Fawkes Tries to Get Daring Kathy Going Again in Powder Break
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Photo:
Gulfstream/Lauren King Photo
Trainer David Fawkes is set to saddle Daring Kathy for a start in Saturday’s $100,000 Powder Break Stakes at Gulfstream Park, looking to renew a winning association with the graded-stakes winning daughter of Wildcat Heir.
In 2014, Fawkes visited the winner’s circle with John Eaton and Steve Layman’s homebred 5-year-old mare on six occasions, including four stakes celebrations. Following an abbreviated two-race 2015 campaign that included a triumph in the Perfect Sting Stakes at Belmont for trainer Chad Brown, Daring Kathy returned to Fawkes’ Gulfstream-based stable for 2016.
The Florida-bred mare will seek her first victory in three starts this year in the mile turf stakes for fillies and mares, after setting the pace before fading in the Sand Springs Stakes Feb. 27 and finishing third in the Distaff Turf at Tampa Bay Downs April 9.
“The first race back was kind of a mess. What happened was what I didn’t want to see happen,” Fawkes said. “She got nothing out of the race at all. She came back at Tampa and got a really good race under her belt. She ran a good race. She got a little tired, but still ran a very good race. She came out of that race stronger, better, eating better, doing everything right.”
Daring Kathy debuted with a victory on dirt at Gulfstream and two starts later notched a victory in an allowance race on turf that was followed by back-to-back stakes victories in the Honey Ryder and Starfish Bay Stakes. Third place finishes in the Lake George (G2) at Saratoga and the Colleen (G3) at Woodbine preceded back-to-back stakes wins in the Cellars Shiraz and the My Charmer Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream Park West.
“Her 3-year-old year was a great year. She won a bunch of stakes. Now, she’s running against older horses,” said Fawkes, speaking from Churchill Downs, where he’s scheduled to saddle multiple Grade 1-stakes winner Sheer Drama for the La Troienne (G1) May 6. “I’m sure it’s going to be a little tougher, but she’s older and stronger. I expect her to run really well.”
Daring Kathy, who’ll be ridden by Edgard Zayas, is slated to face 11 rivals (not including main-track-only entrant Best Behavior) in the Powder Break.
Crush Management and D J Stable’s Cali Thirty Seven is set to seek her first stakes victory Saturday, coming off a romping 3 ½-length allowance win at Gulfstream last time out.
“She’s always trained like a filly that wanted turf. I knew she had talent, but she wasn’t giving it to me,” said trainer Joe Orseno, who named Joe Bravo to ride the 4-year-old daughter of Eskendereya. “She won on dirt, but on turf, she really shows her talent.”
R. K. Johnson and partners’ Speed Seeker, who defeated Daring Kathy by two lengths in the Distaff Turf at Tampa; Darrell and Sadie Brommer’s Prado’s Sweet Ride, who captured the Regret (G3) last year; and Miller Racing’s E B Ryder, the Powder Break runner-up last year; are among the most prominent contenders Saturday.
The Powder Break is carded as the ninth race on a 10-race program that will also feature the $100,000 Miami Mile (G3) in the seventh race. First race post time is set at 1:15 p.m.
Gulfstream to Participate in PDJF Fundraiser May 7
Gulfstream Park will participate in a nationwide fundraiser for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund next Saturday May 7.
The second annual Derby Day Silent Auction Fundraiser will be held at 29 racing venues, each offering a silent auction of framed, autographed photographs of Secretariat (signed by jockey Ron Turcotte), American Pharoah (signed by jockey Victor Espinoza), American Pharoah winning the Kentucky Derby (signed by trainer Bob Baffert), and a collage of American Pharoah’s Triple Crown victories (signed by Baffert).
Proceeds from the collaborative effort by the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA), PDJF, JockeyTalk360, and the Jockeys’ Guild will provide aid for permanently disabled jockeys’ health care and living expenses.
Anyone who wishes to contribute to the fundraising effort for disabled jockeys may do so by sending checks payable to: PDJF, P.O. Box 803, Elmhurst, IL 60126 or visit its website at www.pdjf.org. PDJF is a 501(c)(3) public charity providing financial assistance to 60 former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries. Since its founding in 2006, the fund has disbursed approximately $7 million to permanently disabled jockeys, most of whom have sustained paralysis or brain injuries.
Source: Gulfstream Park
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