canada's champion broodmare of 2018. The same year, Dalos was voted champion breeder.

“She shipped down very well and seems to be training forwardly,” Carroll said. “We're very excited about her. She is the last foal from that mare. The mare died shortly after giving birth, so [Court Return] was actually orphaned and bottle-raised. Mr. Dalos doesn't have any more out of that mare, so he's counting on her.”

Court Return debuted in September 2018 and needed eight tries to break her maiden, graduating in a maiden optional claimer last November. The daughter of Court Vision became a stakes winner in her second start of 2020, rallying for a 1 ¼-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Eternal Search.

“Mr. Dalos bred this whole family and they all develop late in their careers. I think this is a filly that's just now starting to come into her own,” Carroll said. “I think she was just one that needed to mature. She's just a filly that needed some time and Mr. Dalos was very patient with her.”

Carroll stepped Court Return up to graded company off her stakes victory, and she finished third in the 1 1/8-mile Canadian (G2) Sept. 12 after getting away slowly. Stretched out to 1 ¼ miles for the E. P. Taylor, Court Return was again tardy from the gate but came with a strong rally only to fall just short of winner Etoile.

“I felt really good going into the race. That was certainly her best performance yet,” Carroll said. “I think the rider did a good job of not letting her get out of touch too much with the field, which is a danger with her. Sometimes they let her get too far back. You really sort of have to nudge her to stay in touch with the field, so that when she does make her run she is in a position to get there.”

Two-time Championship Meet leading jockey Luis Saez will get that assignment Saturday from Post 3.

“She gets away slow and that's just her,” Carroll said. “It just takes her a while to get into gear. She's never forwardly placed.”

Christophe Clement won the inaugural Via Borghese with Paige in 2016, and the trainer has Stone Farm homebred Traipsing for this year's edition. The 4-year-old daughter of Grade 1 turf winner Stroll comes back three weeks off a runner-up finish to stablemate Mutamakina after setting the pace in the 1 3/8-mile Long Island (G3) at Aqueduct.

“It's back a little bit quick, but she arrived at Payson Park well and she looks well. I think she's a nice mare,” Clement said. “Because it is a little bit quick we'll monitor her doing the week and as long as she's doing well we plan on running.”

Traipsing will be trying stakes company for the third time in what will be her eighth start; she finished sixth in the 1 1/8-mile Treasure Coast in June at Gulfstream in her stakes debut. Robby Albarado is named to ride from Post 2.

“She's very versatile. You can do whatever you want with her. She can be forward or she can come from out of it,” Clement said. “She's good enough that she can be versatile and she's a very good mover, which makes her even more efficient going longer.”

Gulfstream's 16-time training champion Todd Pletcher entered the pair of Always Shopping and Cap de Creus. Gainesway Stable's Cap de Creus is winless with four seconds in seven career tries at Gulfstream, and ran fourth in last year's Orchid (G3). The 4-year-old Tapit filly was fifth last out in the 1 ½-mile Zagora Oct. 31 at Belmont Park.

Repole Stable's Always Shopping won the 1 1/8-mile Gazelle (G2) on the dirt in 2019, finished off the board in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) and didn't race again for 11 months, returning in April. Three of her last five races have come on the turf, winning the 1 1/16-mile Monroe Sept. 7 at Gulfstream and most recently running second by a head in the 1 ½-mile Dowager (G3) Oct. 18 at Keeneland.

Rounding out the field are 2020 Ginger Punch winner Kelsey's Cross, third to Always Shopping in the Monroe; Great Island, winner of two straight making her stakes debut; Gun Society, second to Court Return in the Eternal Sunshine; Cambeliza and Lady Panda.

The stakes is named after the daughter of Seattle Dancer trained by Angel Penna Jr. who won 11 of 22 starts, including Gulfstream's Suwannee River (G3) and the Hialeah Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap.

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Firenze Fire, Mind Control, Diamond Oops Set For Clash In Saturday’s Mr. Prospector

Mr. Amore Stable LLC's Firenze Fire, Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables LLC's Mind Control, and Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC and partners' Diamond Oops are set for a highly anticipated clash in Saturday's $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The trio of multiple graded stakes-winning veterans will headline a deep field of 12 sprinters for the 66th running of seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up on an 11-race card that will also feature a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool.

Kelly Breen-trained Firenze Fire, who was scratched from the Dec. 5 Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct due to a sloppy track, is coming off a third-place finish at Keeneland in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), in which he rallied from 11th to just miss catching C Z Rocket for second in the six-furlong race won by Whitmore.

