Birdatthewire Makes Gulfstream Return

Forum Racing's Birdatthewire returns to the scene of one of her biggest scores July 2, when she'll take on seven older fillies and mares in Gulfstream Park's Princess Rooney Stakes (gr. II).

The Princess Rooney features a $250,000 guaranteed purse and offers "Win and You're In" status toward the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I).

The seven-furlong Princess Rooney should be right up Birdatthewire's alley, considering her wins last year in the Forward Gal Stakes (gr. II) at the same trip and the 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Oaks (gr. II). She polished off her 3-year-old campaign last year with a score in Santa Anita's La Brea Stakes (gr. I) at seven furlongs.

"She really likes the track at Gulfstream," trainer Dale Romans said. "There's a nice purse and it's a 'Win and You're In' race. She's shown she's better around one turn—seven-eighths to a mile—that's another reason to be there."

The distance of the Princess Rooney was moved from six to seven furlongs this year.

An off-the-pace type, by Summer Bird out of My Limit, by Wagon Limit, Birdatthewire looks to bounce back off a fifth-pace effort in Churchill Downs' Humana Distaff (gr. I) May 7. She worked a half-mile in :47 4/5 June 25 at Churchill.

Also from Churchill comes Seajay Racing's Spelling Again. The daugher of Awesome Again   rallied to finish third in a blanket finish in Churchill's Winning Colors Stakes (gr. III) at six furlongs May 28 and won last year's Chilukki Stakes (gr. II) at a one-turn mile. She has made six starts in graded company since being claimed for $40,000 in May 2015.

"She's definitely made (the claiming price) back several times with the purse money," said trainer Brad Cox, who took over the training of Spelling Again last July. "She has the big-time residual now as a broodmare, being a multiple graded stakes-placed mare and grade II winner. When it's time for her to be retired, my clients will be rewarded for the savvy claim. She'll be a good broodmare."

Trainer Marty Wolfson has won the Princess Rooney four times, most recently with Jessica is Back in 2010 and Starship Truffles in 2013. He has a pair for this year's running, with Miller Racing's Kiss to Remember and Cali Star. Kiss to Remember finished third in last year's running.

"She finished third at three-quarters last year. This year it's seven-eighths. That's why I'm running her," Wolfson said.

The 5-year-old daughter of Big Brown   followed up her Princess Rooney effort with an easy triumph in Gulfstream's Monroe Handicap before finishing second in the Ballerina Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course. Kiss to Remember is coming off three straight second-place finishes, the most recent coming on turf in the June 4 Amelia Island Stakes.

"She's a good grass mare, but I think now she's better on dirt," Wolfson said. "She seems to be back to where she was. She went back to the farm, and she got heavy on me. When you gain weight like she did, it's different than if it's a colt. I can knock the weight off a colt. It's tough to knock it off a mare you don't train hard."

Cali Star will make her first start since being purchased by WinStar Farm. She won the Rampart Stakes (gr. III) at the end of 2015. The 5-year-old daughter of Street Cry went on to finish second in the Houston Ladies Classic (gr. III) at Sam Houston Race Park, only to turn in a subpar fifth-place finish in the Heavenly Prize at Aqueduct Racetrack in early March, falling after crossing the wire.

"It was really strange," Wolfson said. "She stumbled and (jockey Irad) Ortiz (Jr.) came off. Nothing happened, except she got a few cuts on her knee,. I thought she'd win that race. She was favored, but she didn't handle the track."

Wolfson expects Cali Star to fire off the four-month layoff following a pair of bullet workouts.

"I think she fits good if she runs back to her races here. The Rampart was a very strong win," he said. "If she runs back to that, she'll run really good."

Missing from the Princess Rooney is multiple grade I winner Sheer Drama.

"She's just not as good as she needs to be," said trainer David Fawkes. "She just needs a little bit more."

Instead, Fawkes will saddle Willow Hills. The stakes-placed 5-year-old mare is set to make her 2016 debut in the Princess Rooney.

"She's a nice filly. Hopefully, she's fit enough, but it's time to run," Fawkes said. "She's a nice filly and she's been training great—doing everything great."