Tammy the Torpedo Chases First Graded Victory in Suwannee River

A winner of two of three starts since returning from nearly a year off, Long Lake Stable and Beacon Hill Thoroughbreds’ Tammy the Torpedo goes after her first graded stakes victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 68th running of the 1 1/8-mile Suwannee River for females 4 and up on turf is one of six stakes on a 12-race program that also includes the $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1), $350,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1), $100,000 Fred Hooper (G3), $75,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint and $75,000 Ladies  Turf Sprint.

Tammy the Torpedo and stablemate Light In Paris are both trained by Chad Brown, who finished a narrow second behind Sandiva in last year’s Suwannee River with Grade 1 winner Rosalind. A dark bay or brown daughter of More Than Ready, Tammy the Torpedo broke through with her first career stakes triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Tropical Park Oaks Dec. 19 at Gulfstream to close her 3-year-old season.

“She ran terrific last time,” Brown said. “We gave her some time since that win and she seems to be back in top form breezing again so we’re looking forward to running her in this race and try to get a graded win for her.”

Tammy the Torpedo opened her career with a 3 ¼-length victory in her August 2014 unveiling, then finished behind undefeated stablemate Lady Eli in the Miss Grillo (G3) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) that Halloween. She didn’t race again until last Oct. 18, winning a 1 1/16-mile entry-level allowance at Belmont Park.

“They were just minor issues,” Brown said. “Unfortunately the layoff was longer than we anticipated, but she finally did come around and she’s very healthy at the present time. We’ve always liked this horse.”

After running into traffic trouble when sixth in the Mrs. Revere (G2) last November, Tammy the Torpedo rebounded with a gutsy neck victory over multiple stakes winner Celestine in the Tropical Park Oaks. Jockey Joel Rosario gets the return call from post one at co-highweight of 121 pounds.

“She’s a beautiful filly, well-bred, and she’s definitely a graded-stakes caliber filly,” Brown said. “It’d be nice to win this race and continue developing her throughout the year.”

Martin Schwartz’s Light In Paris will have Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard from post five in the Suwannee River following their third-place finish in the Tropical Park Oaks, beaten two necks. It was just her second start in the U.S., after running last of eight in the Pebbles Stakes last October at Belmont.

“Her first run in the country wasn’t very good. She had problems at the gate and never really got involved,” Brown said. “After that we put blinkers on the filly and freshened her in Florida and her last race she ran terrific. She’s actually a filly that’s improving.”

Bred in Ireland, Light In Paris won four of nine starts in France with four thirds prior to joining Brown’s operation last summer. She has been working steadily since her last race at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“Her last race got her back on track and it was something good to build on,” Brown said. “She should develop from here.”

Sharing topweight with Tammy the Torpedo is Augustin Stable’s stakes winner Habibi, fourth by four lengths in the 1 ½-mile La Prevoyante (G3) Dec. 26 at Gulfstream. The Mark Frostad trainee will be trying nine furlongs for just the second time, after finishing second by a nose in a third-level allowance over the Woodbine turf last June. The 7-year-old mare was second Woodbine’s Native Dancer (G1) over a yielding grass course.

The Suwannee River also features a pair of Grade 3 winners in Rainha Da Bateria and Uchenna. Owned by Three Chimneys Farm and trained by Graham Motion, Rainha Da Bateria won the 2014 Jessamine (G3) in just her third lifetime start but has been winless since, including a runner-up finish by a half-length in the Mrs. Revere (G2) Nov. 14.

Gary Barber’s Uchenna is another Woodbine shipper that has not raced since faltering in the E.P. Taylor (G1) at Woodbine Oct. 18. She captured the Ontario Matron (G3) last July in her fourth start since coming to North America from England for trainer Mark Casse.