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Got Stormy Noses Out Zofelle In 6-Year-Old Debut in Honey Fox

My Racehorse CA and Spendthrift Farm's multiple Grade 1 winner Got Stormy reeled in long shot pacesetter Jakarta in mid-stretch and held off a furious late bid from graded-stakes winner Zofelle by a nose to make a triumphant 6-year-old debut in Saturday's $125,000 Honey Fox (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 36^th running of the one-mile Honey Fox for older turf females was the sixth of nine stakes, eight graded, worth $1.475 million on a blockbuster 14-race program headlined by the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds on the road to the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa March 27, and $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) featuring the seasonal debut of 2-year-old filly champion Vequist.

With regular rider Tyler Gaffalione aboard for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, Got Stormy ($4.20) completed the distance in 1:35.52 over a firm course to earn her 11^th career victory and push her bankroll further over the $2 million mark. Sent off as the even-money favorite in a field of eight, Got Stormy was racing for the first time since running fifth against males in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) Nov. 7.

It was the second win of the day for Gaffalione and helped provide of measure of relief for Casse. Earlier in the day, Casse ran second by a nose with Olympic Runner in the $125,000 Canadian Turf (G3) and saw Spanish Loveaffair disqualified from first to fourth in the $100,000 Herecomesthebride (G3).

Gaffalione settled Got Stormy in second behind Claiming Crown Distaff Dash winner Jakarta, who finished third to Got Stormy after setting the pace in the Franklin County (G3) last fall at Keeneland. Jakarta posted splits of 24.29 seconds, 48.76 and 1:12.72 and maintained the lead turning for home. Got Stormy ranged up in the straight and drew even inside the eighth pole as Zofelle began rolling on the outside, setting up the spirited bid to the wire.

Feel Glorious was part of the photo finish, running third, with Jakarta fourth and Art of Almost fifth.

$125,000 Honey Fox (G3) Quotes

Winning trainer Mark Casse (Got Stormy): “She had a great spot. Just kind of what we thought, we thought the horse that was on the lead would be there and she was sitting nice. She kicked and you could see a little bit of the rustiness today. She kicked, but she didn't kick as hard as she does sometimes. I think she'll build from this and get better.”

“I just wanted to get over this. I called [Spendthrift GM] Ned [Toffey] and said I figured out where I wanted to come back and I told him, and he said, 'Fine.' We'll see what's next. A lot of it depends on weather. She can't go over a mile, and it needs to be hard if it's a mile.”

“She was in the sale and I knew what the reserve was, and when she went over it my wife and I were watching from the office and it was sad. It was sad. And then about 20 minutes later I got a phone call that I wasn't expecting and [Spendthrift GM] Ned Toffey said to me, 'Let me ask you a dumb question. We'd like to run her another year, would you like to train her?' We went from being sad to very happy. We're excited we were able to deliver. I thought maybe last year getting her ready for her first race back I didn't do such a good job, and this year we cranked her up a little more.”

“I was really confident with her, as long as the turf stayed hard. She should build from this; it's just which direction do we go. She can do a little bit of anything. I don't know. We may sprint her. Never over a mile though.”

“They don't come around very often. We got her after a couple starts and she just got better and better. People always ask me what go ther better and it was just her confidence and much better on the racetrack. She used to be very nervous and now wherever you take her, she gets out of the van, looks around, and says, 'Where have you taken me now?'”

Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Got Stormy): “She's a tremendous filly. I've been able to get to know her the past few years and I have a lot of confidence every time I'm on her. She shows up every time. Really all the credit goes to Mark and his team to get her ready off the layoff. She fired a big one today.”

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Got Stormy Makes Seasonal Bow in Honey Fox

MGISW Got Stormy (Get Stormy) makes her first start for her new owners Saturday in Gulfstream's GIII Honey Fox S. Winner of the GI Fourstardave H. and GI Matriarch S. in 2019, the chestnut checked in second against males in this year's renewal of the Fourstardave Aug. 22. The chestnut captured the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint S. Sept. 12 and followed suit with a win in Keeneland's GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin County S. Oct. 9. Closing out her 2020 campaign with a fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint S. Nov. 7 at Keeneland, Got Stormy was purchased by Spendthrift Farm for $2.75-million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale and returned to Mark Casse's care for another year. My Racehorse, who partnered with Spendthrift on reigning Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief), teams up with B. Wayne Hughes's operation again on this popular mare.

“We're very pleased with her. Last year I felt like maybe I didn't have her quite as ready for her first start when we ran her, and the one thing I did was I tried to get her ready on the dirt,” Casse said. “So, this year I changed my mind and I sent her down and she's been breezing over the turf. She loves to breeze on the turf. She should be a good and ready.”

