Is Ballet Diva Better Than Awesome Feather?

In the aftermath of Sunday’s $1.175 million Summit of Speed program at Gulfstream Park, Jacks or Better Farm and trainer Stanley Gold certainly have reason to be optimistic about their candidates for the 2015 Florida Sire Stakes program that is slated to get under way on Aug. 8.

Undefeated Ballet Diva, a Jacks or Better homebred daughter of Hear No Evil, distinguished herself as the most exciting prospect for the lucrative series for horses sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida. The Gold-trained filly won the $75,000 Cassidy for 2-year-old fillies with breathtaking ease, posting a front-running 4 ½-length triumph in the six-furlong open stake while never being asked for run by jockey Jose Caraballo.

“I hoped that that was going to happen, but you can never be so overconfident that you expect it,” Gold said. “I was hoping that was what she was going to do. I said beforehand that we were going to come out and go and that I didn’t think anyone could go with her, and we were right.”

After her impressive showing Sunday, Ballet Diva is the leading candidate to add to Gold’s and Jacks or Better’s respective records of 16 Florida Sire Stakes successes.

Ballet Diva broke her maiden at first asking with a stunning 12 ½-length victory in hand, posting a front-running score from the rail post position that can prove the undoing of inexperienced sprinters. The Florida-bred filly again had no problem with the rail post position in the Cassidy, quickly sprinting to the lead and continuing on to another smart victory, running 5 ½ furlongs in 1:04.06, nearly a second and a half faster than the 2-year-old colts and geldings had run a race earlier in the $75,000 Birdonthewire Stakes.

“The question is: How long can she keep doing this? We haven’t really even asked her to run. We haven’t taken her back, but we haven’t been urging her off her feet,” Gold said. “We’ll keep our fingers crossed that she stays OK and keeps carrying her speed further and further. She’s light on her feet. You wouldn’t say she’s digging in. She’s very fluid, very smooth.”

Jacks or Better and Gold have campaigned several talented fillies in recent years, but Ballet Diva is their most exciting prospect since Awesome Feather, who was honored with an Eclipse Award in 2010 after sweeping the Florida Sire (Stallion) Stakes and capturing the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Awesome Feather won her first two career starts before heading into the Florida Sire Stakes action.

“I think Ballet Diva is faster than Awesome Feather at this point. Awesome Feather was bigger and stronger looking. This filly has a ways to grow. There’s time for her to grow and mature,” said Gold, noting the precocious filly is an April 28 foal. “At this point, the only comparison is that they’re both undefeated, but they weren’t built the same; their demeanors aren’t the same; their attitudes aren’t the same. There really aren’t any similarities.”

Ballet Diva is slated to race next in the $200,000 Desert Vixen Division of the Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream on Aug. 8. Silent Prayer, a debut winner who finished third against the boys in Sunday’s Birdonthewire after setting the pace, is likely to run in the Desert Vixen, as well, since she wouldn’t be allowed to run against males  again in the $200,000 Dr. Fager Division the same day.

Fellowship, another Gold-trained debut winner who finished second in the Birdonthewire, is slated to represent Jacks or Better in the Dr. Fager.

Jacks or Better’s Dogwood Trail, who posted a front-running triumph in Sunday’s $150,000 Azalea (G3), is scheduled to run next in the $150,000 Three Ring Division (3-year-old fillies) of the Florida Sire Stakes Aug. 8. Tar and Feather, a 3-year-old full sister to Awesome Feather who went unraced as a 2-year-old, is also likely for the Three Ring. The daughter of Awesome of Course, had gone winless in her first five career starts, has won her last two starts.

“She’s finally put it all together,” Gold said. “Those last two races have impressed me, so I want to see where she goes from here.”