Frank's Rockette kicks away from rivals in Sugar Swirl

Frank Fletcher’s Frank’s Rockette overwhelmed her four rivals in Saturday’s Grade 3, $125,000 Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream Park, scoring a sharp front-running victory under Luis Saez.

Saddled by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, the 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief shook off early pressure and drew away to a 12 1/4-length triumph in the six-furlong stakes for fillies and mares.

Frank’s Rockette, the 4-5 favorite, was pressed to her outside along the backstretch and around the far turn while setting fractions of 22.06 and 44.74 seconds for the first half-mile before kicking away powerfully under jockey Luis Saez.

“She just said, ‘Adios,’" Mott said of the victory. "She usually brings a good race to the game, and today she brought a really good one. For some reason she's never shown her best race at Keeneland (11th in Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint). Other than that, she's been one-two-three every other time she's run in her life. She's been a model of consistency."

The homebred mare’s 10th career victory boosted her career bankroll over $1.2 million in earnings.

Joyful Cadence finished second, a neck in front of Copella

The Sugar Swirl was the first of five graded stakes races on Saturday's card at Gulfstream, capped by the $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G2), a prep for the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 28 and the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2), a prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) the same day. .