C. Zee Makes the Grade in Gulfstream Sprint

C. Zee captured the first graded stakes race of his career Saturday when he ran down Happy My Way inside the final sixteenth to win the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3) by 1 3/4 lengths over Happy My Way. Mr. Prospector (G3) winner Speechify finished third.

Owned and bred by Jacks or Better Farm, trained by Stanley Gold and ridden by Edgard Zayas, C. Zee covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.84.

Breaking alertly from the rail after Prudhoe Bay was scratched from post one, C. Zee rated just off a :22.63 opening quarter set by Happy My Way and jockey Joe Bravo until jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was carried between the two leaders and to the lead by the undefeated Mean Season. But after Mean Season dropped back past a :45.11 half, Zayas and C. Zee came again at Happy My Way down the stretch to prevail.

“He’s that kind of horse," said Gold. "I knew he was capable of it. Look at the races he’s run and the things he’s done. He had a terrible trip last time; he was taken out of the race at the quarter-pole and by the time he recovered he was a half-length short. So I didn’t lose faith in him. It was a tough race, and he got it done."

C. Zee had previously captured the Cherokee Run and Sir Bear last summer at Gulfstream.

"We had a bad post position and when they scratched the 1 (Prudhoe Bay) it got even worse," Zayas said. "We decided that we had to get out of the gate fast and try to get a good position. I saved all the ground that I could, but coming into the stretch I saw Happy My Way open up a little bit. I got the opportunity to go outside a little bit and he came on strong. I felt good in the stretch. Once I took him outside, he just started running and running. I knew I was going to get there."

C. Zee, a 4-year-old son of Elusive Bluff who finished second in the Amsterdam (G2) at Saratoga last summer for trainer Nick Zito, has won four of 14 starts. 

Prior to the 6-year-old Irish Mission’s last start in the La Prevoyante Handicap (G3) on Dec. 27, trainer Christophe Clement and owner Robert Evans were already planning the mare’s retirement, determining that the La Prevoyante could be the daughter of Giant’s Causeway’s final career start.

But after Irish Mission won the race, Clement opened up the possibility of bringing her back for one more race, and after the mare scored yet another impressive victory in the $150,000 The Very One Stakes (G3) Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park, Clement and Evans might further delay that trip to the breeding shed.

"I'm delighted to win for Mr. Evans,” Clement said. “He's a great owner to win for. Plus, I think she's a wonderful mare and a very exciting broodmare prospect for him. There are two choices: One, she goes to Kentucky next week, where it's very cold and awful weather, or she can stay in the sunshine here and run back in the Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream on March 28, but I'm sure Mr. Evans will make up his mind and let me know next week."

Under jockey John Velazquez, Irish Mission, after closing from mid-pack in the La Prevoyante, was much closer in the 1 3/8-mile The Very One, sitting in second, just behind the Bill Mott-trained Riposte (GB). That mare brought the race to a crawl in the early stages, setting fractions of 26.97 seconds for the first quarter, 53.60 for a half, and 1:20.12 for three-quarters of a mile. Both pacesetters were full of run into the stretch, but Irish Mission had more in the tank and drew off to 1 ½-length victory. The final time for the race was 2:18.66.

"It was a pretty slow pace,” Velazquez said. “There was no speed in the race. I knew it was going to be me or him (Joel Rosario on Riposte) and he ended up going to the lead, so I sat quietly. Once we got to the three-quarter pole, I knew it was going to be a two-horse race so I put a little bit of pressure on him and we picked it up. She did it pretty easy though."

Irish Mission increased her earnings to $1,357,073 with her The Very One victory and improved her Gulfstream Park record to 2-2-1 from six starts. Having won three Grade 3 stakes in her last five races, Clement would agree that she is in top form right now.

"She loves it here,” he said. “She's been doing very well at Payson Park. She gets turned out every day for two hours. She's a very high-strung filly to train, so I think she's thoroughly enjoyed the turning out that we have at Payson Park, and she's just blossomed over the winter. She's probably easier now than she's ever been to run."

Irish Mission returned $5.80 to win, while Riposte paid $3.20 to place. Clement’s other starter Tabreed (GB) rounded out the top three and returned $4.80 to show. The order of finish was completed by Caroline Thomas, Bitty Kitty, Kitten’s Point, Always Kitten, and Meri Shika (FR).

Jewel of a Cat Wins Ladies' Turf Sprint

Jewel of a Cat, a 5-year-old mare owned by J and J Stables and GSP Stable and trained by Ben Perkins Jr., led gate to wire under jockey Paco Lopez to win the $75,000 Ladies' Turf Sprint. The daughter of Wildcat Heir covered a firm five furlong course in :55.14. Good Deed was second while Zamquick was third.

Jewel of a Cat had previously finished second in the Sparkler at Gulfstream Park West, second in the Smirnoff Sorbet Caress Stakes at Saratoga and third in the Turf Amazon at Parx.

Source: Gulfstream Park Press Release