Zofelle (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) was a close second in the Sand Springs S. here last March and completed the trifecta in the GIII Mint Julep S. at Churchill May 30. Tiring to fifth after a wide trip behind Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in Belmont's GI Just a Game S. June 27, the bay kicked off this term with a late-rallying score in the GIII Marshua's River S. over course and distance Jan. 23.

MSW Feel Glorious (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) has been knocking at the door of a graded success for most of her career. Third in both the GII New York S. and GIII Matchmaker S. last summer, the bay captured Saratoga's Perfect Sting S. in August, but failed to fire when seventh in Belmont's GIII Noble Damsel S. Sept. 26. Fourth in that venue's GIII Athenia S. Oct. 25, she won the Forever Together S. at Aqueduct last time Nov. 27.

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Zofelle Shows Strong Stretch Punch In Winning Marshua’s River Off Layoff

Returning from a seven-month layoff, the Heider Family Stables' Zofelle cruised up into contention on the second turn and rolled to a two-length victory Saturday in the Marshua's River (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Marshua's River, run at a mile for the first time since 2004, is for fillies and mares 4-year-olds on the turf. It was the third of seven stakes on Saturday's program that was headlined by the $3-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

Zofelle, a 5-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Zoffany, won her first three starts in 2019 after being imported from Europe. She placed in two stakes in 2020 but was given a break by trainer Brendan Walsh after finishing fifth in the Just A Game (G1) on June 27 at Belmont Park.

Sent off as the 5-2 favorite in the field of 10, Zofelle and jockey Tyler Gaffalione took up a position near the rail a half-dozen lengths behind Our Bay B Ruth, who led the way through opening fractions of 23.18 and 46.12 seconds. Sweet Bye and Bye and Vigilantes Way quickened from their stalking positions to overtake Our Bay B Ruth in the second turn, but Zofelle was making her rally, too, and, swept to the lead inside the eighth pole. She completed the mile in 1:38.11 and paid $7.60 for her first graded-stakes victory.

Sweet Bye and Bye held for second and Belle Laura was up for third.

$125,000 Marshua's River (G3) Quotes

Winning trainer Brendan Walsh (Zofelle): “She had a very good year last year. We gave her a break. She came back from the break and she had been working really, really good. Came to hand really fast, had been working well for this, so it was nice to see her do what she did there.”

“It seems like it has been tough to close on the outer course today, so we didn't want to be too far away. She traveled around there really nice and when he asked her she picked up instantly. We can't ask for more than that.”

Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Zofelle): “I rode her in her first start in America and she settled real well that day and gave a really serious run down the stretch. I was trying to do the same thing. Coming off the layoff, I didn't want to rush her. I just let her settle and she picked up her feet as she went and she finished up nicely.”

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Just A Game: One-Turn Mile The Right Trip For 12-1 Chance Zofelle

Trainer Brendan Walsh said a one-turn mile is the right fit for stakes-winner Zofelle, which is why he will send the 4-year-old Zoffany bay to Belmont Park for Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Just a Game over the Widener turf course.

Owned by Heider Family Stables, Zofelle was third, beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Mint Julep on May 30 at Churchill Downs, where she broke from the outside, tracked the pace in third and maintained her position down the stretch while in pursuit, but was unable to hold off the late charge of Secret Message and stablemate La Signare.

Zofelle joined Walsh's barn last fall after racing in Great Britain for Hugo Palmer and won her first three North American starts for the trainer, two of which were at a mile, including a stakes win in the Pago Hop on December 28 at Fair Grounds.

“I think that in an ideal world, a mile is her trip,” Walsh said. “We drew wide last time and [jockey] Corey [Lanerie] had to work to put her in the race. The draw and having to use her early on didn't help us. It was the best race she's run since we got her. The one-turn mile is right up her alley. I think that suits her better and that's why I wanted to run her up there.”

Notching a victory in Saturday's race will be no easy task, as she will have to face Breeders' Cup winners Newspaperofrecord and Uni. Zofelle is 12-1 on the Just A Game morning line.

“It's a tough race, but it will suit her well. She's training well and I think that she'll run well,” Walsh said.

Bred in Ireland by Fullbury and Minch Bloodstock, Zofelle is out of the Galileo broodmare Height of Elegance, who is a half-sister to Group 1-winner Sequoyah – the dam of Irish champion Henrythenavigator. She also comes from the same family as 2013 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Magician.

Walsh said he plans on running La Signare, who won the 2018 Grade 3 Wonder Again at Belmont, in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland following a runner-up effort in the Mint Julep. The French-bred daughter of Siyouni beat Zofelle two starts back in the Sand Springs at Gulfstream Park.

“She's doing well, and we have the Jenny Wiley under consideration,” Walsh said. “We're lucky to have two very nice fillies. Hopefully, they can hold their own against Grade 1 company.”

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