Tammy the Torpedo Speeds to Suwannee Score

In what figured to be a paceless affair, Tammy the Torpedo took to the front and prevailed in the $150,000 Suwannee River Stakes (gr. IIIT) Feb. 6 at Gulfstream Park.



It was the 4-year-old More Than Ready   filly's second straight stakes win and first graded score for Long Lake Stable and Beacon Hill Thoroughbreds. In the Tropical Park Oaks last time out Dec. 19, the Chad Brown trainee raced in sixth early and just got up to win by a neck.



On Saturday, however, Tammy the Torpedo moved up on the rail to take command entering the first turn in the 1 1/8-mile turf test, set fractions of :23.93, :48.58, and 1:12.50 through six furlongs. The field bunched up in the final turn, but could not get past the front-runner, who hit the wire in 1:48.28 under jockey Joel Rosario. A length and a half back, Rainha Da Bateria just outfinished Habibi in a photo for second.

"I told Joel that if no one wanted to go to just go ahead and take the lead, and if someone else was determined to have it, just sit right behind them," Brown said. "He used his judgment on the first turn and rolled out decent fractions, and the filly showed a lot of heart to kick on and run home."

The winner paid $5.80, $3.60, and $3 across the board. Rainha Da Bateria brought $5.20 and $4.40, while Habibi delivered $5 to show.

"It took a little time to get out of the gate, but she responded after that and took me all the way to the lead," Rosario said. "After that she just kept on going."



Bred in Kentucky by William Harrigan, out of the War Chant mare Search and Seizure, Tammy the Torpedo has a 4-0-1 record from seven starts. The lightly raced filly tried graded stakes company three times prior to the Suwannee River. She finished third in the Miss Grillo (gr. IIIT) and seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) during her 2-year-old year in 2014, and came in sixth in the 2015 Mrs. Revere (gr. IIT).