Cookie Dough looms large in Florida Sire My Dear Girl at Gulfstream

No longer the definition of a hard-luck horse, Arindel’s Cookie Dough will be out to capture her second straight leg of the 2018 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-old fillies in Saturday’s $400,000 My Dear Girl at Gulfstream Park.

The homebred 2-year-old daughter of Brethren, who had experienced a series of rough trips in the first few starts of her career, made her own luck in the $200,000 Susan’s Girl while breaking her maiden with a dominating triumph by 6 ½ lengths Sept. 1.

Cookie Dough and her 12 rivals in the 1 1/16-mile FSS finale will be sent around two turns for the first time Saturday, when seven stakes, including the $400,000 FSS In Reality, will be run for $1.175 million in purses. Cookie Dough will be co-favored with Starship Nala.

“I just don’t think it will be an issue. I think she can go two turns. She can be wherever (jockey) Jeffrey (Sanchez) wants her and we hope she finishes strong like last time,” Gold said. “The last race was seven furlongs. When you’re done with the race and gallop out strong, you’re solid for two turns.”

Cookie Dough gave trainer Stanley Gold his record-extending 19th victory in the lucrative Sire Stakes series for juveniles sired by nominated stallions standing in Florida and his first for Arindel.

“It was quite nice, because we had a little lull there,” said Gold, whose first 18 FSS successes were for former client Jacks or Better Farm. “Last year we were on the board in four of the six races, which wasn’t bad, but we couldn’t win one. This year, we got one.”

Cookie Dough’s triumph in the Susan’s Girl was also a breakthrough for Brethren, who was also the sire of the Arindel homebreds that finished in the money in the four FSS races last year.

“She was impressive with the win and got her name in the limelight, and she’s very live for this one,” Gold said. “I look for a very big effort.”

Cookie Dough was sent to post at 12-1 odds in the Susan’s Girl after a sixth-place finish in the $100,000 FSS Desert Vixen Aug. 4, but Gold had never lost faith in the Florida-bred filly’s ability. His confidence was rewarded in the seven-furlong second leg of the series.

“It was very satisfying. Jeffrey was picking another horse to ride a couple times and I’d say, ‘You’re picking the wrong horse,’” Gold said. “He was on the right one that day and he’ll be on her Saturday.”

Gold is also slated to saddle Perspire, a maiden who debuted with a fourth-place finish in a six-furlong race

“She’s another horse who’ll like two turns. The plan was to run a race at a mile and then the stake, but the race didn’t fill,” said Gold, who named Reylu Gutierrez to ride the daughter of Brethren.

Starship Nala, who finished a troubled second behind Cookie Dough in the Susan’s Girl, is slated to return in the My Dear Girl. Starship Stables’ daughter of Capo Bastone, who broke her maiden at first asking before finishing fifth in the Desert Vixen, overcame trouble early in the Susan’s Girl to close well to finish second.

The Steve Dwoskin-trained Starship Nala is a half-sister to Starship Jubilee, a multiple graded-stakes winner around two turns on turf who captured the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf at 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream in January.

“Will she go two turns, a mile and a sixteenth? I’m not sure,” Dwoskin said. “We’ve trained her towards it. We took some speed away from her and hopefully she can make her move.”

 

Dwoskin, who saddled Starship Bonita for FSS victories in last year’s Susan’s Girl and My Dear Girl, will also be represented by maiden Starship Madonna in the My Dear Girl. Miguel Vasquez has the mount aboard Starship Nala, while Paco Lopez will be on Starship Madonna.

Stonehedge LLC’s Blazing Brooke, who closed strongly to finish third in the Susan’s Girl after being carried very wide into the stretch, is slated for a return in the My Dear Girl. The Kathleen O’Connell-trained daughter of Winslow Homer had previously posted a front-running maiden claiming victory in her third career start.

“Every race she ran she showed improvement. The added distance I thought would help her,” said O’Connell, who has teamed with Gil Campbell’s Stonehedge LLC for 10 FSS victories.

Jesus Rios has the return mount.

Kales Company LLC’s Select Friday, who finished second in the Desert Vixen, is set for a return to FSS action Saturday after missing the Susan’s Girl due to a fever.

“It would be set up perfectly for her if I got the other race into her, but I didn’t,” trainer David Fawkes said. “But she’s been working well.”

The daughter of Kantharos, who prepped for the Desert Vixen with a 3 ½-length debut triumph July 1, will be ridden by Nik Juarez.

Averill Racing and CCF Racing Stable’s R Prerogative, who finished third behind Select Friday July 1, enters the FSS series after breaking through with a dominating 6 ½-length maiden victory Sept. 2.

“She has a huge amount of ability. I think it’s been a little bit of a mental thing with her. I think she’ll stretch out in time,” trainer Ralph Nicks said. “I don’t know if she’s there yet, but if she settles, she’ll make a good showing.”

Nicks also entered Jacks or Better Farm’s Myrrh and Awesome Hills. Myrrh is a maiden who ran third behind highly regarded Lovesick in her Aug. 19 debut at Gulfstream, while Awesome Hill is coming off a debut victory in a maiden claiming race.

Edgard Zayas has the return mount aboard R Prerogative, while Emisael Jaramillo and Eric Cancel have the calls on Myrrh and Awesome Hills, respectively.

Trainer Michael Yates’ Shadowbrook Farm will be represented by Jessica in the My Dear Girl. Jessica, who raced evenly to finish fourth in the Susan’s Girl, will be joined by Richard Thompson and Shadowbrook’s Mrs. Crews, who is coming off back-to-back victories after finishing second in her debut. Samy Camacho has the mount on Jessica, while Luca Panici has the call on Mrs. Crews.

Joel Sainer’s First Time Proud, who captured an optional claiming race after a 12th-place finish in the Desert Vixen, and Stephen Screnci’s Begin, a maiden who has a second-place finish in two starts, round out the field.