Gulfstream wrapup: Dorth Vader scores 45-1 upset in Oaks prep

Dorth Vader stalked heavily favored Red Carpet Ready into the stretch before drawing off to a 45-1 upset victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Davona Dale, a Gulfstream Park points prep for the May 5 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Owned by John Ropes and trained by Michael Yates, Dorth Vader earned 50 points, virtually assuring her a stall in the Churchill Downs starting gate.

Click here for Gulfstream Park entries and results.

The two-time stakes-winning daughter of Girvin was making her graded-stakes debut in the Davona Dale.

Red Carpet Ready, the even-money favorite who was undefeated in three starts, set the pace along the backstretch under Luis Saez with Dorth Vader a few lengths back. Red Carpet Ready continued to show the way into the far turn after completing the first half-mile in 45.06 seconds.

The favorite continued to show the way on the turn into the homestretch as Dorth Vader loomed boldly to her outside. The Yates trainee took over at the top of the stretch and drew clear to score by 4 3/4 lengths under Miguel Vasquez.

Dorth Vader ran the mile in 1:37.23. Guns n’ Graces closed from far back to finish second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of the tiring Red Carpet Ready.

Dorth Vader won back-to-back stakes, capturing the Juvenile Sprint for Florida-breds at Gulfstream and the Sandpiper in open company at Tampa Bay Downs, before finishing a disappointing sixth in the Gasparilla at Tampa Bay in her last start.

Red Carpet Ready won the first two races of her career by a combined 13 1/2 lengths before capturing the seven-furlong Forward Gal (G2) at Gulfstream by 2 1/4 lengths.

Value Engineering works hard in Mac Diarmida

Value Engineering, unable to hold off stablemate Red Knight in the W. L. McKnight (G3) five weeks ago, would not be denied again in a hard-fought, three-quarter-length victory over Marwad in the Mac Diarmida (G2), a 1 3/8-mile turf race for older horses.

Owned by Michael Hui and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Value Engineering ($13.40) gave trainer Mike Maker his second stakes win of the day following Endorsed in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2). Maker has won four of the last five editions of the Mac Diarmida, previously with Temple in 2022 and Zulu Alpha in 2019 and 2020.

Ortiz settled Value Engineering in fourth, and 70-1 long shot Value Proposition was left alone on an early lead through fractions of 24.77 and 49.29 seconds. Multiple graded-stakes winner Astronaut led the second flight. Value Proposition still was in front after six furlongs in 1:14.11 and a mile in 1:37.98, and then Value Engineering moved into a challenging position.

Value Engineering was in front straightening for home as Marwad loomed a threat on the far outside, and the two engaged from the head of the lane with Master Piece joining the fray widest of all. Value Engineering, making his third start for Maker, determinedly turned back Marwad to earn his first graded-stakes win.

Marwad edged Master Piece for second with 5-2 favorite Highest Honors fourth.

Horse for course: Endorsed wins Gulfstream Mile

Endorsed continued to show his affinity for Gulfstream Park when he won the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) in an upset over rival older horses.

Sent off at odds of 5-1, Endorsed beat Charge It, the 3-5 favorite, to the finish line. The two horses had engaged at the top of the stretch, but it was Endorsed and jockey Tyler Gaffalione who spurted ahead and defeated Charge It by 1 1/2 lengths.

Owned by Mark Breen, Endorsed ($13.80) won for the fourth time in nine career starts at Gulfstream. It also was his third straight victory. Trained by Mike Maker, Endorsed won the Fred Hooper (G3) in his first start of the year.

The 7-year-old Endorsed is a son of Medaglia d’Oro. He has a record of 34: 7-8-5.

Charge It, a 4-year-old son of Tapit, had earned the favorite’s role in the nine-horse field after winning an allowance race at Gulfstream on Feb. 5. That was his first start off a seven-month layoff.

The final time for the mile over the fast track Saturday was 1:35.25.

Third place went to Simplification, who made his first start since a seventh-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) over the same track Jan. 28.

12-1 shot upsets Herecomesthebride

Stretching out to a mile for the first time, Danse Macabre upset the field in the Herecomesthebride (G3) for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on the grass.

Owned by NBS Stable and Elements Racing, ridden by Adam Beschizza and trained by Kelsey Danner, the 12-1 Danse Macabre ($26.80) took the lead heading into the stretch and survived a major challenge from Papilo, who was making her first U.S. start for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse and jockey Luis Sáez.

This was the first graded stakes win for Danse Macabre, who crossed the wire at 1:37.27 over a firm turf course.

Danse Macabre, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Army Mule, was making her first start since a third-place finish in the six-furlong Matron (G3) at Aqueduct on Oct. 8. She never had raced beyond six furlongs in her five-race career.

Cairo Consort, the 3-5 favorite, saw her rally come up short and she finished third.

The field was reduced to 10 runners following the early scratches of American Rockette and Tituba.

Emmanuel works free in Canadian Turf

Emmanuel finally found room to run, and the 4-year-old son of More Than Ready was much the best in the 1 1/16-mile Canadian Turf (G3) for older horses.

The 6-5 favorite owned by Siena Farm and WinStar Farm and ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano found himself behind a wall of horses heading into the stretch. Once an opening appeared, Emmanuel went through it and set his sights on stablemate Steady On, who was ridden to the lead by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Emmanuel ($4.60), who set a course record at the same distance when victorious in the Tampa Bay (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs in his first start of the year, was timed at 1:40.31 over the firm course.

This was the third win of the day for Pletcher, who also took the third race with Up to the Mark and the Colonel Liam with Dude N Colorado.

Fort Washington finished third for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey and jockey Jose Ortiz.

Other, other Chad wins the The Very One

Mylady, the longest price of three horses trained by Chad Brown, made a last-to-first move to win the $150,000 The Very One (G3), a 1 3/8-mile turf races for older fillies and mares.

Owned by Mrs. Michaela Faust and ridden by Edgar Zayas, the 4-year-old daughter of The Grey Gatsby moved up with a rush as the field headed toward the far turn. Mylady easily moved past the 37-1 pacesetter Flying Fortress, who carved out early fractions of 24.40, 48.71 and 1:14.84.

At the end, Mylady ($19.60) had to hold off stablemate Higher Truth, who was rallying late. Brown’s other horse in the field, Peter Brant’s favored defending champion Virginia Joy, finished fourth behind Transient.

The winning time was 2:15.14.

This was Mylady’s first start for Brown. She began her career in Germany where she went 8: 3-1-1 on the grass. In her last start Mylady finished sixth in the E. P. Taylor (G1) at Woodbine on Oct. 8.