Gulfstream Notebook -- May 8

By HorseracingFLA Staff
Friday, May 8 ---Awesomendensome,  a 9-1 shot,  fired out to the lead and held off I Will Be Free for a half-length victory in today’s feature race at Gulfstream Park.

The 3-2 favorite Upbeat Mood rallied to finish third, a neck behind I Will Be Free, in the five furlong turf race--a $16,000 optional claimer for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. None of the six starters were in for a tag.

John Cruz rode Awesomendensome, who won  in  55.89 seconds on a course listed as firm.

Awesomendensome paid $21.80 to win.

Luis Ramirez trains Awesomendensome for her breeder and owner Chester Bishop.

On Saturday Gulfstream will have ten races with first post of 1:00 p.m.

The featured ninth race is a $62,500 optional claimer at 7 ½ furlongs on turf for 3-year-olds and up, with a $42,000 purse.

Stakes veterans Best Plan Yet, Adios Nardo and Breitling Flyer head an  eight-horse field.  Scheduled post time is 5:00 p.m.

Brei-Gold Win  Juvenile Openers
The  team  of owner Fred Brei and trainer Stan Gold, known  locally and nationally for their success with 2-year-olds, this week won 2015’s first two Gulfstream Park races for juveniles.

On Wednesday their filly Silent Prayer won Gulfstream’s first 2-year-old race of the year.

They returned to the winner’s circle Thursday with their colt Fellowship.

Both races were 4 ½ furlongs on dirt.  Jesus Rios rode both winners.

Silent Prayer took the early lead and went on to win by 1 ½-lengths over the late-running Nasha Nadezhda.

Silent Prayer won in 53.43 seconds on a track listed as good  At 2-1, she was second betting choice in the nine-horse field.

Fellowship, the 7-10 favorite, beat Golden Pirate by four lengths. He won in 52.11 seconds on a fast track.

Silent Prayer and Fellowship are homebtreds of Jacks or Better Farms in Ocala, which is owned by Fred Brei and his wife Jane.

Gold has a public stable, but in recent years hss trained exclusively for Jacks or Better.

Gold and Brei have combined for a record 16 wins in  the Florida Sire Stakes Series for 2-year-olds  The series  moved to Gulfstream last year.  It was previously held at Calder as the Florida Stallion Stakes.

Silent Prayer and Fellowship are eligible for the $2 million Florida Sire Stakes, the focal point of the 2-year-old program at Gulfstream.

The Florida Sire Stakes, a series of six stakes for 2-year-olds sired by nominated Florida stallions, was held at Gulfstream for the first time last year with purses totaling $1.4 million.

Silent Prayer is a half-sibling to Sing Praises, a Jacks  or Better homebred who captured two of the three legs of last year’s open division of the Florida Sire Stakes.

The Florida Sire Stakes will kick off Saturday, Aug. 8 with the six-furlong $200,000 Dr. Fager (open) and $200,000 Desert Vixen (fillies). The $300,000 Affirmed (open) and $300,000 Susan's Girl (fillies) will be contested at seven furlongs Saturday, Sept. 5 while the 1 1/16-mile finals - the $500,000 In Reality (open) and $500,000 My Dear Girl - will be run Saturday, Oct. 3.

"It's great to see the 2-year-old season has started at Gulfstream Park," said Gulfstream's General Manager and The Stronach Group's Vice President of Racing P.J. Campo.

"This is an exciting time of year for breeders, owners, trainers and fans,” he said.  “It's particularly exciting this year because we believe this is the strongest juvenile program in Florida for many years.”

Celebrity Star Wins Stakes
Celebrity Star scored the first stakes victory of her 10-race career in Sunday’s $60,000 Sunrise Handicap, springing the upset in the 6 ½ furlong event at odds of 17-1.

Celebrity Star, trained by David Kassen, won by 3 ½-lengths over Best Behavior.  Joann’s Wildcat came in third and the 4-5 favorite Little Alexis finished fourth in the seven-horse field.

Tyler Gallafione rode Celebrity Star who won in  1:16.12.