Repole Stable's Always Shopping made a triumphant return to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., on Monday, capturing the $75,000 Monroe Stakes. A graded-stakes winner on dirt, the Todd Pletcher-trained 4-year-old daughter of Awesome Again earned her first stakes success on turf in the 1 1/16-mile event for fillies and mares.
The Monroe and the $75,000 Mr. Steele, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up, co-headlined Monday's program, wrapping up a seven-stakes Labor Day Weekend schedule that included Cool Arrow's victory in Saturday's $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3).
Always Shopping ($9.40), unplaced on dirt in the Ruffian (G2) at Belmont Park and the Summer Colony at Saratoga in her two most recent starts, was making her second start on turf and first start with blinkers Monday. Prior to shipping north, she finished fourth in her turf debut at Gulfstream in the June 7 Treasure Coast, in which she became involved in an early speed duel before fading late.
Ridden by the Spring/Summer Meet's leading rider Edgard Zayas, Always Shopping offered a much more professional performance, stalking the pace on the outside before kicking in through the stretch to win by a neck over Bienville Street, who saved ground behind pacesetter Crown and Sugar before taking over the lead heading into the stretch.
“The blinkers helped her get into the race and relax at the same time. It completely changed her,” said Zayas, who was aboard the Pletcher trainee in the Treasure Coast. “The last time I rode her, I got an inside position and got her running out of there and kind of got stuck in a speed duel. Today, I wanted to get her in position to stalk the pace. When it was time to ask her, she came running in the end.”
Always Shopping, who captured the Gazelle (G2) over Aqueduct's main track last year, ran 1 1/16-miles over a 'good' turf in 1:43.36. Bienville Street finished second, 2 ¼ lengths clear of late-running Kelsey's Cross.
Always Shopping is out of Stopshoppingmaria, who was graded-stakes placed on turf and dirt and won the 2013 Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
In the Mr. Steele, trainer Louie Roussel III's Sailing Solo had things his own way Monday at Gulfstream Park while collecting his third win in a row under Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado. The 5-year-old son of Smart Strike was allowed to set a leisurely uncontested pace while preserving sufficient energy to turn back all challengers in the stretch on the way to a 1 ½-length victory.
Sailing Solo, who had won three of 11 starts the Midwest before joining Roussel's string in South Florida, captured a June 26 optional claiming allowance and the July 25 Mecke Stakes over the Gulfstream turf course prior to Monday's front-running score.
“It seems like we get along pretty good,” Prado said. “I watched his races in Louisiana for different riders, and I learned something from that. I learned more when I got on him the first time. He seemed like he wanted to do things his way, nice and relaxed. That's what he's been doing the last three times. He goes right to the front, relaxes and waits for me to ask him.”
Sailing Solo ran 1 1/16 miles on a 'good' turf in 1:42.44. Louder Than Bombs saved ground behind the victorious pacesetter and finished second, 2 ½ lengths ahead of David Fawkes stablemate Galleon Mast, who finished third after a wide trip throughout the running of the Mr. Steele.
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