Four Graces Back for More in Hurricane Bertie 

Being a multiple graded stakes winner, Whitham Thoroughbreds' Four Graces  is a prime broodmare prospect. While it is undeniably her ultimate destiny, the 5-year-old daughter of Majesticperfection  apparently is in no hurry to become a mother.

Four Graces is scheduled to make her third start off a layoff in the March 12 $100,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, where she has made a solid case to continue her racing career by finishing a close-up second in a Jan. 6 allowance optional claiming and a solid second in the Jan. 29 Inside Information Stakes (G2).

"(Retirement) was on the table, but it was the timing of things that we were able to give her a shot. It was still early enough that if something flared up or she had a setback, we could turn a different avenue and make her a broodmare," trainer Ian Wilkes said. "Touch wood, she's very good right now. She's doing good. Hopefully, we can keep going for a while and next year she can become a broodmare."

The Hurricane Bertie, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, will be co-featured on Saturday's program with the $100,000 Captiva Island, a five-furlong turf dash for fillies and mares.

Four Graces won her career debut at Gulfstream in March of 2020, before going on to win the Dogwood Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs and the Beaumont Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G3), both at seven furlongs, later that year. The homebred sprinter went to the sidelines following a poor showing in the Lexus Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland in October 2020 and had been out of action, with the exception of a fourth-place finish in the Roxelana Overnight Stakes at Churchill last June, until she came back strong Jan. 6.

Although Four Graces won back-to-back graded stakes from gate to wire in 2020, Wilkes doesn't expect her to set or press the pace in the Hurricane Bertie where Julien Leparoux has the return mount.

"She's the one who has dropped off the pace a bit more. It's nothing I've trained her to do. She always wanted to lay up close, but this campaign, she been sitting a bit off the speed, and that's her doing," Wilkes said. "I think it's maturity. The older you get you realize you don't have to go 110 to accomplish things."

Juddmonte's Obligatory  is scheduled to make her first start since capturing the Nov. 20 Chilukki Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 4-year-old daughter of Curlin   won the 2021 Eight Belles Stakes Presented by Smithfield (G2) at Churchill and finished second in the Acorn Stakes (G1) and Cotillion Stakes (G1) later in the year.

Entries: Hurricane Bertie S. (G3)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 12, 2022, Race 7

• Grade III
• 6 1/2f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Bramble Berry (FL)	Edwin Gonzalez	118	J. Kent Sweezey	8/1
2	2Feeling Mischief (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Michael B. Campbell	12/1
3	3Obligatory (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	124	William I. Mott	8/5
4	4Starship Nala (FL)	Miguel Angel Vasquez	118	Steven Dwoskin	6/1
5	5Four Graces (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	120	Ian R. Wilkes	9/5
6	6My Destiny (KY)	Romero Ramsay Maragh	118	Herman Wilensky	5/1

Tobys Heart Shortens Up for Season Debut in $100,000 Captiva Island

Gary Barber, Terry Hamilton, and trainer Brian Lynch's multiple stakes winner Tobys Heart  will be back doing what she does best when the Jack Milton   filly launches her 4-year-old season March 12 in the $100,000 Captiva Island sprinting five furlongs on the turf.

Tobys Heart is coming off an eighth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Tropical Park Oaks Dec. 26 at Gulfstream. Winless in six tries at distances of seven furlongs or more, she is 4-0 when racing at 6 1/2 furlongs or shorter.

"I certainly didn't foresee her chasing the speed that day, so it was sort of a throwout race. Although I felt like she could go two turns, I'm going to take the safe route and back her up and get her back to what she's been very effective at, sprinting," Lynch said. "That's probably the safest route with her. I think she can go anywhere from five to seven (furlongs). Hopefully, she gives us a good effort this weekend and makes us look forward to the rest of the year."

Tobys Heart broke her maiden on debut and won the 2020 Bolton Landing at Saratoga second time out, both going 5 1/2 furlongs, but injury kept her from making the Breeders' Cup. Sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream to open 2021, she subsequently won the 5 1/2-furlong TVG Limestone Turf Sprint Stakes at Keeneland.

"She's a very quirky filly. She's got a bad little temper but usually some of the good ones are that way. She's really developed into a lovely, big, strong mare. She's in her 4-year-old year now and she's good-sized, she carries great weight, and she's a powerful sort of filly," Lynch said. "We've gave her that bit of a freshening and waited for this race. Hopefully, we get back on track with her and it sets her up for down the road."

Emisael Jaramillo is named to ride Tobys Heart from post 3 in a field of eight.

Multiple stakes winners Miss Auramet  and Miss J McKay  have taken turns beating each other this winter and will meet for the third straight race in the Captiva Island. David Melin, Leon Ellman, and Laurie Plesa's Miss Auramet was a front-running winner of the five-furlong Ladies' Turf Sprint Feb. 12 at Gulfstream. 

"She came out of the last race 100% and she's training great. We couldn't be any more pleased with the way she's coming into this race," said trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. "The trip is everything. That's something you don't have any control over. I don't get too upset about things like that because it could be the luck of the draw, post position."

Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, Tony Weintraub, and Brandon Dalinka's Miss J McKay got pinched back and was forced to check in the Ladies' Turf Sprint and wound up fourth, beaten less than three lengths. The effort snapped a two-race win streak for the 5-year-old mare, trained by Christophe Clement.

"She came out in very good shape," said Clement. "I was going to give her a bit more time but she's doing great. She looks great. I tried to work as hard as I could to find a reason not to run, but I can't. She's doing too well."

Entries: Captiva Island S.

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 12, 2022, Race 10

• STK
• 5f
• Turf
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Bernie's Mistress (KY)	Angel S. Arroyo	118	J. Kent Sweezey	30/1
2	2La Libertee (KY)	Miguel Angel Vasquez	118	Mark E. Casse	8/1
3	3Tobys Heart (KY)	Emisael Jaramillo	122	Brian A. Lynch	2/1
4	4Miss Auramet (FL)	Julien R. Leparoux	122	Edward Plesa, Jr.	3/1
5	5Miss J McKay (MD)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Christophe Clement	5/2
6	6Naughty Shirley (IA)	Edwin Gonzalez	122	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	15/1
7	7A G Indy (KY)	Leonel Reyes	122	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1
8	8Headline Hunter (KY)	Jevian Toledo	118	Jose Francisco D'Angelo	12/1