Ward, Arindel Clash Again in Gulfstream Juvenile Race

A 4 1/2-furlong scramble for 2-year-old fillies, the richest race on the May 7 card at Gulfstream Park, was preceded by a scramble at the entry box. Thirteen were entered for the $65,000 sprint for maidens, though the conditions of the race allow only eight to start.

As with other 2-year-old contests this year at Gulfstream, the diuretic Lasix is not permitted for treatment within 24 hours of the race.

Trainer Wesley Ward, whose entries Tharos and Gem Thief drew in the body of the field, said he submitted a scratch for Tharos due to a sore shin, leaving one of five also-eligibles with the chance to gain entry. 

Ward is still left with the 9-5 morning-line favorite, Gem Thief, a filly bred for 2-year-old success. She is a daughter of Shanghai Bobby, the champion juvenile colt of 2012, and is out of the multiple stakes-placed Aldebaran mare Corderosa, who won her only start at 2 in a six-furlong race at Aqueduct Racetrack in December 2011.

"A very, very nice filly, very precocious, kind of following her sire," Ward said. "She's a tight-knit filly, a fast-looking filly. She should have a good accounting."

An $85,000 purchase by owner Merriebelle Stable from the Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Gem Thief is related to two winners from three foals to race. One winner, Orecchiette (by Harlan's Holiday), was stakes-placed, and the other, Invigorous (by Congrats ), twice scored as a juvenile, though not on debut.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride.

Two fillies in the race, Awesome View and Sister Aurora, already have experience, having run fourth and sixth, respectively, in the first maiden race at Gulfstream on April 16.

Arindel's Quinoa Tifah won that race, followed a day later by the colt Gatsby, another Arindel baby, who triumphed in a maiden special weight. In both races, the Arindel-owned and Juan Alvarado-trained runners outran Ward trainees.

The Arindel team is again represented Thursday with Lyrical, a homebred daughter of Brethren  out of the Lemon Drop Kid  mare Boa Twelve. Boa Twelve won her two races in turf routes.

"I think she might want to go a bit further, but she's been pretty quick," Arindel president Brian Cohen said. "Her full sister won a maiden special (weight) down there last weekend, Key Biscayne, a race that came off the turf."

The victory from Key Biscayne came at 1 1/16 miles.

Also entered for Arindel is Tequa, though Cohen was pessimistic that the daughter of Dialed In  would draw into the race as the fourth also-eligible. He suggested she could return in an upcoming maiden race on turf, a surface for which she is bred, being out of the Tiznow  mare Pink Poppy, a three-time stakes winner on turf.

Edgard Zayas will ride Lyrical.

Thursday's race has one runner who is a sibling to a stakes winner: Briella. She is by Cajun Breeze  out of Clara Bow (by Way West), making her a full sister to Cajun Firecracker, the winner of the Dr. Fager Division of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park in 2018.

Michael Yates of Shadybrook Farm trains Briella, as he did Cajun Firecracker for his first two starts, including the stakes score, before the juvenile was sold to William and Corinne Heiligbrodt. Yates also trained Cajun Breeze for a portion of his career.

Miguel Vasquez will be aboard.

Race Day Speed and Princess Secret are the other two fillies in the body of the race.