“Whitmore was able to get through. We were just behind him, but it closed up on us and we couldn't get there. He ran a great race. He always does. He tries all the time,” Mr. Amore Stable's Ron Lombardi said. “The slop is obviously difficult for him. That's what led to the decision to skip the Cigar Mile and ship him to Florida.”

The homebred 5-year-old son of Poseidon's Warrior, who has earned $2.2 million while winning 12 of 30 career starts against top-class company, had previously captured the Vosburgh (G2) at Belmont Park by 2 ¾ lengths.

Firenze Fire, who captured the Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park during his juvenile campaign, has been an enduring sprint star while capturing graded stakes in each of the next three years, including three in 2020. Since joining Breen's stable in March, his only two poor showings in six starts came over sloppy tracks.

Firenze Fire is scheduled to run at Gulfstream Park for the first time in his career.

“He's won on seven tracks. Of his 12 wins, seven have been at different tracks,” Lombardi said. “I think he likes a harder surface better than a softer surface, so I think Gulfstream will serve him well.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount.

Greg Sacco-trained Mind Control was also scratched from the Cigar Mile due to his dislike for sloppy tracks. The 4-year-old son of Stay Thirsty won Grade 1 stakes at Saratoga in each of his first two years of racing, capturing the Hopeful at 2 and the H. Allen Jerkens at 3.

Mind Control kicked off his 2020 campaign with back-to-back graded-stakes victories at Aqueduct in the Toboggan (G3) and Tom Fool (G3) but is winless in five subsequent starts. After finishing eighth in the Carter (G1) over a sloppy Belmont track, the Red Oak homebred turned in a strong third-place finish behind Volatile and Whitmore in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga. In his last three starts he finished off-the-board over a sloppy Saratoga track in the Forego (G1); finished third in the ungraded Mr. Prospector at Monmouth; and was a disappointing ninth in the seven-furlong Lafayette at Keeneland on the Breeders' Cup undercard.

“It's been a little bit of a hard luck year. He started out the year super and then COVID hit. The Carter got pushed back and he hit the slop and he hates the slop. We ran him back in the Vanderbilt and he ran super. We were back on track and we hit the slop again,” Sacco said. “We brought him back to Monmouth to give him an easier race to give him a confidence booster. He got a rough trip that day and got checked back on the backstretch. The race at Keeneland, a horse gave way right in front of him and Johnny [Velazquez] had to snatch him up. We've been sort of a victim of circumstances this year.”

Hall of Famer Velazquez has the return call aboard Mind Control.

Patrick Biancone-trained Diamond Oops is coming into the Mr. Prospector off an even sixth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), in which he finished 4 ½ lengths behind Whitmore and a length behind Firenze Fire after breaking from an outside post position.

“He came back good,” Biancone said. “He got a bad draw that day, but he came back good.”

The versatile Diamond Oops, who won last year's Mr. Prospector, went into the Breeders' Cup off back-to-back victories in the Churchill Downs Turf Sprint (G2) and the Phoenix (G2) over Keeneland's main track. In 2019, the 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky was Grade 1 stakes-placed in back-to-back starts on dirt (Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga) and on turf (Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland).

“He's just a good horse,” Biancone said.

After winning the Mr. Prospector last year, Diamond Oops came back to finish a credible fourth in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in January.

“We go one race at a time,” Biancone said. “We're going race by race. We'll see how we go. It's a long way. We'll see. I cannot say, 'yes.' I cannot say, 'no.'”

Julien Leparoux has the call aboard Diamond Oops.

David Bernsen LLC and Jeffrey Lambert's Lasting Legacy also enters the Mr. Prospector after running in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, in which he was beaten by 6 ¾ lengths in a ninth-place finish after being claimed for $80,000 out of his previous race. The 6-year-old son of Tapizar finished second behind Diamond Oops in the Mr. Prospector last season.

Trainer Bob Hess Jr. named Paco Lopez to ride Lasting Legacy.

Thumbs Up Racing LLC's Sleepy Eyes Todd enters the Mr. Prospector off a victory on the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup card, having captured the Lafayette by 1 ½ lengths after closing from 12th. True Timber, who finished second, came back to win the Cigar Mile. The Miguel Silva-trained 4-year-old son of Paddy O'Prado had won the Charles Town Classic (G2) two starts prior. Tyler Gaffalione is scheduled to ride Sleepy Eyes Todd for the first time Saturday.

R. A. Hill Stable's Majestic Dunhill finished seventh in the Fall Highweight (G3) at Aqueduct in his most recent start but rates consideration Saturday off a victory in the Bold Ruler (G3) at Belmont in his previous start. Trainer George Weaver awarded the mount aboard the 5-year-old son of Majesticperfection to Joe Bravo.

