Tammy the Torpedo Targets Suwannee River

After closing 2015 with two wins in her final three starts, Tammy the Torpedo will try to secure her first graded stakes score in the $150,000 Suwannee River Stakes (gr. IIIT) Saturday, Feb. 6 at Gulfstream Park.

Long Lake Stable and Beacon Hill Thoroughbreds' daughter of More Than Ready   finished 2015 with a narrow victory in the Tropical Park Oaks Dec. 19 on the Gulfstream Park West turf. She has been preparing for her 4-year-old debut in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile turf race for older fillies and mares with regular works at Palm Meadows, including four since Jan. 11.

"She ran terrific last time," Brown said. "We gave her some time since that win and she seems to be back in top form breezing again so we're looking forward to running her in this race and try to get a graded win for her."

For good measure Brown also will send out Martin Schwartz's Light In Paris, who also makes her seasonal debut after finishing third in the Tropical Park Oaks, just a half-length behind the winner. A multiple stakes winner in France, Light In Paris finished eighth in her U.S. debut last year in the Pebbles Stakes at Belmont Park before the improved effort in the Tropical Park Oaks.

"Her first run in the country wasn't very good. She had problems at the gate and never really got involved," Brown said. "After that we put blinkers on the filly and freshened her in Florida and her last race she ran terrific. She's actually a filly that's improving."

The morning-line favorite in Saturday's expected field of eight is Augustin Stable's New Zealand Derby (NZ-I) winner Habibi, who finished second in last year's Northern Dancer Stakes (Can-IT) at Woodbine for trainer Mark Frosted.

The Suwannee River also features a pair of grade III winners in Three Chimneys Farm's Rainha Da Bateria and Gary Barber's Uchenna. 

Owned by Three Chimneys Farm and trained by Graham Motion, Rainha Da Bateria won the 2014 Jessamine (gr. IIIT) in just her third lifetime start but has been winless since, including a runner-up finish by a half-length in the Mrs. Revere (gr. IIT) Nov. 14.

Gary Barber's Uchenna is another Woodbine shipper that has not raced since faltering in the E.P. Taylor (Can-IT) at Woodbine Oct. 18. She captured the Ontario Matron (Can-IIIT) last July in her fourth start since coming to North America from England for trainer Mark Casse.