Daring Kathy Seeks Triumphant Return in Cellars Shiraz

Daring Kathy is set for a return to the South Florida racing scene in Saturday’s $90,000 Cellars Shiraz at Gulfstream Park West. The daughter of Wildcat Heir will also seek a return to winning form in the mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Before heading north to clash with graded-stakes company at Saratoga and Woodbine during the summer, the David Fawkes-trained Florida-bred filly distinguished herself as a rising star with three dominating victories in a row over the Gulfstream Park turf course.

Although John Eaton and Steve Laymon’s homebred filly didn’t reach the winner’s circle after running in the Lake George (G2) at Saratoga and Ontario Colleen (G3) at Woodbine, she did nothing to shake her trainer’s confidence in her potential. Daring Kathy set the pace and held gamely to finish third, beaten by just 1 ¼ lengths, in her graded-stakes debut in the Lake George.

“I thought it was an outstanding performance, considering she vanned up there. We were looking at two races, the Lake George and a race at Indiana. Seeing that it got rained off in Indiana, I think we made the right choice. It was a kind of a last-minute trip. It was a little close, and I thought she ran an outstanding race,” Fawkes said.

Daring Kathy pressed a blazing pace in the Ontario Colleen before tiring late over ‘good’ footing at Woodbine, beaten by just a neck for second money.

“The Canada race, I thought it was a great race for her,” Fawkes said. “I didn’t care for the ride. It wasn’t conducive to speed, and she was asked for too much, too early. They went too fast – 22 (seconds) and 45 – crazy fast.”

Before leaving South Florida, Daring Kathy started her three-race win streak with a front-running entry-level allowance victory in her turf debut after winning her career debut over Gulfstream’s main track and finishing off-the-board in a stakes at Gulfstream Park West. She followed up her impressive debut with a pair of thoroughly dazzling stakes triumphs, capturing the $90,000 Honey Ryder by 3 ¾ lengths and the $90,000 Starfish Bay by 5 ½ lengths.

Daring Kathy is rated as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a field of 12 fillies (including main-track-only entrant Light Bringer). Abdiel Jaen, who is 2-for-2 aboard the Fawkes-trained filly, returns to the saddle Saturday.

“She’s been doing good. She shipped back and we gave her some time. She’s had a couple of good breezes,” Fawkes said.

Dun Won also had a three-race win streak over the Gulfstream Park turf course before her recent fourth-place finish against older fillies and mares in the Wasted Tears Stakes, in which she finished 1 ½ lengths behind winner Lilbourne Eliza following a very wide trip. The daughter of Dunkirk previously dominated an allowance field of 3-year-old fillies by 8 ½ lengths. The first two victories in her streak came at the expense of older fillies and mares.

Diego Gomez, who has been aboard the Kleinubing Stable’s filly since her first victory, has the return mount.

Trainer Marty Wolfson, who has been the most dominant trainer in South Florida in stakes for fillies in mares, entered two fillies for the Cellars Shiraz: Derek’s Girl and Poor Etiquette.

Miller Racing’s Derek’s Girl, who finished far back in a dirt allowance in her first start for Wolfson, drew away to a two-length victory under Jilver Chamafi in her turf debut at Gulfstream Park on Sept. 14.

“She loved the synthetic track in California,” Wolfson said. “She did not like the dirt here. Her form on the Polytrack was excellent, so I thought she’d like turf. She beat older mares. She beat one of my mares that I really like, (third-place finisher) Magical Steps.”

Magee Wolfson Racing Stable’s Poor Etiquette, who won a pair of claiming races on turf at Gulfstream last winter, returns from a stint with Richard Violette in New York. The daughter of Put it Back showed steady form but was winless in five starts.

“I sent her up North but it was too tough for her up there, but it’s tough here, too,” said Wolfson, who named Jonathan Gonzales to ride the Florida-bred filly. “I’m just trying to get her some black type.”

Trainer Bill White entered three fillies for the Cellars Shiraz: Dream Come True, Lemon Point and main-track-only entrant Light Bringer. Dream Come True, who scored an entry-level allowance win over the Gulfstream Park West turf in March, finished third behind Daring Kathy in the Starfish Bay and fourth behind Dun Won in an allowance race at Gulfstream. Lemon Point is slated to make her first start for White and her first start since finishing third in the Wait a While Stakes at Belmont in May. Peter Vegso’s homebred filly, who was formerly trained by Bill Mott, won a turf allowance race at Gulfstream last winter. Edgard Zayas is slated to ride Dream Come True, while Jesus Rios has the mount aboard Lemon Point. Light Bringer hasn’t run since finishing third in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay in February.

Several other fillies merit consideration in the Cellars Shiraz. Just for Fun Stable’s Kandhara was beaten by a half length by Dun Won in her debut in July but has come back to capture her next races for trainer Angel Medina. Manny Tortora-trained Arissa, who was beaten by less than a length in a third-place finish behind Kandhara two starts back, is coming off an 11 ½-length victory in an off-the-turf allowance at Gulfstream Park. Mike Maker-trained Jester and Me is set to make her stakes debut following a pair of claiming victories at Arlington Park. Marnesia Wild Heir, who finished second behind Daring Kathy in the Honey Ryder before edging Arissa in an optional claiming race, is set to make her first start for trainer Donna Green since June. Cajun Sunrise, who finished fourth in her only turf start in nine races, is coming off an optional claiming allowance victory on Gulfstream’s main track.

Source: Gulfstream Park West