Maker Sends Out Strong Trio in Mac Diarmida

It's all about threes when trainer Mike Maker sends out the trio of Aquaphobia, Temple, and Tide of the Sea in search of a third consecutive victory in the Feb. 27 $200,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park.

No trainer has won the Mac Diarmida more than twice, with Maker joining Hall of Famer Bill Mott (1999, 2013), Mary Hartmann (2009-10), and Tom Albertrani (2014, 2018) following back-to-back triumphs with Zulu Alpha in 2019 and 2020.

Since being claimed for $62,500 last January at Gulfstream, Aquaphobia has earned two stakes victories for owners Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, Hooties Racing, and Skychai Racing. The 8-year-old son of Giant's Causeway became a grade 1 winner in last summer's United Nations Stakes (G1T) at Monmouth Park and followed up that score with a third place finish to 2020 champion turf male Channel Maker in the Aug. 29 Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T). Since that effort, the bay has failed to hit the board in three starts, including a last out eighth-place finish in the Jan. 23 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T), where he was beaten just four lengths by race winner Colonel Liam.

"He's an old, class horse. Nothing really throws him off. He came out of the race great and has been training great since," said Maker assistant Nolan Ramsey. "I thought he ran a great race. We gave him a little time after the winter, freshened him up, and brought him into the Pegasus. He ran great, just had some traffic troubles down the lane. We thought it was a valiant effort so no complaints there. He's training well. We're looking forward to running him."

Jose Ortiz has the assignment on Aquaphobia from Post 7 in a field of eight.

Three Diamonds Farm's Tide of the Sea and Paradise Farms' Temple respectively ran 1-2 in the 1 1/2-mile W. L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) on the Pegasus Turf undercard, separated by less than a length.

"It was a little bit of a head bob but both horses ran a great race," Ramsey said. "They both came out of the race well and both are training great as well, so no complaints across the board."

Tide of the Sea has won three of his last six starts since being transferred to the Maker barn after being previously trained by Mott. Prior to his McKnight victory, the English Channel  5-year-old notched back-to-back front-running allowance wins at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland before finishing a troubled sixth in the Dec. 12 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G2T).

Temple has strung together two consecutive runner-up finishes prior to falling short of his stablemate in the McKnight. Two starts back, the gelding finished a fast-closing second to High Noon Rider in the Dec. 5 Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes at Gulfstream. The late-running son of Temple City  should appreciate the added ground in the Mac Diarmida.

Tyler Gaffalione has the return call on Tide of the Sea from Post 3 at topweight of 124 pounds, while Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Temple from Post 1.

Heavenly Curlin Goes for Second Graded Score on the Turf in The Very One

Heavenly Curlin, already a graded stakes winner on Woodbine's synthetic surface, will have another test on grass Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $125,000 The Very One Stakes (G3T).

Though her pedigree suggests that she ought to fancy turf, Gary Barber and John Oxley's 4-year-old daughter of Curlin  is winless in her two tries on the surface, with both of those starts being at Gulfstream. Her dam, Taste Of Heaven, is a full sister to group 1 winner Manhattan Rain and half sister to group 1 winners Platinum Scissors and Redoute's Choice, who was a three-time champion sire in Australia. However, in the Mark Casse trainee's most recent effort, she was fifth in the 1 1/2 mile La Prevayonte Stakes (G3T) Jan. 23. She will cut back in distance to 1 3/16 miles for The Very One.

As a 3-year-old, Heavenly Curlin rolled to three straight victories over the Woodbine synthetic surface, highlighted by a 5 3/4 length romp in the Nov. 7 Maple Leaf Stakes (G3).

"She is a machine on Tapeta, but there's just not a lot of opportunities for her," said Hall of Fame trainer Casse.

Casse also said Heavenly Curlin has shown some improvement in her recent morning breezes on grass at the Palm Meadows training center. She covered five furlongs in a sharp :59.55 seconds Feb. 14, the second-fastest time of 23 at the distance that day.

"She's trained really well since her last race. She only trained OK into her last race," he said. "She's trained better this time."

Among the field of 11 lined up for The Very One, Heavenly Curlin will face the Mott-trained Antoinette, the winner of last summer's Saratoga Oaks Invitational who will be making her 4-year-old debut, and the duo of Bacchanalia and Kalifornia Queen from the Chad Brown barn. Bacchanalia enters off a Jan. 15 allowance optional claiming win over the Gulfstream turf course and Kalifornia Queen, a group 2 winner in her native Germany, will compete on American soil for the first time on Saturday.

Entries: The Very One S. (G3T)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, February 27, 2021, Race 13

• Grade IIIT
• 1 3/16m
• Turf
• $125,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:36 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Lovely Luvy (FL)	Paco Lopez	118	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	20/1
2	2Belle Laura (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	120	Juan Carlos Avila	5/1
3	3Antoinette (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	William I. Mott	9/2
4	4Tuned (GB)	Junior Alvarado	118	H. Graham Motion	6/1
5	5Heavenly Curlin (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Mark E. Casse	8/1
6	6Kalifornia Queen (GER)	Tyler Gaffalione	120	Chad C. Brown	4/1
7	7Bacchanalia (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Chad C. Brown	8/1
8	8Mylastfirstkiss (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Anthony T. Quartarolo	6/1
9	9War Like Goddess (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	William I. Mott	10/1
10	10Sister Hanan (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Ben Colebrook	6/1
11	11Dominga (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Brad H. Cox	12/1