Nonna Madeline, Sally's Curlin Meet in Hurricane Bertie
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Photo: Coady Photography
Sally's Curlin takes the Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs
Teresa Viola Racing Stables and St. Elias Stable's Nonna Madeline didn't get any breaks in her most recent race, but with an alert start, the Todd Pletcher trainee should prove a force in the $150,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes (G3) March 14 at Gulfstream Park.
Nonna Madeline was partly responsible for her third-place finish in the Jan. 25 Inside Information Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream by leaving the starting gate slowly, but the 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride was valiant in defeat despite having to be steadied on the backstretch.
"She didn't get away well, but I thought she closed pretty strongly at the end," Pletcher said. "We've been pointing for this race since then."
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Nonna Madeline made an auspicious debut at Monmouth Park in June 2018, scoring a 3 1/4-length victory over Jaywalk, the John Servis-trained filly who went on to win four consecutive races, including the Tito's Handmade Vodka Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), and an Eclipse Award. Nonna Madeline went on to finish second in the Schuylerville Stakes (G3) before finishing off the board in her final two starts as a 2-year-old.
After being sidelined for 14 months, she won a Dec. 20 allowance at Gulfstream Park by 5 3/4 lengths while prepping for the Inside Information.
"Knock on wood, hopefully she's setting up to have a good year," Pletcher said.
Nonna Madeline, who will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, is slated to face eight older fillies and mares in the seven-furlong sprint that will headline a 12-race card.
Sally's Curlin is scheduled to make her 2020 debut for CJ Thoroughbreds, Left Turn Racing, and Casner Racing.
The 4-year-old daughter of Curlin came into her own last year, winning three races in a row. She followed a pair of allowance optional claiming wins with a victory in the Chilukki Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in November. She finished her sophomore campaign with an off-the-board finish in the Nov. 28 Falls City Handicap (G2).
"We gave her a little time and feel like this is her year," trainer Dale Romans said. "She's grown up and matured."
Hall of Famer Edgar Prado will ride the late-running filly, whose best races have been in mile tests, mostly around one turn.
Owner William Stiritz and trainer Scott Becker are represented by a pair of entries, Wildwood's Beauty and W W Fitzy.
Wildwood's Beauty finished ahead of Nonna Madeline while earning runner-up honors in the Inside Information, which was won by Pink Sands. The ultra-consistent 4-year-old daughter of Kantharos who has finished first or second in 11 of 12 starts closed from off the pace before fading in the stretch.
W W Fitzy, who has won four of her past five starts, is coming off a frontrunning allowance optional claiming victory at Gulfstream.
Julien Leparoux has the return mount aboard Wildwood's Beauty, and Marcos Meneses will be back aboard W W Fitzy.
Cleber Massey's Blamed enters the Hurricane Bertie off a Feb. 8 allowance optional claiming victory at Gulfstream, rebounding nicely from a disappointing 12th-place finish in the Inside Information. The Bill Mott-trained 5-year-old daughter of Blame won the 2019 Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream and the 2018 Comely Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Emisael Jaramillo will be aboard Blamed.
Mary and Chester Broman's Pauseforthecause, who came into her own last fall, is scheduled to make her graded stakes debut—and her first start at Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old daughter of Giant's Causeway most recently finished third on a sloppy track in the Jan. 4 La Verdad Stakes at Aqueduct following three consecutive victories, including back-to-back stakes.
Paco Lopez will have the mount aboard the Kiaran McLaughlin trainee.
Rounding out the field are My Purple Haze Stables' Heiressall, who finished second behind Wildwood's Beauty before finishing third in a recent allowance optional claimer; Anderson Stables' Lady Kate, who is coming off impressive back-to-back allowance optional claiming wins at Gulfstream; and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Unholy Alliance, a recent allowance optional claiming winner at Gulfstream.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 14, 2020, Race 11Entries: Hurricane Bertie S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Blamed (MD)
Emisael Jaramillo
120
William I. Mott
3/1
2
2Heiressall (FL)
Miguel Angel Vasquez
120
Teresa M. Pompay
8/1
3
3Unholy Alliance (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
118
Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
12/1
4
4W W Fitzy (IL)
Marcos Meneses
122
Scott Becker
15/1
5
5Sally's Curlin (KY)
Edgar S. Prado
124
Dale L. Romans
6/1
6
6Nonna Madeline (KY)
John R. Velazquez
118
Todd A. Pletcher
9/2
7
7Wildwood's Beauty (FL)
Julien R. Leparoux
122
Scott Becker
4/1
8
8Pauseforthecause (NY)
Paco Lopez
122
Kiaran P. McLaughlin
6/1
9
9Lady Kate (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
118
Eddie Kenneally
8/1
