Turf Sprinters Lead Feb. 11 Gulfstream Stakes Action

William Branch's Carotari , a popular and enduring turf sprinter during a career that began nearly five years ago, seeks his first graded stakes victory in the Feb. 11 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Stakes (G3T). The stakes race is one of two $100,000 races on the Saturday card at Gulfstream Park, the other being the Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes.

During a 29-race career with 10 victories and $688,113 in purse earnings, the son of Artie Schiller  has won three of his five stakes at Gulfstream Park. The 7-year-old gelding, who has won four of six starts and finished second once at Gulfstream, is coming off his only off-the-board finish on the local turf. The Brian Lynch graded stakes-placed trainee came up short in the stretch to finish fourth in the Dec. 24 Janus Stakes.

"He probably needed the race off the layoff, and he was drawn down on the inside," Lynch said. "He came out of the race well and has trained on well since."

Carotari was making his final start of 2022 in the Janus three months after capturing the Sept. 24 Laurel Dash.

"I just think he enjoys what he does. As an individual, he's a big, strong horse," Lynch said. "He loves to run. He loves to train. When he's on the top of his game, he's very tough to beat."

Joel Rosario has the call on Carotari, who will need to be at the top of his game to prevail over nine rivals, including Yes I Am Free .

Golden Kernel Racing Stable's Yes I Am Free, who captured his first graded stakes win with a dominating 3 1/4-length score in last year's Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, came off a seven-month layoff to register a hard-fought optional claiming allowance win at Gulfstream Jan. 19. Miguel Vasquez has the call on the 7-year-old gelding trained by Laura Cazares.

Miss J McKay, Imagery meet again in Ladies Turf Sprint

Oakwood Stables, Cheyenne Stable, and trainer Christophe Clement's multiple stakes winner Miss J McKay  will face a familiar cast of characters as she chases a second consecutive stakes victory in the Ladies Turf Sprint.

One of nine competitors in the Ladies Turf Sprint, the 6-year-old mare by Hangover Kid  exits the five-furlong Abundantia on Christmas Eve at Gulfstream, in which she withstood some early trouble and came with a wide rally to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

It was the fourth career stakes win and second straight Abundantia win for Miss J McKay, who Clement and partners purchased for $325,000 at Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale in 2022 from the ELiTE sales consignment. Clement took over training after she previously sold at the same sale in 2020 for $300,000.

With Clement, Miss J McKay has four wins, including the 2022 License Fee Stakes at Belmont Park, and was third in last winter's Captiva Island Stakes at Gulfstream from 11 starts. Overall, she has been in the money in 13 of 20 races with $466,893 in purse earnings and is 2-for-4 at Gulfstream.

"She is doing good," Clement said. "She was impressive when she won the other day, and she has trained well since."

Joel Rosario inherits the mount from Tyler Gaffalione, who will be out of town Saturday. Miss J McKay drew post 7 in a field of nine sharing topweight of 120 pounds with fellow multiple stakes winner Spun Glass , who ran sixth in the Abundantia beaten 2 1/2 lengths.

"She's doing very well and she seems to like Gulfstream, so let's go," Clement said. "The key with her is to just put her where she is comfortable and not make it too complicated."

Entries: Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint S. (G3T)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, February 11, 2023, Race 11

• Grade IIIT
• 5f
• Turf
• $125,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:06 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Rockcrest (ON)	Shaun Bridgmohan	118	Nigel R. Burke	10/1
2	2County Final (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	120	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	8/1
3	3Belgrano (KY)	Paco Lopez	122	Frank Russo	2/1
4	4Carotari (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Brian A. Lynch	3/1
5	5Yes I Am Free (FL)	Miguel Angel Vasquez	120	Laura Cazares	6/1
6	6My Pal Mattie (LA)	Chantal Sutherland	118	Lee Thomas	20/1
7	7Full Disclosure (FL)	Leonel Reyes	118	Elizabeth L. Dobles	10/1
8	8Shekky Shebaz (KY)	Javier Castellano	120	Martin Drexler	15/1
9	9The Critical Way (PA)	Sonny Leon	122	Jose H. Delgado	10/1
10	10Classicstateofmind (KY)	Edgar Perez	122	Jose Francisco D'Angelo	20/1

Entries: Ladies' Turf Sprint S.

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, February 11, 2023, Race 7

• STK
• 5f
• Turf
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:08 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1War of Ages (FL)	Jesus M. Rios	118	Leon J. Mckanas	30/1
2	2Stony Point (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	118	Claude R. McGaughey III	4/1
3	3Imagery (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Mark E. Casse	5/1
4	4Moor Strength (KY)	Inoel Beato	118	Frank Santillana	30/1
5	5Charlie T (LA)	Miguel Angel Vasquez	118	Lee Thomas	12/1
6	6One Identity (FL)	Paco Lopez	118	Rohan Crichton	8/1
7	7Miss J McKay (MD)	Joel Rosario	120	Christophe Clement	7/5
8	8Mamba Wamba (IRE)	Edgar Perez	118	Brian A. Lynch	6/1
9	9Spun Glass (MD)	Leonel Reyes	120	Michael J. Trombetta	10/1