Shadwell Stable's Haikal, who captured the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct last year for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, is scheduled to make his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher Saturday off nearly a 10-month layoff. Luis Saez is slated to ride the 4-year-old son of Daaher for the first time.

My Purple Haze Stables' Cool Arrow, the winner of the Sept. 6 Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream, is scheduled to seek his fifth victory in eight starts over the Gulfstream strip in the Mr. Prospector. The Terri Pompay-trained son of Into Mischief will be ridden by Edgard Zayas.

Rounding out the field are Wind of Change, Last Judgment, Ebben and Zenden.

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Beyond The Win: Juvenile Filly Made A ‘Wicked’ Comeback At Woodbine

Of the 13 training wins star-on-the-rise Cole Bennett recorded in 2020, it was a 1 ½-length score on Nov. 8 at Woodbine that stands out as the most meaningful.

The seventh race, run just over a month ago at the Toronto oval, attracted 12 starters for the $64,300 1 1/16-mile main track maiden optional claiming event.

Ms Wicked, a dark bay daughter of War Dancer, left from gate 11 in the two-turn race with Patrick Husbands in the irons.

Sent on her way at 6-1, the Ontario-bred, owned at the time by Centennial Farms Inc., and campaigned by Bennett, rallied from last at the half-mile call to break her maiden in what was her fourth career start, a 1 ½-length triumph that earned her connections $30,240.

That she won the race wasn't a longshot surprise. That she was in it most certainly was.

“Six horses that we ran after we got out of the quarantine for herpes, we won four races within the first two weeks of when we were able to start up again,” recalled Bennett. “One of those horses was Ms Wicked. She's a filly I bought as a yearling that I sold to Centennial. She contracted herpes and ended up at the University of Guelph… she wasn't doing well when she got there.”

At one point during her stay at Guelph's world-renowned veterinary hospital, Bennett figured the 2-year-old might succumb to the virus.

The one thing the filly did have in her favor was an attitude that matched her name.

“She ended up fighting her way through it, she's a really tough little you-know-what,” said Bennett with a laugh. “She lives up to her name. She is wicked to deal with. Everything is difficult with her. She can be really nasty, but all of it in a really good racehorse kind of a way.”

When Ms Wicked, bred by Janeane Everatt, James Everatt & Arika Everatt-Meeuse, returned to her stall on the Woodbine backstretch, Bennett and his crew didn't set any expectations for the rookie filly.

Simply having her back in the fold was enough for the conditioner.

“In the spring, I had her at the racetrack and I thought she was my best 2-year-old,” offered Bennett. “Centennial bought her a week prior to when she had to go to Guelph. We weren't sure what was going to happen to her. We were just going to take care of her the best we could. We were going to do right by her.”

Soon enough, however, Ms Wicked, a half-sister to Aheadbyacentury (second in the 2018 Queen's Plate) would once again beat the odds.

Bennett was initially speechless at what he was seeing.

“It was incredible. From the time she got back, to after she was recovered and cleared, it was amazing… she was back breezing three weeks after she came back from Guelph. This was a horse that went to Guelph and couldn't walk in a straight line. She could hardly stand up and needed to be supported to stand up properly. She was there for about a week and a half, and then we get back to the racetrack. I'm not thinking she's going to make it back to the races. And there we are, three weeks later, breezing her. It was just incredible. It shows you the heart and soul these horses have, that willingness to fight and never give up.”

It also provided Bennett some invaluable life and work lessons.

“For me, all the horses coming back, and being able to train them was just such a good feeling. There were two weeks we weren't training and I was sitting in the barn thinking that it was the end of our year. I truly believed it. A lot of those horses, we didn't figure they were going to make it, or ever make it back to the racetrack. Then you add the pandemic into the mix and it was just crazy stress, things that keep you up all night. To see how she didn't give up, it's a good reminder for yourself.”

He'll no doubt often think of Ms Wicked's journey from a hospital room to the winner's circle in the months leading up to the anticipated opening day for the 2021 Woodbine Thoroughbred meet.

Not all cherished victories, he acknowledged, come in stakes races.

“You just have to keep pushing through all the time. No matter what happens, you just have to focus on your horses and do what's best for them. Ultimately, when you go through something like this with a horse, you come out the other side better and stronger.”

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Quip Takes On Defending Secret Ambition In Thursday’s Listed Dubai Creek Mile

Racing at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday evening, the track's final meeting of 2020, is presented by pillar partner Longines and features the Group 2 Madjani Stakes, the only Purebred Arabian race on the card, as well as the Listed Dubai Creek Mile, the Thoroughbred highlight.

