Eased in last month’s Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) in a performance well below par, Glorious Empire bounced back with authority on Saturday by leading 12 rivals on a merry chase in the $200,000 Ft. Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.
Left alone on an uncontested lead under Edgar Prado, Glorious Empire set fractions of :23.57, :48.13, and 1:12.57. Opening up passing the quarter pole, Glorious Empire extended his lead to four lengths in mid-stretch and crossed the wire 2 1/2 lengths in front of Qurbaan, who rallied for second inside of Hi Happy.
Completing the order of finish in the talented field were Inspector Lynley, Divisidero, Almanaar, Zulu Alpha, Doctor Mounty, Projected, Postulation, Blacktype, Quarteto de Cordas, and Mr Havercamp.
Covering nine furlongs over a good turf in 1:48.44, Glorious Empire paid a generous $17 for owner Matthew Schera and trainer Chuck Lawrence.
The Ft. Lauderdale served as a prep for next month’s $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) over 1 3/16 miles. The extra distance should prove no issue for Glorious Empire, who dead-heated for the win in the 1 3/8-mile Bowling Green (G2) and was the sole victor in the 1 1/2-mile Sword Dancer (G1) last summer at Saratoga prior to his flop over testing ground in the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs.
“We had a great campaign in Saratoga and went into the Breeders’ Cup pretty confidently, but was a little disappointed in our run there, but ultimately just didn’t handle the turf,” Lawrence said. “We took good care of him and this was the next target for us, as he keeps checking off the list for us, he takes all the credit.”
The Irish-bred seven-year-old now boasts a mark of 25-10-0-3, $966,227, and is four-for-six since joining the Lawrence barn.
In the $100,000 My Charmer (G3), Capla Temptress wore down favored La Moneda in the final furlong to post her first victory since the Natalma (G1) in September 2017.
Owned by Team Valor International and trained by Bill Mott, Capla Temptress won by 1 1/2 lengths and covered one mile in 1:39.08 under Joel Rosario. She paid $10. La Moneda finished one length ahead of the rallying Special Event in the field of 14 fillies and mares.
Capla Temptress now boasts earnings of $343,876 from a line of 11-4-1-1. Third in the Sweet Solera (G3) at Newmarket prior to her Natalma triumph, Capla Temptress had gone unplaced in five of her previous six starts, though she only lost the French 1000 Guineas (G1) by a half-length in May and ran second in the Lake Placid (G2) in August.
The Irish-bred in by Lope de Vega and out of the Dansili mare Mrs Beeton.
