2019 Princess Rooney Stakes Field & Odds

Matalona Thoroughbreds LLC’s Stormy Embrace is scheduled to seek a title defense and another shot at the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) in Saturday’s $250,000 Princess Rooney (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The Princess Rooney, a seven furlong Breeders’ Cup `Win & You’re In’ sprint for fillies and mares, will co-headline the Summit of Speed program with the $250,000 Smile Sprint (G3), a six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up.

Stormy Embrace, who is slated to face six rivals Saturday, enters the Princess Rooney off a sensational 10 ½-length victory in the May 18 Musical Romance Stakes at Gulfstream. She is the 4-5 morning-line favorite.

“She ran very credible and very, very big,” trainer Kathleen O’Connell said. “She’s a very, very nice horse.”

Last year, Stormy Embrace won the Musical Romance on her way to capturing the Princess Rooney by six lengths to earn a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs. After finishing off-the-board at Churchill, the Matalona homebred mare returned to finish behind multiple-stakes winner Dream Pauline twice during the Championship Meet, losing a photo finish in the Dec. 15 Sugar Swirl (G3) and checking in third in the Hurricane Bertie (G3).

The Florida-bred mare ran seven furlongs in swift 1:21.51 while defending her title in the Musical Romance, named to honor the South Florida-based filly who captured the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs.

“She’s just as good this year as she was last year. She’s a model of consistency. She doesn’t have to be anywhere. She just has to have things unfold,” said O’Connell, who has saddled the winners of nearly 2100 races. “In the Breeders’ Cup, they unfolded terrible and I just throw that one out, but she’s been a model of consistency otherwise.”

Stormy Embrace debuted in July 2016 with a handy 9 ½-length victory in a $50,000 maiden claiming race and went on to be multiple stakes-placed before blossoming in 2018.

“She exhibited a lot of talent early on when she was 2. She went through some physical growing pains and mental growing pains and she’s just matured into what she is, which is a very solid racehorse,” O’Connell said. “She’s doing awesome. Hopefully we’ll have a big day.”

Wilmer Garcia has the return mount.

Newtown Anner Stud and Mark D. Breen’s Saguaro Row, who is based at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. with trainer Michael Stidham, is slated to seek her first stakes victory in the Princess Rooney. The 4-year-old daughter of Union Rags is coming off back-to-back six-furlong optional claiming allowance races at Keeneland and Belmont Park since returning to Stidham’s stable. She had debuted for Stidham in Sept. 2017 with a victory at six furlongs at Laurel Park and finished fifth at a mile in the Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs. Saguaro Row subsequently finished off the board in two starts around two turns at Fair Grounds for trainer Brendan Walsh in early 2018 before heading to the sidelines for a year and returning to Stidham for her 2019 campaign.

“I sprinted her and both times she won. I think the key is letting her do what she does best, which is sprint,” Stidham said.

Albin Jimenez, who rode the Stidham-trained Classic Fit for a victory in the Hut Hut Stakes early in the 2018-2019 Championship Meet at Gulfstream, has the mount. Saguaro Row is 5-2.

Trenchtown Cat, was also entered to Saturday’s $75,000 Azalea for 3-year-old fillies, but trainer Rohan Crichton and owners Dennis Smith, Span Investments, In. and George Benedicty have opted for a start in the Princess Rooney.

“She’s won two stakes races. If she even hits the board, it improves her value as a broodmare,” Crichton said. “I think her Ana T race merits a shot in the Princess Rooney.

The daughter of Discreet Cat, a stakes winner on turf during the Championship Meet, made an auspicious debut on dirt last time out in the May 18 Ana T Stakes, scoring a 3 ¾-length triumph in the 6 ½-furlong sprint for fillies and mares.

“I expected her to run well on dirt, but if I said that I expected her to run the way she did, I’d be lying through my teeth,” said Crichton, who had previously saddled Trenchtown Cat for a victory on turf in the Sanibel Island Stakes on the undercard of the March 30 Florida Derby (G1).

Miguel Vasquez, who guided Trenchtown Cat to victory in the Ana T, has the return mount. She is 6-1.

