Suwannee River Likely Final Start for Sandiva

Al Shaqab Racing's Sandiva will likely be making her final start in the $150,000 Suwannee River Handicap (G3T) at Gulfstream Park before being bred to 2016 Donn Handicap (G1) winner Mshawish  .

A group 3 winner as a 2-year-old in England, the Todd Pletcher-trained Sandiva captured the 2015 edition of the Suwannee River and would have been the likely favorite in last year's running had she been entered.

But her connections opted to go another way, and tried her on the dirt in the Royal Delta Stakes (G2), one week after the Suwannee River was run. The daughter of Footstepsinthesand finished second, but the dirt experiment concluded with that race, and the mare was returned to the turf for all her subsequent starts.

Now the 6-year-old mare is scheduled to contest the nine-furlong turf race for older fillies and mares, following a repeat victory in the Jan. 14 Marshua's River Stakes (G3T), where she defeated Irish-bred Sea Coast and grade 2 winner and stablemate Isabella Sings.

SHEA: Sandiva Not Done Yet, Takes Marshua's River

"She's just in such good form at the moment and training so enthusiastically," Pletcher said. "She really seems to have an affinity for Gulfstream's turf course—she always runs well here and seems to be a filly that peaks at this time of the year."

Chad Brown, who won this race twice before, including last year with Tammy the Torpedo, has entered multiple graded stakes winner Goldy Espony and Elysea's World, who is cross-entered in the Lambholm South Endeavor Stakes (G3T). Goldy Espony hasn't competed since winning the La Prevoyante Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream in 2015.

Elysea's World will seek her first stakes win, but was impressive winning a Dec. 29 allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream. That race was her first start since Sept. 17, when she checked in sixth in the Sands Point Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park.

"We were very high on her the first half of the year last year, and then she tailed off and I really couldn't explain it," Brown said. "I just stopped on her for a little while and let her catch her breath. I think the time off did her good. She came back, bigger and stronger, and is working well again and ran well."

Jump Sucker Stable's Sea Coast finished a sharp second to Sandiva in the Marshua's River. Hailing from the barn of Christophe Clement, who seeks his fifth win in this race, Sea Coast could pick up her first graded stakes. The Rock of Gibraltar filly also ran a solid race to finish second in the My Charmer Handicap (G3) behind Isabella Sings in November at Gulftream Park West.

The Marshua's River's fourth-place finisher, Dickinson, was taking a step up in class that day, and was beaten just 1 1/2 lengths for the lion's share of the purse.

Rounding out the field is Cali Thirty Seven, My Sweet Girl, Puca, Sharp Kitty, and Temple Fur.