Vigilantes Way Tries Graded Company in Marshua's River

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Vigilantes Way Tries Graded Company in Marshua's River
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Vigilantes Way wins the Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream Park

Phipps Stable's homebred Vigilantes Way will try to make it two in a row over the Gulfstream Park turf course Jan. 23 when she faces nine other older fillies and mares at a mile in the $125,000 Marshua's River Stakes (G3T). The 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro  filly was entered off a victory at 1 1/16 miles in the Dec. 26 Tropical Park Oaks.

The Tropical Park Oaks was the first stakes win for the Shug McGaughey-trained Vigilantes Way, though last year she also placed in the Nov. 15 Winter Memories Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack and the Oct. 3 Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, finishing a half-length behind fellow Marshua's River entrant Evil Lyn in the latter. 

The Marshua's River will be the first graded race for Vigilantes Way. Julien Leparoux retains the mount from post 4.

Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher's Evil Lyn almost made it three in a row in the Dec. 26 Pago Hop Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, but was nosed out late and finished second in that mile event. She did pick up a mile stakes victory in the Hilltop before winning a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming event Nov. 8 at Churchill Downs. 

Mike Maker trains the 4-year-old Wicked Strong  filly and will have Flavien Prat riding from post 6.

Sackatoga Stable's Niko's Dream is another last-out Gulfstream winner. The 5-year-old Central Banker  mare trained by Barclay Tagg got up to take the Dec. 12 My Charmer Stakes racing 1 1/16 miles and defeated Tuned, another Marshua's River entrant, by 1 1/2 lengths. 

Junior Alvarado will be back aboard Niko's Dream as the mare breaks from post 9.

GU Racing Stable's Belle Laura won three of her four races in 2020, including the non-black-type In the Breeze Stakes in July at Gulfstream. She is unraced since Sept. 25, when she took an allowance optional claiming race at Churchill. Hector Berrios will ride the 5-year-old Mucho Macho Man  mare from the rail for trainer Juan Carlos Avila.

Others in the field familiar with Gulfstream are Our Bay B Ruth, who won the 2019 Tropical Park Oaks and was most recently fifth in the My Charmer; Zofelle, who was second beaten less than a length in the Sand Springs Stakes at Gulfstream last March; and Great Sister Diane, who took the 2019 Monroe Stakes over the course and was seventh in the My Charmer.

Allowance winner Lovely La La and multiple graded-placed stakes winner Sweet Bye and Bye, both trained by South Florida-based Saffie Joseph Jr., complete the field.


Entries: Marshua's River S. (G3T)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 23, 2021, Race 7

  • Grade IIIT
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $125,000
  • 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 2:38 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Belle Laura (KY) Hector Isaac Berrios 120 Juan Carlos Avila 12/1
2 2Our Bay B Ruth (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Luis Saez 118 Eddie Kenneally 10/1
3 3Zofelle (IRE) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Brendan P. Walsh 5/1
4 4Vigilantes Way (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 120 Claude R. McGaughey III 7/2
5 5Great Sister Diane (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Luca Panici 118 Rohan Crichton 30/1
6 6Evil Lyn (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 120 Michael J. Maker 9/2
7 7Lovely La La (NY) Edgard J. Zayas 118 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 20/1
8 8Tuned (GB) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 H. Graham Motion 8/1
9 9Niko's Dream (NY) Junior Alvarado 120 Barclay Tagg 6/1
10 10Sweet Bye and Bye (PA) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 4/1