Terranova: Lots of Upside for Enjoy Yourself

By Doug McCoy

Trainer John Terranova's entrant in the $200,000 Florida Oaks (gr. IIIT) March 12 is Sovereign Stable's Enjoy Yourself, and Terranova said the bay filly has been doing just that this winter as she continues to gain maturity and focus at Tampa Bay Downs.

"She has been learning and maturing in impressive fashion this winter," Terranova said. "The Sovereign Stable purchased the filly privately after she broke her maiden last summer at Gowan Park in Ireland and was brought to the races by John Oxx, a well-respected European horseman.

"I talked at length with (Oxx) about Enjoy Yourself and he was very confident she had the ability to compete and succeed at the highest levels in this country. At this point I'm very much in agreement with Mr. Oxx."

Terranova said the original game plan called for Enjoy Yourself, a 3-year-old British-bred filly by Sir Percy, to make her U.S. debut in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT), but when she got sick briefly from her time in quarantine her connections decided to race her instead in the $100,000 Chelsey Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont Park Breeders' Cup day.

"She didn't miss a lot of time but we felt we had an individual with a bright future and the prudent course of action was to race her in New York once then work with her this winter," Terranova said.

Enjoy Yourself raced at the back of the field in the one-mile stakes at Belmont after a shuffle and was last of 11 when jockey Angel Arroyo swung her seven-wide into the stretch. Enjoy Yourself launched a determined on the outside to wind up third, beaten less than three lengths in her U.S. bow.

Terranova first came to Tampa Bay with a division in 2013 when he brought Triple Crown hopeful Falling Sky to prepare for the classics. Falling Sky captured the Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) that winter, and though he didn't fare as well in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), his trainer was impressed with the way his charges took to the laid-back atmosphere of the Tampa Bay backstretch.

He also came away with a high opinion of the Tampa turf course. "The course here is as good as any in the business—fair, consistent, and just the kind of surface we wanted our filly (and others in the barn) to race over," Terranova said.

Enjoy Yourself made her 2016 debut Feb. 17 in an optional claiming/allowance race at one mile and showed more speed and focus in that race, racing just off the pace before going to the lead into the second turn. She pulled away through the stretch to win by 2 3/4 lengths.

While 14 horses are entered for the Florida Oaks, the field is not overloaded with speed and Terranova said he hopes Enjoy Yourself is tucked in behind the leaders from her rail post.

"I'd love a similar trip to her last one," Terranova said. "I know the added distance (to a mile and a sixteenth) won't be a problem. This filly is a natural route horse that finishes strong in the European style."

It would appear Chelsey Flower Bowl winner Ava's Kitten looks to be one of the favorites Saturday, but she will make her first start since October. Terranova is cautiously optimistic he has a talented and improving filly who has the benefit of a race on the local course.

"Having a race over the course certainly helps our chances," he said. "We're hoping this is the first step to a successful season for Enjoy Yourself. If she continues to mature and move forward she could be a special filly."