Quantum Racing Team’s 5-year-old gelding Mambo Meister
worked a ‘bullet’ half-mile in 47 flat Thursday morning at Gulfstream Park
for trainer Phil Gleaves as he returns from a brief freshening and prepares for
his next start in the $100,000 Miami Mile Handicap (G3) on opening day at
Calder Race Course on Sun., Apr. 25.
“He ran three times here,” said Gleaves. “He finished a
good third in the Ft. Lauderdale, fourth behind Quality Road in the Donn, and I
don’t think he liked the hard course last out in the Canadian when they ran a
mile in 1:31,” referring to his eighth-place finish last out in the $150,000
Canadian Turf Stakes (G3) on Feb. 20, although beaten only 5 ½ lengths for it
all by Courageous Cat.
“We decided after the Canadian that it would be a good time
to give him a little break and sent him to Harold Plumley’s farm in Ocala
for 30 days and he’s ready to go again,” said Gleaves, who will ship his stable
from Gulfstream back to summer quarters at Calder sometime next week.
Mambo Meister is a Kentucky-bred son of King Cugat that
completed his 2009 campaign with a very good fifth-place finish in the $1
million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita on Nov. 7, beaten only two
lengths for it all by Furthest
Land
with trouble in the stretch.
Mambo Meister is highly consistent and versatile, posting
three wins and three seconds last year on turf and dirt. He began this year
finishing third as the favorite in the ‘off the turf’ Ft. Lauderdale Stakes
(G3) on Jan. 10, beaten a length for it all by Duke of Mischief, and was beaten
only a length for second in the Donn Handicap (G1) by Dry Martini on Feb. 6
before running back just two weeks later in the Canadian.
Gozzip Girl Breezing at Palm
Meadows for Return
The Farnsworth Stables’ colors recently were in the Gulfstream
Park
winners’ circle after trainer Marty Wolfson sent out 4-year-old filly Speak
Easy Gal for a wire-to-wire victory in the $150,000 Orchid Stakes (G3) on Mar.
28, and another highly-accomplished 4-year-old filly owned by Farnsworth is
breezing toward another campaign with a considerable resume already compiled in
2009.
Farnsworth’s Gozzip Girl emerged as a major player in the
3-year-old filly turf division here early last year sweeping the Coconut Grove
Stakes and Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3) for trainer Tom Albertrani and went on
to score in the Sands Point Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park in May and American
Oaks (G1) at Hollywood Park in early July.
A Kentucky-bred daughter of Dynaformer, Gozzip Girl
finished the campaign with a very troubled trip when fourth as the 2-to-5
favorite in the Garden City Stakes (G1) at Belmont
in September and third last out in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at
Keeneland on Oct. 17 at 7-to-10.
Gozzip Girl breezed an easy half-mile in 51 4/5 Thursday
morning at Palm Meadows in her second recorded workout for Albertani this year.
Pletcher Nominates Five for Boynton
Beach
The $50,000 Boynton Beach Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at
one mile on turf will highlight the Gulfstream
Park
program on Sat., Apr. 17, and leading trainer Todd Pletcher will have five
nominees to choose from led by Paul Pompa, Jr.’s Rose Catherine and Edward P.
Evans’ Salaam Alaykum.
Rose Catherine is a daughter of Speightstown and finished a
game second in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa
Anita on Nov. 6, beaten a half-length by Tapitsfly, after breaking her maiden
by 8 ¾ lengths at Belmont Park. Last out, she won the Sweet Life Stakes on the
synthetic main track at Santa Anita on Jan. 24.
Salaam Akaykum was impressive breaking her maiden last out
over the Gulfstream course on Mar 7 by 2 ½ lengths. The Virginia
homebred daughter of Saint Liam was making only her second career start after
10th-place finish spring on dirt at Saratoga
in late July.