Navy Goat Sails Into Ginger Brew Against Cairo Consort

Lael Stables' Navy Goat  will face eight rivals, including fellow stakes winners Showgirl Lynne B  and grade 1-placed Cairo Consort , as she chases a third straight victory in the $100,000 Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The 12th running of the Ginger Brew for fillies is one of two one-mile turf stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds on Saturday's program, along with the 15th renewal of the $100,000 Dania Beach Stakes for 3-year-olds. First race post time is 12:10 p.m.

Navy Goat, a Florida-bred bay daughter of Army Mule   trained by Arnaud Delacour, won the Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Gulfstream Nov. 19 on Tapeta after a maiden victory on turf at Kentucky Downs Sept. 14. She ran third in her debut this summer at Monmouth Park.

"I like her. I was really happy with the way she won at Kentucky Downs," Delacour said. "We wanted to wait and get the right spot for her. She got it done last time in state-bred company, but she did it right. That was a little bit of a weaker race compared to what we're going to see on Saturday, but she did it in style so we're happy with her."

Delacour was also pleased with how Navy Goat overcame trouble at the start again last time when she hit the gate at the break and raced near the back of the pack early before getting into contention entering the stretch and drawing off to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

Joel Rosario, up for her maiden triumph, has the call on Navy Goal from Post 7.

Video: Juvenile Fillies S. (BT)

Westlake Racing Stable's Showgirl Lynne B drew the rail for her sophomore debut after concluding 2022 with successive off-the-board stakes finishes. The Bob Hess trainee opened her career with three straight wins, the first two of them sprinting over Gulfstream's Tapeta course, the second in August's Sharp Susan Stakes.

Repole Stable and Town and Country Racing's Cairo Consort  will be racing for the first time for her new connections since being purchased for $875,000 out of The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton last year. She had two wins, a second, and two thirds in six starts at 2, four of her starts coming on the turf at  Woodbine.

"She's very straightforward, very professional, and she's trained well," Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. "She's done everything right since she's come in. We've been very pleased with what we've seen."

Cairo Consort  won the 6 1/2-furlong Catch a Glimpse Stakes in her stakes debut last August, one start after breaking her maiden, then ran second as the favorite in the Natalma Stakes (G1T) and third at 19-1, beaten 4 3/4 lengths, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 4 at Keeneland. Both races came at the Ginger Brew distance.

"She's a good-looking filly, well-built, got a good disposition and a good mind. Obviously, her race record has been very good," Pletcher said. "Winner of the Catch a Glimpse, second in grade 1 and third in the Breeders' Cup. Those are pretty solid credentials."

Irad Ortiz Jr. gets the call on Cairo Consort, a daughter of Cairo Prince  .

Souzak Set for U.S. Debut in Dania Beach

R. Larry Johnson's Souzak  is scheduled to make his U.S. debut in Saturday's Dania Beach Stakes, where the son of Kodiac  will seek his fourth victory in a row.

Souzak was purchased at the Arqana Arc Sale for the equivalent of $392,080 only hours after collecting his third straight victory Oct. 1 at ParisLongchamp.

"He won the day of the sale. Larry picked him out, and I contacted Nicolas de Watrigant," said trainer Graham Motion, who called upon the prominent French bloodstock agent to bid on the French-bred colt on Johnson's behalf.

Following the sale, Motion had considered entering Souzak in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Keeneland.

"Timing-wise, it would have given us five weeks if we wanted to take a shot, but he got sick," Motion said.

Souzak recovered at Motion's training base at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland, where he worked three times before shipping to Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility, where he breezed once in preparation for the Dania Beach.

Rosario rides.

Pletcher trains Major Dude , who most recently finished ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. The son of Bolt d'Oro   captured the Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) in his turf debut at Belmont in his prior start.

"He's a very straightforward, very professional colt. He always has been. He took to the grass really well in the Pilgrim," Pletcher said. "Unfortunately, he drew Post 13 in the Juvenile (Turf), and he was never able to really tuck in and save any ground. I thought he ran really well to only get beat 3 3/4 lengths. I think from a different draw it could have been closer."

Ortiz has the return mount aboard Major Dude.

Entries: Ginger Brew S.

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 07, 2023, Race 9

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Showgirl Lynne B (KY)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	122	Robert B. Hess, Jr.	20/1
2	2Isabel Alexandra (IRE)	Junior Alvarado	118	Gustavo Delgado	10/1
3	3Cairo Consort (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Todd A. Pletcher	7/5
4	4Bel Pensiero (NJ)	Edwin Gonzalez	118	Anthony R. Margotta, Jr.	30/1
5	5Stephanie's Charm (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Jose M. Jimenez	12/1
6	6Anna Karenine (FR)	Tyler Gaffalione	120	Chad C. Brown	3/1
7	7Navy Goat (FL)	Joel Rosario	122	Arnaud Delacour	8/1
8	8Lady Azteca (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Bernardo G. Lopez	30/1
9	9Erna (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Cherie DeVaux	4/1