Three Rules tops Dr. Fager Division of Florida Sire Stakes

Shade Tree Thoroughbreds’ Three Rules will be heavily favored to rule his competition for a third straight race at Gulfstream Park Saturday when the undefeated son of Gone Astray is scheduled to meet eight rivals in the $200,000 Dr. Fager Division of the Florida Sire Stakes.

The six-furlong Dr. Fager and the $200,000 Desert Vixen, a six-furlong test for fillies, will kick off the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association’s annual series for 2-year-olds sired by nominated stallions standing in Florida. The Dr. Fager and Desert Vixen will co-feature a 12-race program with five stakes worth $775,000. Saturday’s first-race post time is set for 12:35 p.m.

Three Rules had created a buzz at Gulfstream while preparing for his June 10 debut, in which he was sent to post as the even-money favorite. The striking dark bay colt lived up to the hype, drawing off to a 3 ½-length triumph and running five furlongs in 58.54 second, wrapped up by jockey Cornelio Velasquez.

“It was a couple weeks after I got him that I knew he was special. He breezed so good, and he’s just a pretty horse who can really run,” said trainer Jose Pinchin, who saddled It’s High Time for a victory in the Desert Vixen last year and Holywell for victories in two legs of the series in 2014.

The homebred colt returned with an even more impressive performance in the Birdonthewire Stakes on the July 2Summit of Speed undercard, stalking the pace before surging through an opening on the rail in mid-stretch and running away to a five-length victory.

“I’ve trained some good horses, but he’s right up there. He’s a special horse,” Pinchin said. “He’s a big, beautiful strong colt – everything that you want in a horse. He’s got a great attitude, a great mind. For a colt, he’s super calm. He’s a class act.”

Pinchin also entered Stephen Rousseau and Calypso Stable’s Front Loaded in the Dr. Fager. The son of Kantharos is entering his stakes debut off a sharp two-length debut at Gulfstream July 8, when he ran five furlongs in 58.04 seconds.

Velasquez has the mount aboard Three Rules, while Emisael Jaramillo has the return call on Front Loaded.

Prominent out-of-town shippers, Toby Morton’s Jewel Heist and James A. Shannon Jr.’s Glory Stars, are scheduled to challenge the Pinchin-trained duo.

John Kimmel-trained Jewel Heist enters the Dr. Fager off a gutsy maiden special weight triumph under Joel Rosario at Belmont Park July 1. The son of Wildcat Heir raced between horses while setting and prompting the pace into the stretch, where he took command and gamely held off a fresh off-the-pace challenger.

“Rosario said he broke sharp. He sat with him and let him get headed. We had worked him in company and put him behind horses in the inside. He said when he asked him, he had plenty of horse left. He said if he went a little further, he’d have run a little bit better,” Kimmel said by phone from Saratoga. “He got off the bridle after clearing horses and probably felt the race was over. He’s a pretty competitive horse.”

Jewel Heist, who has been stabled in trainer David Fawkes’ barn at Gulfstream for two weeks, has had two local breezes, including a half-mile work in 47.11 seconds last Saturday.

“He’s handled the transition down there. Dave Fawkes has been handling his training down there for me. So far, so good,” said Kimmel, who awarded the mount to Tyler Gaffalione.

Cynthia Reese-trained Glory Stars will bring two-race experience at Parx into his stakes debut at Gulfstream. The son of Repent set a pressured pace on the rail before finishing second in his five-furlong debut July 3. He came back to graduate by 6 ¼ lengths at 5 ½ furlongs, closing from off the pace with a wide rally July 24.

“His breeding does say he should get better with distance. In that second race the jockey was able to back him off the leaders. Drawing the outside never hurts you – you can stalk where you want,” Reese said by phone from Pennsylvania. “The inside horse was actually carrying them out down the backside, so he was pretty far wide the whole way. I thought it was a pretty nice effort the whole way.”

Glory Stars, who is slated to be ridden by Vicente Gudiel, is set to make his stakes debut just 13 days after his maiden victory.

“It’s a quick turnaround coming right back, that’s the only thing, so we’ll see how he fares,” Reese said.  “He shipped down there over the weekend. He’s doing well from what my people tell me.”

Gilbert Campbell’s Stonehedge LLC and trainer Kathleen O’Connell, who have enjoyed much success in the Florida Sire Stakes, will be represented by Love My Cotton, a two-length winner over state-bred maidens his second career start June 25. Juan Leyva has the mount

Brenda Tabraue’s Cinderela El Crome, who scored an impressive two-length triumph in his June 10 debut, will attempt to improve on a sixth-place finish behind Three Rules in the Birdonthewire Stakes.  Trainer Marcial Navarro named Eddie Castro to ride the son of Flashstorm.

Maidens Awesome Standard, Blessed Halo and Smart Six round out the field.

Source: Gulfstream Park