Lady's Island Continues Winning Roll in Musical Romance
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson
Lady's Island wins the Musical Romance Stakes at Gulfstream Park
What a difference a year has made for Lady's Island.
Some 12 months after the Greatness mare finished a distant second in the Musical Romance Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Lady's Island enjoyed a romp of her own in the May 16 edition of the seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares.
Taking the lead shortly after the start, Averill Racing and Matties Racing Stable's Lady's Island cruised along on the front end and pulled away in the stretch, coasting to a 3 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 Musical Romance for her 11th win in her past 13 starts, six of them coming at Gulfstream Park.
"We were worried (about the) seven furlongs," trainer Georgina Baxter said. "We thought she might be vulnerable. We're very happy. She's improved and improved. It's been a progression."
Though Lady Island's only start beyond six furlongs in her baker's dozen of recent starts was last year's Musical Romance, when she wound up 10 1/2 lengths behind the runaway winner, the added furlong posed no problems this time around.
Ahead by two lengths under jockey Emisael Jaramillo after an opening quarter-mile in a quick 22.17, she never stopped running while covering three-quarters of a mile in 1:09.06 and the seven furlongs in 1:22.86 on a fast track.
"She looked settled. She looked happy. Around the bend, she pulled away, which is her normal move," Baxter said.
Sent off at 3-1 odds ($8.80) after being pegged the 7-5 morning-line favorite, Lady's Island came into the stakes off a pair of wins at Tampa Bay Downs, including the Minaret Stakes.
A winner of the Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park in December, Lady's Island improved her record to 16 wins and four seconds in 30 starts with earnings of $504,935.
"She's bigger and stronger. She's double the size of any (filly) in this field," Baxter said. "She's a monster and physically a monster."
Out of the Broad Brush mare Broadway Martha, Lady's Island was bred in Florida by Bailey Bolen, who debuted her with trainer Joseph Arboritanza for a $25,000 claiming tag in a Feb. 26, 2017, maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs. She was claimed by Averill Racing for $16,000 out of a June 22, 2018, race after notching four wins for her original connections.
William Stiritz's Wildwood's Beauty, the even-money favorite, rallied from fifth to take second. Trained by Scott Becker, the Kantharos filly was 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Mathis Stable, Madaket Stables, and Doheny Racing Stable's Bellera, a 4-year-old daughter of Bernardini trained by Todd Pletcher.