Bode's Dream Makes Return in House Party

Undefeated stakes winner Bode's Dream is set for a return to Gulfstream Park and a return to action Dec. 10, when the daughter of Bodemeister   comes off a sixth-month layoff for a scheduled start in the $75,000 House Party Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

Trained by Todd Pletcher for St. Elias Stable, Bode's Dream showed an affinity for the Gulfstream surface May 11, when she rolled to a 3 3/4-length debut victory going 4 1/2 furlongs. The Kentucky-bred filly came right back a month later to show the way throughout the 5 1/2-furlongs of the $200,000 Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park to score by 2 3/4 lengths.

Though Pletcher initially planned to send the gray filly the Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III) at Saratoga Race Course, the seven-time Eclipse Award winner wasn't satisfied with how his charge was training leading up to the test and opted to rest her for a late-season return.

"She just wasn't moving great after the Astoria and we were preparing as though we might run in the Schuylerville, but she just didn't seem to be thriving," Pletcher said. "We'll hope that we've got her ready off the layoff. She's training well. Hopefully, we've got her fit enough to be ready."

Bode's Dream, who had things go pretty much her own way while winning her two career starts, may face an early challenge from Yes I'll Go, an impressive debut winner at Gulfstream Park West Nov. 13. The Jorge Navarro-trained filly was a runaway front-running winner by nine lengths under Emisael Jaramillo while debuting at six furlongs.

"She came out of her race good. She had a bullet work (Friday). She breezed in 46 (seconds) and galloped out in 59," Navarro said. "Jaramillo was very delighted with the work."

The daughter of Yes It's True's debut had been delayed when she sustained an entrapped epiglottis while training for her first start.

"I had her in at Parx for $40,000. The owner wanted to see her and I told him, 'There's a $40,000 race at Parx. I don't think anyone will claim her,'" said Navarro, who trains the Florida-bred filly for Hernandez Racing Club. "So, I took her at the gate at Monmouth and I told one of our exercise riders to break out of the gate, give her an easy furlong and pull her up. He let her go a half in :45 (seconds), so I scoped her and found out that she was entrapped. She had surgery."

The six-furlong House Party is one of six stakes for 2-year-olds worth $450,000 in purses on the 11-race Juvenile Showcase Day program. Also part of the lineup is the $75,000 Buffalo Man at six furlongs, as well as the Hut Hut and Smooth Air Stakes contested over one mile on the main track. The Wait a While and Pulpit Stakes are each at run over eight furlongs on the turf.