Among the older fillies that fell victim to Trenchtown Cat in the Ana T was Razorback Lady, who is also slated to return in the Princess Rooney. Owned by trainer Patrick Biancone, the 4-year-old daughter of Overdriven, who has finished first or second in eight of 11 lifetime races, set a pressured pace before settling for second behind Trenchtown Cat in her first race since finishing second in the March 16 Inside Information (G2) at Gulfstream..

“She was coming off a little layoff,” Biancone said. “She’ll be fitter for this race.”

Julien Leparoux, who rode Razorback Lady in the Inside Information, is scheduled to return to Gulfstream to be reunited with the Arkansas-bred filly, who is 8-1.

OGMA Investments LLC’s Royal Asscher (12-1) is slated to seek her third straight victory since being claimed by trainer Gustavo Delgado for $12,500 in February. The well-traveled 5-year-old daughter of Tale of Ekati, who has raced from Kentucky to Florida with stops in Southern California, Arizona, Texas and Louisiana, won a pair of mile optional claiming allowance races going away.

Edgard Zayas was aboard for both victories and has been named to ride Royal Asscher again Saturday.

Flying Finish Farm Inc.’s Reagan’s Rose (30-1) and Arindel’s Weekend Mischief (15-1) round out the field.

Pre-Draw News

Saguaro Row Confirmed For Princess Rooney

Trainer Michael Stidham confirmed Saguaro Row for Saturday’s $250,000 Princess Rooney (G2) at Gulfstream Park Sunday morning after the daughter of Union Rags’ turned in a sharp four-furlong workout.

Newtown Anner Stud and Mark D. Breen’s 4-year-old filly breezed four furlongs at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. in 47.80 seconds, the fastest of four workouts recorded on the dirt surface.

“She had a beautiful breeze and I’m very happy the way she went,” said trainer Michael Stidham, who also confirmed that Proforma will also ship to Gulfstream Park to run in the $250,000 Smile Sprint (G3), which will co-headline Saturday’s Summit of Speed program with the Princess Rooney.

Saguaro Row is coming off back-to-back victories in allowance sprints at Keeneland and Belmont Park.

DAARS Inc.’s Proforma breezed a half-mile in a 48 seconds Saturday morning while producing the fastest workout of 37 recorded at the distance on the dirt surface.

The 5-year-old gelded son of Munnings is a stakes winner on both dirt and turf.

“He also had a really nice breeze,” said Stidham, whose trainee finished second in the Maryland Sprint (G2) on the undercard of the May 18 Preakness (G1) at Pimlico last time out. “His record speaks for itself. He’s been competitive on whatever we’ve run him on.”

At Gulfstream Park, Jacks or Better Farm’s multiple-stakes winner Garter and Tie breezed four furlongs in 50:43 seconds in preparation for a start in either the six-furlong Smile or the $75,000 Carry Back, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds that will be a supporting stakes on the Summit of Speed card along with the $75,000 Azalea for 3-year-old fillies.

“He went nice and easy and he’s doing good,” trainer Ralph Nicks said. “We’ll make our decision on Wednesday, which is entry day. He’s in good shape.”

Garter and Tie captured the 6 ½-furlong Ocala Stakes for Florida-bred 3-year-olds by 10 ½ lengths last time out.

Stormy Embrace tops a list of 15 nominations for the $250,000 Princess Rooney

Defending champion Stormy Embrace tops a list of 15 nominations for the $250,000 Princess Rooney (G2), a Breeders’ Cup `Win and You’re In’ event that will co-headline the June 29 Summit of Speed card at Gulfstream Park with the $250,000 Smile Sprint (G3).

Graded-stakes winners Come Dancing and Honey Bunny are also prominent on the list of nominations for the Princess Rooney, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares that will offer the winner a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Nov. 2.

Stormy Embrace most recently came off a four-month freshening to win the May 18 Musical Romance Stakes, scoring by 10 ½ lengths over Lady’s Island, who came back to dominate the Nicole’s Dream Stakes by nine lengths. Stormy Embrace ran seven furlongs in a dazzling 1:21.51.

Last year, the Kathleen O’Connell-trained 5-year-old mare won the Musical Romance on her way to capturing the Princess Rooney by six lengths to earn a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs. After finishing off-the-board at Churchill, the Matalona Thoroughbreds LLC’s homebred mare returned to finish behind multiple-stakes winner Dream Pauline twice during the Championship Meet, losing a photo finish in the Dec. 15 Sugar Swirl (G3) and checking in third in the Hurricane Bertie (G3).

