Coinage, Spendarella Stand Out at Gulfstream

Coinage , blocked behind a wall of three horses, had nowhere to go turning into the top of the stretch. But once he found room, he kicked home a winner in the $125,000 Palm Beach Stakes March 5 at Gulfstream Park, out-dueling Main Event  in a lengthy stretch battle.

The 3-year-old Tapit   colt notched a neck victory over Main Event, with early pacesetter Bueno Bueno  holding on for third. Red Danger , the 9-5 favorite, finished fourth. Coinage crossed the wire with a final time of 1:36:12.

Ridden by Luis Saez for trainer Mark Casse, Coinage has three firsts and four thirds out of eight starts including a start at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) last year. His earnings now sit at $289,625.

The win in Saturday's one-mile turf event was the colt's second in stakes company. He also won the With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course in September for owners Chester Sr. and Mary Broman, and D.J. Stable.

"We thought that (Coinage) was sitting on a big race. In his last race, he just may not have been tight enough," said assistant to Mark Casse, Nick Tomlinson. "We actually thought he might go to the lead, but he didn't break well. Luis (Saez) did a great job getting him to relax and when he asked him, he was there for him."

"It was not the plan," said jockey Luis Saez. "The plan was to go to the lead but everything changed when the gates opened. (Coinage) relaxed pretty good and he made a big move at the three-eighths pole, top of the stretch. He's pretty game. He wanted to get there first. We were just waiting for room, and as soon as he gave me that kick I was just riding him because he was running pretty good. I'm pretty happy the way he ran today."

Coinage, bred in Kentucky by the Bromans, is out of the multiple stakes winning Medaglia d'Oro   mare, Bar of Gold , who notched her biggest career success in the 2017 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1). She has an unraced 2-year-old Justify colt who went for $825,000 at The Saratoga Sale (Fasig-Tipton's Select Yearling Sale) to David Hudson and agent Travis Durr from the Sequel New York consignment. She also has a yearling full brother to Coinage and was booked to Quality Road   for the 2022 season.

D.J. Stable went to $450,000 to purchase Coinage from the 2020 Keeneland September Sale when offered by the

Sequel New York consignment. The Bromans stayed in for a piece of the colt.

Spendarella Remains Unbeaten With Win in Herecomesthebride

Gainesway Stable's homebred Spendarella 's second race was every bit as good as her first, if not better.

The 3-year-old filly remained unbeaten with a front-running victory in the $125,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T) March 5, holding off late-running Opalina  for a 1 1/2-length tally. It was 1 1/2 lengths further back to the third-place finisher, Mischievous Kiss .

The New York-bred daughter of Karakontie   broke a beat slow coming out of the starting gate. But it wasn't long before she took command, reaching the front before reaching the first turn in the one-mile grass stakes and maintaining her advantage all the way to the wire.

"She's always been a nice filly, and she just keeps growing and getting more intelligent about the job," said Alice Clapham, assistant to trainer Graham Motion.

Ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz for owner and breeder Gainesway Stable, Spendarella started her career with a 2 3/4-length maiden victory at Gulfstream Park Feb. 2 and wasted little time in registering her first stakes win.

"(Spendarella) seems to know what life's about. The first race really kind of helped her grow up," Clapham said. "She's a New York-bred, so she'll most probably head up there, at some point. She'll let us tell us where she wants to run."

Spendarella is one of three winners from five foals to race out of the Unusual Heat mare, Spanish Bunny. Among those is grade 1 victress Spanish Queen  (Tribal Rule ) and Spanish Loveaffair , a full sibling to Spendarella, who is a two-time stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed. Spanish Loveaffair recently sold to Lael Stable for $775,000 last year's Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale from the Bluewater Sales consignment. Spanish Bunny foaled an Uncle Mo   colt this year.