A Bit of Both Makes Graded Stakes Debut in Sugar Swirl
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Leslie Martin
A Bit of Both wins the Game Face Stakes at Gulfstream Park
A Bit of Both's connections could not have found a better place for her graded stakes debut.
The 3-year-old daughter of Paynter is among a field of nine entered in the $100,000 Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3), a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3 years old and up Dec. 14 at Gulfstream Park.
The Florida-bred has won four of five starts at the track, with the lone setback coming in a Jan. 10 starter optional claimer in her second start.
Otherwise, the filly owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Darsan, Bethlehem Stables, and David Simon, and trained by Jason Servis, has won those four starts at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track by a combined 27 3/4 lengths.
"She can run," Servis said. "She's been a good filly for us."
Bred by Darsan and WinStar Farm, A Bit of Both won the Game Face Stakes in April at Gulfstream Park and is exiting a 3 1/2-length victory in the $125,000 OBS Filly and Mare Sprint Stakes on a synthetic surface at the Ocala Training Center Nov. 26.
"I guess I got the synthetics-to-dirt angle going, whatever that means," Servis said.
Out of the High Fly mare Lizzie K, A Bit of Both went to Darsan for $10,000 at the 2017 Ocala Breeders' Sales October Yearling Sale.
She debuted for Darsan and trainer Kathleen O'Connell in a September 2018 maiden claiming race at Gulfstream, where she was entered for a $50,000 tag and won by 11 3/4 lengths while covering six furlongs in 1:10.83.
Darsan then retained a share of her and sold the remaining percentage to the current ownership group.
"They bought in after she won her first race. Those guys step up and they make their own luck," Servis said about the deal to acquire her.
After a runner-up finish in a starter race in her first try for Servis and the new connections, A Bit of Both reeled off four consecutive wins. A winner in seven of nine starts, she has earned $289,310 and will be ridden by Paco Lopez.
Among the main threats is Ron Paolucci Racing and Leigh Anderson-Butler's grade 3 winner Heavenhasmynikki. The 4-year-old Ohio-bred daughter of Majestic Warrior trained by Robert Hess Jr. was ninth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). But before that, she won the Diana Stakes at Thistledown for a second straight year following a five-month break after winning the 6 1/2-furlong Vagrancy Handicap (G3) at Belmont Park.
She will break from the outside post with jockey Tyler Gaffalione.
Matalona Thoroughbreds' Stormy Embrace was second, a neck behind Dream Pauline, in last year's Sugar Swirl but is coming off a pair of fourth-place finishes in the Sheer Drama Stakes and the Millions Distaff Stakes. Before that, the homebred daughter of Circular Quay won the $250,000 Princess Rooney Stakes (G2) for O'Connell.
Also entered are Right Time Racing III's and Madaket Stables' Meadow Dance and WSS Racing's Pretty Greeley, who were second and third, respectively, behind grade 1 winner Mia Mischief in the Dream Supreme Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 14, 2019, Race 6Entries: Sugar Swirl S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Ms Meshak (FL)
Cristian A. Torres
122
Joseph F. Orseno
20/1
2
2Bronx Beauty (PA)
Jose L. Ortiz
122
Anthony R. Margotta, Jr.
9/2
3
3A Bit of Both (FL)
Paco Lopez
120
Jason Servis
3/1
4
4Lady's Island (FL)
Emisael Jaramillo
122
Georgina Baxter
5/2
5
5Blazen Betsy (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
120
Rohan Crichton
20/1
6
6Stormy Embrace (FL)
Luis Saez
125
Kathleen O'Connell
6/1
7
7Pretty Greeley (KY)
Sophie Doyle
120
John Alexander Ortiz
30/1
8
8Meadow Dance (KY)
Javier Castellano
120
Brad H. Cox
8/1
9
9Heavenhasmynikki (OH)
Tyler Gaffalione
122
Robert B. Hess, Jr.
5/1