Blue Devils Racing Stable’s Come Dancing most recently finished second behind Midnight Bisou in the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont Park June 8. The Carlos Martin-trained 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon had previously won the Distaff Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct and the Ruffian (G2) at Belmont in her first two starts of 2019.

Honey Bunny is riding a five-race winning streak that includes a 1 ½-length triumph in the Winning Colors (G2) at Churchill Downs May 25. Trained by John Ortiz for Hooties Racing LLC, WSS Racing LLC and 4G Racing LLC, the 5-year-old daughter of Tapizar has won 14 of 31 career starts.

Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Dawn the Destroyer, who won the Interborough Stakes at Aqueduct before finishing third behind Come Dancing in the Distaff, has been nominated to the Princess Rooney by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

Dennis Smith, Span Investments, Inc. and George Benedicty’s Trenchtown Cat and trainer Patrick Biancone’s Razorback Lady, 1-2 in the May 25 Ana T. Stakes at Gulfstream, respectively, are both nominated to the Princess Rooney.

The Rohan Crichton-trained Trenchtown Cat, who had won two of four starts on turf, won her dirt debut in the Ana T. by 3 ¾ lengths over Razorback Lady, who had previously finished second behind America’s Tale in the Inside Information (G2) during the Championship Meet.

Averill Racing LLC and Matties Racing Stable LLC’s Lady’s Island is expected to seek her fifth victory in six starts this year, her only loss coming against Stormy Embrace in the Musical Romance.

DAARs Inc.’s Proforma is prominent among the 16 nominations for the Smile Sprint, a six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up. Trained by Michael Stidham, the son of Munnings most recently finished second in the Maryland Sprint (G3) on the Preakness (G1) undercard at Pimlico May 18, The 5-year-old gelding has made 12 consecutive stakes starts on dirt and turf since breaking his maiden in his second career race, collecting three victories, including the Kentucky Turf Sprint (G3) at Kentucky Downs.

Three Diamonds Farm’s Do Share and Thoroughbred Champions Training Center LLC’s Gladiator King are among others with graded-stakes credentials on the noms list for the Smile Sprint. Trained by Michael Matz, Do Share most recently finished a troubled fourth in the Churchill Downs (G1) on the Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard after capturing the Top Fool (G3) at Belmont in his previous start. Gladiator King won the Hutcheson (G3) during the Championship Meet for trainer Jaime Mejia.

Jacks or Better Farm’s Garter and Tie’s Smile credentials include multiple stakes victories over the Gulfstream Park main track. The Ralph Nicks-trained son of Brooks `n Down, who won the $200,000 FSS Affirmed last year, most recently captured the Ocala Stakes going away by 10 ½ lengths.

Paradise Farms Corp. and Walder Racing’s Fast Past, who captured the Opening Lead stakes; Commonwealth Stable’s Jalen Journey, who ran a mile in 1:34.47 while winning an optional claiming allowance; Granpollo Stable’s King Humor, who won his fourth straight race without defeat June 14; and Imaginary Stables an Glenn Ellis’ Royal Squeeze, who is riding a four-race winning streak, are among the nominees in sharp form leading up to the Smile.

The Princess Rooney and the Smile Sprint will be supported by the $75,000 Carry Back, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, the $75,000 Azalea, a seven-furlong dash for 3-year-old fillies and the $75,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint, a five-furlong turf sprint.

Stonehedge LLC’s Well Defined, the $400,000 FSS In Reality winner last year, tops a list of 19 nominations on the strength of a 2 ¾-length triumph in the Sam Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs. The Kathleen O’Connell-trained son of With Distinction has been unraced since finishing fourth behind Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up Tacitus in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 9.

Garter and Tie and Gladiator King are nominated for the Carry Back as well as the Smile Sprint.

Trenchtown Cat is also nominated to the Azalea.

Laurie Plesa’s Itsmyluckycharm is also among the most prominent nominees for the Azalea. The Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained daughter of Itsmyluckyday has finished first in six of her last seven starts, including a victory in the Portofino Bay Stakes last time out.

Averill Racing LLC and Matties Racing Stable LLC’s Pay Any Price, the world record-holder for five furlongs on turf, is the leading nominee for the Umphrey Turf Sprint, which he won the past two years.