Sunday’s $150,000 Davona Dale S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park will offer up the
first battle between Grade 2 winners BSHARPSONATA (Pulpit) and GAME FACE
(Menifee). The two fillies top a field of only six in the mile test, and each
will be seeking to keep her respective win streak going.
Bsharpsonata began her current winning skein in the grassy Selima S. while
wrapping up her juvenile campaign. She stayed on the turf for her three-year-old
bow, posting an easy 1 1/2-length score in the Tropical Park Oaks, before
returning to the dirt for her last start in the Forward Gal S. (G2). The Tim
Salzman charge was near the back of the field early on, but moved up to challenge in
the lane and prevailed by a nose after a long stretch duel in that one.
Bsharpsonata also scored a seven-length victory on the dirt in the Irish Sonnet
S. last season, and will keep regular rider Eric Camacho in the irons.
Game Face took three tries to break her maiden, but captured her initial win
in style at Aqueduct in early November. The chestnut miss traveled south with
other Todd Pletcher charges for the winter, and reappeared in the Old Hat S.
(G2) for her sophomore debut, earning a seven-length victory. She’ll be
stretching out past 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time here, and will have John
Velazquez back in the saddle.
AMERICAN COUNTY (Gibson County) brings her own streak into the Davona Dale,
taking an allowance at Churchill Downs in late November before adding the
Sunshine Millions Oaks to her line last out. The front-running miss will share
top-weight duties of 119 pounds with the top two, as will Sunshine Millions Oaks
runner-up ROBBIE’S GAL (Straight Man).
J Z WARRIOR (Harlan’s Holiday) and INFORMED DECISION (Monarchos) will get a
slight break in their stakes debut, having to only tote 115 pounds. The former
lass was a 10-length maiden winner at Saratoga last July, and returned off that
one to take a Gulfstream allowance by a nose on February 2. Informed Decision
captured her maiden debut by 6 1/2 lengths on January 3, and just missed to J Z
Warrior in that allowance last out.
Bsharpsonata drew the rail post, and to her outside will be Informed
Decision, Rene Douglas; American County, Edgar Prado; Game Face; J Z Warrior,
Kent Desormeaux; and Robbie’s Gal, Jorge Chavez.