Two Unbeaten Favorites in Florida Sire Series

The summer racing season at Gulfstream Park roars to a close Oct. 1 with the third and final leg of the Florida Sire Stakes. Two undefeated juveniles—Three Rules and Cajun Delta Dawn—will top the marquee in the days races.

Three Rules, a son of Gone Astray  , trained by Jose Pinchin, and ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, is undefeated in four starts and has won those four races effortlessly and by a total of 21 lengths. Shade Tree Thoroughbreds' colt captured the Florida Sire Dr. Fager division by seven lengths and the Florida Sire Affirmed by 5 1/2 lengths, and has been training sharply in his quest to sweep the series' juvenile male division. He will be favored in the 1 1/16-mile, $500,000 Florida Sire Stakes In Reality division. 

"He's matured. He's gotten a little bit bigger," Pinchin said. "He's always been a sensible horse. He doesn't give himself any trouble."

Cajun Delta Dawn is Curtis Mikkelsen's homebred daughter of Kantharos  . The 2-year-old filly, trained by David Fawkes and to be ridden by Juan Leyva, will be favored in the $500,000 Florida Sire Stakes My Dear Girl division, which is run at 1 1/16 miles as well. Cajun Delta Dawn is also unbeaten in four starts after winning the Florida Sire Susan's Girl in August by five lengths.

Cajun Delta Dawn's early success had taken Fawkes somewhat by surprise.

 

"She did surprise me, especially the second race. A maiden (win) is one thing, but when you come back and win a stake like that in her second start, that was impressive," he said.

Jacks or Better Farm's homebred Awesome Banner, by Awesome of Course, heads a cast of eight sophomores in the $150,000 Florida Sire Foolish Pleasure Stakes.

The Florida-bred colt displayed a new dimension in his most recent outing a month ago when he raced just off the pacesetters before rallying in the stretch to land the $150,000 Prized division of the Florida Sire Stakes, his second win at seven furlongs. After that effort, Awesome Banner returned to train in Ocala, where he had previously been sent for a change of scenery. 

 

 "It's a bit of a concern—his two route races were kind of ugly, but it may just be the two turns," said trainer Mark Casse. "I think that with the way he's run recently, he shouldn't have any issues with the mile. But he's gotten where he'll relax a little bit. I think he's matured."

Fred Brei's Jacks or Better also has 3-year-old Ballet Diva in the $150,000 Florida Sire Meadow Star Stakes where she'll attempt to turn the tables on R Kinsley Doll.

Ballet Diva finished an uncharacteristically dull sixth in the Florida Sire Three Ring Stakes, won by Averill Racing and Silver Oak Stable's R Kinsley Doll, a daughter of Big Drama  . The Jacks or Better homebred by Hear No Evil was found to have an entrapped epiglottis, which got surgically corrected. She came back to finish second to R Kinsley Doll in the Florida Sire Jewel Princess division.

She's Incredible, the third-place finisher in the Jewel Princess, also will take on R Kinsley Doll and Ballet Diva once more. Trained by Fernando Abreu for Our Sugar Bear Stable, the High Cotton   filly will break from post three and will be ridden by Jesus Rios.