Gulfstream: Intrepid Daydream leads 3 for Joseph in Royal Delta

Intrepid Daydream, a three-time stakes winner, looks to regain her form and earn graded credentials in the process as one of three Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained horses in Saturday’s Grade 3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream Park.

The 1 1/16-mile Royal Delta for older fillies and mares, honoring the three-time champion who won 12 of 22 starts, headlines a 12-race program that begins at 12:20 p.m. EST.

Owned by Miller Racing, Intrepid Daydream will make her fifth start for Joseph since being purchased privately after the 2023 Politely at Laurel Park, her fourth straight win and third in stakes against Maryland-breds. A month later she ran second by as the favorite in the six-furlong Sugar Swirl (G3), beaten a half-length.

After finishing fourth in last winter’s Inside Information (G2), Intrepid Daydream has run only twice in 13 months, most recently a fourth in the Dec. 21 Sugar Swirl off a five-month layoff. The Royal Delta will be only her second try around two turns, the other a 16 3/4-length maiden victory in October 2021.

“She ran a couple times for us and then we had to give her time off. She hasn’t come back in best form yet, but I think she’s training back in the right direction. Hopefully this is what she wants to do,” Joseph said. “Last race she needed it, but we used that last race to help move her forward. She’s been two turns once and she won it impressively. If she can come back to her best, she has a chance.”

Dazzling Move also is a private purchase by Miller, coming after the 4-year-old filly ran fourth against older horses in the Dec. 26 Rampart. She won three races and placed twice in stakes from 14 starts for previous trainer Michael Trombetta, never having gone beyond one mile.

“We haven’t had her long. Obviously, she has run well. We bought her because we wanted to stretch her out and see how she runs,” Joseph said. “She’s training well. She worked (Sunday) morning and worked well. If she handles two turns, which we’re optimistic she will, we feel like she has a really good chance to win it.”

Unlike her stablemates, 5-year-old Libban is well-versed around two turns with seven starts, including each of the last five, highlighted by a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Wasted Tears last summer on the Lone Star Park turf. Most recently she was eighth going the same distance on the grass in the Feb. 1 Endeavour (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.

“She’s been two turns,” Joseph said. “She ran disappointing last time on the grass. She’s back on the dirt. She won on the dirt already, she trains well on the dirt and we wanted to give her a try because if she can get graded-stakes placing, it would help her. The owners own the mare (All in Time) also. She’s already a stakes winner, it can only enhance her resume.”

Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who trained Royal Delta throughout her career, is represented by Grand Job. The 4-year-old filly was winless in four starts in Ireland but is 2-for-2 since coming to the U.S. with maiden and allowance victories by 14 1/4 combined lengths. She, too, will be trying two turns for the first time.

Miss New York won the 2023 Boiling Springs at Monmouth Park around two turns and put together back-to-back wins last summer and fall at Laurel, including the one-mile Twixt. She has raced once in the last five months, finishing second in the 1 1/8-mile Carousel on Dec. 21, also at Laurel.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will send out Autumn Evening, who exits a head victory in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance Jan. 2 at Gulfstream. She has tried graded company twice, finishing fourth in last year’s Victory Ride (G3) and Garland of Roses (G3). Her longest race has been one mile, a neck optional claiming allowance triumph in mid-November.

“I thought she had a decent win here in the allowance race. We wanted to give her an opportunity to go two turns and see how she handles it,” Pletcher said. “I liked the way she (breezed Saturday) morning. She finished strongly in her workout and galloped out really well, so it gives me optimism that she’ll handle a little more distance. She fits in here and she’s doing well, so we figured now’s the time to give it a try.”

Two-time New Jersey-bred stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Riding Pretty, multiple stakes-placed Dream Concert, American Retro and stablemates Foreseen and Neon Icon complete the field.