Blue-Blooded Babies Meet at Gulfstream Thursday

As has become the standard during its Championship meeting, Gulfstream Park offers another young cast of hopefuls Thursday afternoon with the credentials to be the real deal.

Presented as the second race on the card, nine 2-year-olds are slated to contest the 1 1/16-mile test on the turf. Chief among them is Joseph Sutton’s Bugle, by leading international sire War Front and out of the Maria’s Mon mare Chatham. Purchased for $400,000 at the Keeneland September sale in 2013 (yearling average for War Front $362,996 in 2013), the Eddie Kenneally-trained filly finished a close-up second as the even-money choice in her career debut going a mile at Churchill Downs Nov. 9 and has been training forwardly since.

Live Oak Plantation is also represented with the Giant’s Causeway filly Giant Crystal, who realized $450,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale. Conditioned by Graham Motion, the half-sister to a pair of stakes winners - including G1 Wood Memorial winner Gemologist (by Tiznow) - was third in her debut in a seven-furlong test at Belmont Sept. 26.

Bred in the purple is Phipps Stable homebred Delightful, a daughter of Classic winner Bernardini. Trained by Shug McGaughey, the first time starter is out of G1 Matron heroine Dancinginmydreams (by Seeking the Gold). A full-sister to 3-year-old Champion Heavenly Prize and Grade 1 winner Oh What A Windfall, Oh What a Dance is already responsible for Dancing Forever (by Rahy), victorious in the 2008 G1 Manhattan Handicap. Campaigned by the same connections, Dancing Forever was also runner- up in the G1 Gulfstream Park Breeders’ Cup Turf S. and third in the 2008 G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Source: Gulfstream Park