Pappacap Returns Against Older Foes in Mr. Prospector
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Pappacap wins the 2021 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar
Rustlewood Farm's grade 2-winning homebred Pappacap launches a comeback Dec. 31 at Gulfstream Park, wrapping up his sophomore season in facing older horses for the first time in the $125,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3).
The Mr. Prospector for 3-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs is the fourth of six stakes, five graded, worth $850,000 in purses on an 11-race New Year's Eve program.
Pappacap won the six-furlong Best Pal Stakes (G2) in his second career start last summer and ended his juvenile season with runner-up finishes in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1).
By Gun Runner , Pappacap has gone winless in six starts this year, running third in the Jan. 22 Lecomte Stakes (G3) and second in both the Pat Day Mile Stakes Presented by LG&E and KU (G2) May 7 and Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Mohegan Sun (G1) June 11.
Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Pappacap has not raced since finishing fourth in the 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam Stakes (G2) July 31 at Saratoga Race Course.
"At one time we thought he was a Derby prospect, and that just didn't work out. His last race at Saratoga, we cut him back a little and he ran OK but ... something hit him in his eye and after the race he couldn't even open his eye. We kind of felt like his last race was not a true indication of his ability," Casse said.
"We just decided to give him a break. He'd been going long and hard from a 2-year-old, running in the Breeders' Cup and then trying to make the Derby. He's come back bigger and stronger than ever," he added. "He's training extremely well right now."
Joel Rosario rides.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who captured his first Championship Meet title last winter, entered the pair of County Final and Wind of Change .
Ken Copenhaver's County Final will be racing for the first time since being claimed for $80,000 out of a determined head victory sprinting five furlongs Nov. 11 at Churchill Downs. County Final won the 2020 Tyro Stakes at Monmouth Park and has placed in four other stakes, two at the graded level.
Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change is looking to snap a seven-race losing streak dating back to his victory in the six-furlong Mr. Prospector Stakes last May at Monmouth Park. A group 3 winner in his native Brazil, this will be the 7-year-old son of Forestry 's third straight attempt at Gulfstream's Mr. Prospector having run fourth in 2020 and fifth last year.
Godolphin homebred Prevalence won the seven-furlong Commonwealth Stakes (G3) over a sloppy Keeneland surface April 9 and will be making just his second start since finishing seventh in the Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford (G1) May 7 for trainer Brendan Walsh.
Jun Park and Delia Nash's Sibelius brings sharp recent form into the Mr. Prospector. The Jerry O'Dwyer trainee won the Lite the Fuse Stakes at Pimlico in September before a close fourth-place finish in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland and a runner-up effort in the Bet on Sunshine Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Classy Frank's Rockette Faces Easier in Sugar Swirl
Female sprinters also race on the card in the $125,000 Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3), a six-furlong race in which Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Frank's Rockette is the headliner.
Most recently 11th in the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland, she gets class relief in the Sugar Swirl.
Out of the Indian Charlie mare Rocket Twentyone , Frank's Rockette has won seven stakes for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, including the Victory Ride Stakes (G3), Prioress Stakes (G2), and Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2) in succession in the summer and fall of 2020. She also placed in 12 other stakes, seven graded, including last year's Sugar Swirl as the favorite, coming up a length short of Center Aisle , who she beat in the Prioress.
Holly Hill Stables' Edie Meeny Miny Mo will be chasing her first graded triumph in the Sugar Swirl, having won the six-furlong Regret in front-running fashion July 2 at Monmouth Park. Pulled up after a half-mile in the Aug. 16 Seeking the Pearl Stakes at Colonial Downs, she returned to run second as the favorite behind local multiple stakes winner Dontletsweetfoolya in an open six-furlong allowance Oct. 30 at Laurel Park for trainer Michelle Hemingway.
By Upstart , Edie Meeny Miny Mo has earned all four of her wins in nine career starts going six furlongs.
Also entered are Coppelia and Joyful Cadence , respectively 1-2 in the six-furlong Dream Supreme Stakes Nov. 13 at Churchill Downs, separated by a length; stakes-placed My Destiny , who ran her win streak to three with a four-length triumph Dec. 8 at Gulfstream sprinting six furlongs; and Restofthestory , exiting a runner-up finish in the seven-furlong FTBOA City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes Dec. 10 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 31, 2022, Race 8Entries: Mr. Prospector S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Surly Furious (KY)
Martin Garcia
124
Glenn S. Wismer
15/1
2
2Speaking (NJ)
Emisael Jaramillo
118
Eddie Owens, Jr
20/1
3
3Sibelius (KY)
Junior Alvarado
124
Jeremiah O'Dwyer
3/1
4
4Pappacap (FL)
Joel Rosario
118
Mark E. Casse
4/1
5
5Steal Sunshine (KY)
Leonel Reyes
122
Bobby S. Dibona
15/1
6
6Wind of Change (BRZ)
Edgard J. Zayas
122
Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
20/1
7
7Prevalence (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
124
Brendan P. Walsh
9/2
8
8Uncle Ernie (PA)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
120
John C. Servis
6/1
9
9Dean Delivers (FL)
Miguel Angel Vasquez
118
Michael Yates
15/1
10
10No Que No (KY)
Jose E. Morelos
120
Fausto Gutierrez
20/1
11
11County Final (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
122
Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
12/1
12
12Seal Beach (KY)
Luis Saez
118
Michael J. Maker
8/1
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 31, 2022, Race 3Entries: Sugar Swirl S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Joyful Cadence (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
122
John Alexander Ortiz
5/1
2
2My Destiny (KY)
Edwin Gonzalez
120
Herman Wilensky
8/1
3
3Restofthestory (FL)
Edgard J. Zayas
120
Edward Plesa, Jr.
12/1
4
4Frank's Rockette (KY)
Luis Saez
122
William I. Mott
4/5
5
5Edie Meeny Miny Mo (MD)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
122
Michelle Hemingway
6/1
6
6Coppelia (KY)
Martin Garcia
122
Philip A. Bauer
9/2