Never Surprised the One to Beat in Tropical Park Derby

Multiple graded stakes-placed stakes-winning Never Surprised  will shock absolutely no one if the Todd Pletcher trainee is victorious in the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby Dec. 26 at Gulfstream Park.

The Tropical Park Derby, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, will co-headline Sunday's day-after-Christmas program with the $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, also at 1 1/16 miles on grass.

Mike Repole's Never Surprised enters Sunday's co-feature off a dominating 6 1/4-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Gio Ponti Stakes over the turf at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 26. In his three prior starts, the son of Constitution   was graded stakes-placed, finishing second in the Kitten's Joy Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream before settling for runner-up honors behind Public Sector  in the Saranac Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course and Hill Prince Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park.

"I was very pleased with his last race and he's trained enthusiastically for this race," Pletcher said.

Luis Saez has the call aboard front-running Never Surprised, who tops a full field of 12 3-year-olds (plus three also-eligible entries).

WellSpring Stables' Safe Conduct , a distant second in the Gio Ponti, is scheduled to take on Never Surprised again in the Tropical Park Derby. The Phil Serpe-trained son of Bodemeister   captured the CA$1 million Queen's Plate over Woodbine's Tapeta surface three starts back before finishing off the board in the Breeders' Stakes, the second leg of Canada's Triple Crown run over a yielding turf at Woodbine, and rebounding with a solid Gio Ponti effort.

Paco Lopez is slated to ride Safe Conduct for the first time Sunday.

Stuart Janney III's Scarlett Sky  brings graded stakes credentials into the Tropical Park Derby, having captured the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland in the spring. The son of Sky Mesa  , who lost the Palm Beach Stakes by a head in February at Gulfstream, finished off the board in the Oct. 30 Bryan Station Stakes over a soft turf last time while coming off a five-month layoff.

Trainer Shug McGaughey has awarded the mount to fellow Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

Edge Racing's Yes This Time  is also a grade 3 stakes winner in Sunday's field. The Kelly Breen-trained son of Not This Time   captured the Kent (G3T) at Delaware Park last July, capping a five-race winning streak, including four straight wins at Gulfstream.

Fighting Force , Mohs , and Grey Streak  are other contenders among the overflow cast that race in the 10th race Sunday.

Five races before the Tropical Park Derby, Terry Hamilton, Gary Barber, and Brian Lynch's Tobys Heart  battles Charles Fipke's unbeaten Lady Speightspeare  and seven other foes in the $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks.

Already a multiple stakes winner with more than $500,000 in earnings, Tobys Heart has won stakes at Saratoga, Keeneland, and Kentucky Downs but all around one turn. The Tropical Park Oaks, restricted to 3-year-old fillies, is over two turns at 1 1/16 miles.

"It would be nice seeing her win around two turns. We'll keep our fingers crossed for Sunday," said Lynch, who also trains. "This is a good time, because it's the last chance to win against her age group."

In her most recent outing, Tobys Heart finished fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Rubicon Valley View Stakes (G3T) over a yielding course at Keeneland.

"She was down on the inside and took the worst of it. I thought she ran really well. She got beat a neck for second and the winner loves the soft going and won well," Lynch said. 

Castellano, who was aboard at Saratoga, rides.

Lady Speightspeare, trained by Roger Attfield, looms as a short-priced favorite in the Tropical Park Oaks off victories her flawless record in four starts at Woodbine, including victories in the Natalma Stakes (G1T) at a mile on turf and the Bessarabian Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs on Tapeta.

Emma-Jayne Wilson, who has been aboard the homebred daughter of Speightstown   in all of her starts, has the return call.

Other key entrants include the Mark Casse-trained duo of Live Oak Plantation's Inthewinnerscircle  and SBH Racing's Mademoiselle Nova , who finished 1-2 in the 1 1/16-mile Cellars Shiraz Stakes over Gulfstream's Tapeta course Nov. 5. 

Breaker of Chains , Stunning Princess , Gladys , Bipartisanship , and Dream About Me  complete the field.

Gladys (Medaglia d'Oro  ), trained by Kelsey Danner for owner Dede McGehee, is a full sister to 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra .

Entries: Tropical Park Derby

Gulfstream Park, Sunday, December 26, 2021, Race 10

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo
• 4:32 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sigiloso (FL)	Emisael Jaramillo	120	Antonio Sano	20/1
2	2Never Surprised (KY)	Luis Saez	124	Todd A. Pletcher	8/5
3	3Safe Conduct (ON)	Paco Lopez	124	Philip M. Serpe	8/1
4	4In Effect (KY)	Chantal Sutherland	118	Jack Sisterson	30/1
5	5Yes This Time (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	124	Kelly J. Breen	9/2
6	6Fighting Force (KY)	Miguel Angel Vasquez	124	Jeff Engler	20/1
7	7Lamplighter Jack (KY)	Luca Panici	118	Joseph F. Orseno	30/1
8	8King of Dreams (KY)	Leonel Reyes	124	Juan Carlos Avila	12/1
9	9Grey Streak (KY)	Junior Alvarado	120	George R. Arnold, II	10/1
10	10Mohs (KY)	Romero Ramsay Maragh	124	Patrick B. McBurney	8/1
11	11Scarlett Sky (KY)	Javier Castellano	124	Claude R. McGaughey III	6/1
12	12Hot Blooded (FL)	Edwin Gonzalez	124	Carlos A. David	20/1
13	13American Prince (KY)	Emisael Jaramillo	120	Ralph E. Nicks	12/1
14	14Shady McGee (IRE)	Edwin Gonzalez	120	Michael J. Maker	12/1
15	15Kygo (GER)	Julien R. Leparoux	120	Michael J. Maker	10/1

Entries: Tropical Park Oaks

Gulfstream Park, Sunday, December 26, 2021, Race 5

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 1:54 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Stunning Princess (KY)	Miguel Angel Vasquez	120	Danny Gargan	12/1
2	2Mademoiselle Nova (KY)	Edwin Gonzalez	118	Mark E. Casse	12/1
3	3Breaker of Chains (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	George Weaver	9/2
4	4Bipartisanship (GB)	Paco Lopez	118	H. Graham Motion	10/1
5	5Inthewinnerscircle (FL)	Luis Saez	123	Mark E. Casse	6/1
6	6Lady Speightspeare (KY)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	123	Roger L. Attfield	3/1
7	7Gladys (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Kelsey Danner	8/1
8	8Dream About Me (KY)	Emisael Jaramillo	118	James J. Toner	20/1
9	9Tobys Heart (KY)	Javier Castellano	120	Brian A. Lynch	5/2