On Time Girl to Stretch Out in Gulfstream's Davona Dale

Albaugh Family Stables homebred On Time Girl  will aim to stay on top of the Gulfstream Park 3-year-old filly division Feb. 28 when she starts in the $225,000 Davona Dale Stakes (G2).

After four starts in Kentucky as a juvenile culminated in a Fern Creek Stakes victory at Churchill Downs in November, the Not This Time   filly successfully shipped to Florida to become a graded stakes winner in the Jan. 31 Forward Gal Stakes (G3). Starting her career with two wins and a second at 6 furlongs, trainer Brad Cox gradually stepped On Time Girl up in distance to 6 1/2 furlongs in the Fern Creek and 7 furlongs in the Forward Gal.

She takes another step Saturday by increasing to 1 mile, although still around one turn. The Forward Gal performance suggests the added ground should not be an issue as she patiently rated behind horses and finished full of run in the stretch, clearing the field by 3 lengths.

"She's not the biggest filly in the world so Brad was always wondering how far she would want to run, but every question we've thrown at her she's answered," Albaugh Family Stables racing manager Jason Loutsch told Gulfstream publicity. "Visually I was so impressed by the way she won last time, incurring all the trouble that she had. ... There's a lot of speed in (Saturday's) race and she's so tactical, I think she'll be able to sit wherever Irad (Ortiz Jr.) wants her. She's got that 'on' button that when it's time to go she just takes off, like the last race."

Cox also has entered LNJ Foxwoods and NK Racing's maiden winner Paradise  in the Davona Dale, but she is cross-entered in the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack the same day. Ribble Farms and Deann Baer's Blazing Brat  is also cross-entered in the Busher, and racing manager Kyle Zorn of Legion Bloodstock confirmed Feb. 24 she will ship to New York.

Should Paradise scratch as well, that would leave seven runners to contest the second stop on Gulfstream's Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Qualifying points to the May 1 race are offered on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale to the top five finishers.

Kentucky Oaks points standings

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has entered a pair of challengers. Woodland Way's Imperatrice  did the dirty work in the Forward Gal, tussling with Mythical  on the lead and lasting for second place. The City of Light   filly is proven at Gulfstream's one-turn mile, breaking her maiden at second asking Dec. 13.

Also earning her maiden win over Gulfstream's one-turn mile was Calumet Farm homebred She Be Smooth . Pletcher saddled her for a 2 1/4-length victory on debut Jan. 23. That effort was flattered when runner-up Prom Queen  returned a winner Feb. 12. Flavien Prat takes over in the saddle for She Be Smooth as Irad Ortiz Jr. retains the mount on On Time Girl.

Jim Gladden's Omaha Bay  exits her debut maiden win over 6 furlongs at Gulfstream for trainer Ian Wilkes. Third as the favorite in that Dec. 28 race was Swing Vote , who bounced back Jan. 24 to break her maiden for CJ Thoroughbreds, Joey Platts, Old Bones Racing Stable, and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Both fillies are set for their stakes debut Saturday.

JSM Equine's Haute Diva  proved successful by a neck over the course and distance Jan. 1 in the Cash Run Stakes. Averill Racing, Mathis Stable, and Tristan De Meric's My Miss Mo  returns to Gulfstream—where she broke her maiden by 12 lengths against Florida-breds—after finishing fourth in the Sandpiper Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in December.