Mira Mission Wins Canadian, In Italian Takes Honey Fox
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Mira Mission wins the Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust's homebred Mira Mission , making his stakes debut, kept his perfect record on the Gulfstream Park grass intact by outdueling French import Mouillage through the lane for a three-quarter-length victory March 5 in the $150,000 Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T).
Mira Mission ($18.80) won twice during last winter's championship meet for previous trainer Tom Bush and came into the 1 1/16-mile Canadian Turf off a half-length optional claiming allowance triumph Jan. 15 for trainer Ian Wilkes, who picked the 4-year-old gelding up three starts ago.
"I'm very fortunate," said Wilkes. "I got him from Tommy Bush. He developed the horse, and the horse came to me in great order, and I was able to reap the rewards. Because what Tommy did with him as a young horse, the horse just got better and better."
The son of Noble Mission settled sixth in a field of seven under jockey Julien Leparoux as 10-1 shot Clear Vision , winner of the one-mile Tropical Turf Stajes (G3) Jan. 8, outran 1-5 favorite Never Surprised for the early lead. Clear Vision went a quarter-mile in :23.76 and a half in :47.54 pressed to his outside by Never Surprised, who was exiting a runner-up finish Jan. 29 to Colonel Liam in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Baccarat (G1T). Noble Indy and Mouillage joined the chase midway around the turn as Mira Mission began to roll on the far outside, engaged Mouillage in mid-stretch before edging clear to finish in 1:41.43 on a turf course rated firm.
"It set up well," Leparoux said. "Before the race, looking at the paper, I didn't know what was going to happen really. I'm glad the favorite had some pressure early on. He didn't get an easy lead, so we could sit behind, relax, and make one run. He ran a big race. I thought he had a good chance, but the favorite looked hard to beat on paper. I'm very proud of him. He's getting better and better."
Mouillage, racing first time in the United States, was a clear second, while grade 3 winner English Bee outfinished Noble Indy for third.
Never Surprised checked in a lackluster fifth, showing neither his customary speed nor tenacity.
Wilkes said future plans will be determined for Mira Mission.
"First stakes race today, and I wanted to see how he shaped up, how he'd do," the trainer said. "He handled everything. He's getting better. He's improving. So I love that."
Mira Mission was bred in Kentucky out of the graded stakes-placed Dynaformer mare Kazamira and is her first graded winner. She has a 3-year-old English Channel filly named Kazachan that made one start last September for Bush, and an unraced 2-year-old Got Stormy colt named Get Ahead Now. She was bred to The Factor for 2022 after coming up barren last year.
Video: Canadian Turf S. (G3T)
In Italian Makes the Grade
Peter Brant's British-bred In Italian , also jumping into stakes after back-to-back wins, sprinted out to an early lead and never lost it, holding off a furious late bid from Wakanaka to capture Saturday's $150,000 Honey Fox Stakes (G3T).
Favored at odds of 5-2 in a field of 11 for the one-mile Honey Fox for fillies and mares 4 and up, In Italian ($7.40) raced about one mile hand-timed in 1:35.16 over a firm turf course. It was the second stakes win of the day for Brant, Brown, and Ortiz Jr., who teamed up with Virginia Joy to take the $150,000 The Very One Stakes (G3T).
In Italian (green cap) heads for home in the Honey Fox Stakes
Breaking from post 9, In Italian was intent on being in front and got the jump on her rivals, tracked by Quinoa Tifah on the rail, fellow long shot Navratilova in the clear in third, and normally front-running grade 2 winner Jouster settled in fourth.
In Italian turned for home in front as Navratilova ranged up on the outside and Jouster came through an opening along the rail. Ortiz kept In Italian busy and ahead of Navratilova, who was edged for second by the dramatic late rush from Wakanaka. Splits were not available due to timing issues at the South Florida track.
"It went perfect," said Ortiz. "We didn't want to go head to head, but my filly outbroke all of them so I said, 'I'm gonna go.' From there, she just took me all the way. I didn't expect to be on the lead. It looked like there were a couple of horses coming out of sprint races, but when the gates opened, everything changed. She was on top, so I just said, 'Go ahead.'"
A 4-year-old daughter of Dubawi , In Italian improved her earnings to $157,220. She entered the Honey Fox after putting together two straight gate-to-wire victories. She broke her maiden last May at Belmont Park and didn't race again until capturing an allowance Jan. 12 at Tampa Bay Downs.
"We really liked this horse last year," Brown said. "She was very impressive at Belmont and then she got a bad case of pneumonia. She had to be stopped on and rehabbed. I want to give Bruce Jackson credit down at Fair Hill. He rehabbed her and sent her back in good shape late in the year at Payson Park. She's back and picking up where she left off and should have a really good career."
Fairway Thoroughbreds bred In Italian out of the group 3-winning, group 2 placed Redoute's Choice mare Florentina . She sold to Brant's White Birch Farm for the equivalent of $609,434 from Hazelwood Bloodstock's consignment to the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Florentina's four starters have all been winners, including group 3-placed Villa Carlotta and the listed stakes-placed Fasano. Her Southern Hemisphere Kingman 2-year-old Spanish Empire brought $1,399,304 from Tom Magnier when consigned by Segenhoe Stud to the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and she dropped a Kingman (GB) filly in 2020. She was reported barren for 2021.