Nine have been declared for the Listed Dubai Creek Mile presented by Longines, including last year's winner Secret Ambition, one of two in the field for Satish Seemar. The trainer landed the first two editions of this race, inaugurated in 2013, with Surfer, the only dual winner of the contest to date. As was the case 12 months ago, Tadhg O'Shea is in the saddle aboard the 7-year-old Exceed And Excel entire who was able to defy a penalty last year, an impost earned for his victory in the 2019 Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile.

“He does not have that extra burden here, though does have a smaller penalty, and O'Shea said: “We know conditions suit him and he showed last year that he can run well fresh, so the fact it is his first run of the season is not a great concern.

“It looks a strong renewal though, but I am hoping for a big run.”

Richard Mullen rides stable companion Quip, having his first start for the yard and just third in the UAE after two outings for Doug Watson last season. A dual G2 winner in the US, he obviously has plenty of ability and now has the advantage of a summer on his back to help his acclimatization

Assistant trainer, Bhupat Seemar, said: “He is a nice new horse for us who has been working well. He should improve for the run, but we are hoping for a good effort in a strong race.”

Second to Secret Ambition in this 12 months ago, Kimbear is one of three in this year's field set to be saddled by Doug Watson. The mount of Pat Dobbs, the 6-year-old Temple City entire then gained revenge on that rival, beating him by a short-head in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1. Watson's charge's previous victory, on Super Saturday 2018, was also achieved at the expense of Secret Ambition, in the G3 Burj Nahaar.

Penalized for his Al Maktoum Challenge victory, he will be attempting to concede weight to all eight rivals and is joined in the field by stable companions Thegreatcollection and local debutant Mount Pelion. The former, the mount of Pat Cosgrave, is one of just three runners with the benefit of an outing already this season and was, arguably, a bit unlucky when fifth in this race last season.

Mount Pelion, a dual winner in France for Godolphin and Andre Fabre, has the assistance of Sam Hitchcott in the saddle for his dirt debut. He did win his only appearance on an all-weather surface, on debut as a 2-year-old, at Chantilly in November 2017.

Watson said: “Kimbear is a horse we have always really liked, but have had a few issues with. He is in great shape, but does have a penalty and will improve from the run.

“We have not been able to find a race for Mount Pelion, so this is a good spot to get him going and try him on the dirt surface.

“Thegreatcollection ran well on his return and like Kimbear is proven under these conditions. Hopefully they can all run well.”

With an official rating of 117, Capezzano should be a massive danger to all over the course and distance he won last year's G3 Firebreak Stakes, chased home by Secret Ambition. Salem bin Ghadayer's charge took the scalp of dual Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow when beating the Godolphin horse ahead of his historic second victory in the UAE's major horse race in the 2019 G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 over the same 2000m on Super Saturday. He also beat Thegreatcollection in a pair of Dubai World Cup Carnival handicaps over this 1600m in January 2019.

This is his first start since finishing stone last in the ultra-valuable Saudi Cup on the last day of February and Bin Ghadayer said: “The horses are starting to run very well and hopefully Capezzano can do the same as he has been working nicely at home.”

Casey Jones beat the aforementioned Thegreatcollection in a conditions race over this course and distance on their seasonal returns and was then third, over 2000m, in the Listed The Entisar, a fortnight ago. He is trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, as is Alkaamel, third in the race won by Casey Jones a month ago and again the mount of Dane O'Neill.

Al Mheiri said: “Casey Jones has already produced two good runs this season and we think is still improving.

“Alkaamel is also a course and distance winner and has benefitted from his run behind Casey Jones a month ago.”

For Fawzi Nass and Adrie de Vries, Salute The Soldier made a winning dirt debut on Super Saturday earlier this year with a smooth success in the G3 Burj Nahaar, over track and trip, on Super Saturday.

The 1900m G2 Madjani Stakes presented by Longines has attracted a capacity field of 16 and looks wide open. Riding for his main employer, UAE Champion Owner Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, O'Shea partners AF Al Sajanjle for Ernst Oertel. The 7-year-old has not really fired in either start so far this season, but was a good third in the 1600m Al Maktoum Challenge R1 here at Meydan on dirt back in January.

O'Shea said: “He should be spot on for this after two runs and the 1900m should suit him.”

Watson saddles both Sauternes Al Maury, runner-up to stable companion Bon Baiser De Faust in the inaugural running of this race in 2016, and RB Texas Hold Em, a Grade One winner in his native US.

Watson said: “Sauternes Al Maury is always capable of a big run and has proved conditions suit him, but he is drawn very wide in a big field.

“We tried RB Texas Hold Em on turf which he seemed not to enjoy. He will be much happier back on dirt and has a nice draw.”

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