A Thread of Blue Enters Palm Beach Stakes on Roll

Leonard Green's A Thread of Blue looks to extend his win streak to three in the $150,000 Palm Beach Stakes (G3T) March 2 at Gulfstream Park, and is "raring to go," according to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

When eight 3-year-olds head postward in the 1 1/16-mile turf event, A Thread of Blue will get a rematch with multiple contenders he faced en route to a 3 1/2-length victory in Gulfstream's Feb. 3 Dania Beach Stakes, his third win in four starts. Saturday will mark his graded stakes debut.

The son of Hard Spun  has won his last two turf races in frontrunning style under jockey Luis Saez, who retains the mount Saturday. A Thread of Blue broke his maiden gate-to-wire on the main track at Belmont Park in October before coming from off the pace to finish third in the Nov. 4 Awad Stakes on the lawn at Aqueduct Racetrack.

"He's training very well and raring to go," McLaughlin said. "He had things his own way last time, so it worked out great for us. He has speed. He doesn't have to be on the lead, but if he breaks well and he's there, great. If somebody else goes, we can sit second or third.

"He's a very nice horse. He's training well. He loves the turf course here, two-for-two on it, so we look forward to the race."

Sandra New's Louder Than Bombs exits a second-place finish in the Dania Beach after finishing fourth in the Kitten's Joy Stakes for trainer David Fawkes. The son of Violence  will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Bill Mott will send out Casa Creed, who won the Jan. 5 Kitten's Joy when making his 3-year-old debut on the turf after racing four times on the dirt as a 2-year-old. The son of Jimmy Creed  was sixth last time out in the Dania Beach. John Velazquez will ride.

"He got off bad in his last start and nobody was really making up a lot of ground," Mott said "It was just an off day for him. Hopefully, he's got a better one in him than he did in his last performance. However, he did win on the racetrack earlier in the meet."

King Ottokar steps into graded stakes company for the first time after breaking his maiden Jan. 9 at Gulfstream at a mile on the turf. Julien Leparoux gets the mount for trainer Mark Casse and BG Stables.

Also on Saturday's card, Chad Brown will saddle three of eight 3-year-old filly entrants in the $150,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T) at 1/16 miles on the lawn. Brown's arsenal of Golconda, Cambier Parc, and Connectivity face a group that includes My Gal Betty and Belle Laura, both of whom started in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) in November.

Entries: Palm Beach S. (G3T)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 02, 2019, Race 4

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 3 yo
• 1:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Stirling Drive (FL)	Emisael Jaramillo	118	Milton W. Wolfson	20/1
2	2Art G Is Back (FL)	Tyler Gaffalione	114	Ronald B. Spatz	15/1
3	3King Ottokar (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	114	Mark E. Casse	6/1
4	4Castlewood Terrace (MD)	Edgar Perez	114	Cheryl Winebaugh	30/1
5	5A Thread of Blue (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	1/1
6	6Louder Than Bombs (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	David Fawkes	3/1
7	7Casa Creed (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	William I. Mott	4/1
8	8Hard Belle (KY)	Jorge Solorzano	114	Jaime Mejia	50/1

Entries: Herecomesthebride S. (G3T)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 02, 2019, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 3:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Vow to Recover (FL)	Chris Landeros	118	Elizabeth L. Dobles	30/1
2	2Belle Laura (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	114	Norm W. Casse	6/1
3	3Primela (FR)	Joel Rosario	116	Cherie DeVaux	15/1
4	4My Gal Betty (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Roger L. Attfield	6/1
5	5Princesa Carolina (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	114	Kenneth G. McPeek	10/1
6	6Golconda (FR)	Javier Castellano	114	Chad C. Brown	3/1
7	7Cambier Parc (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	114	Chad C. Brown	2/1
8	8Connectivity (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	114	Chad C. Brown	4/1