Starship Jubilee made her move leaving the far turn and rolled to a 4 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream Park, recording her fourth stakes win from the last five starts. A nine-time stakes winner overall, the 7-year-old turf mare is in top form presently for owner Blue Heaven Farm and trainer Kevin Attard.
Luis Saez picked up the mount and the versatile Florida-bred daughter of Indy Wind completed 1 1/8 miles over the firm turf in 1:47.54. She left the starting gate as the 6-5 second choice among six distaffers and kept even-money favorite Magic Star boxed in entering the stretch drive before accelerating clear.
Starship Jubilee was exiting a wire-to-wire win in the Jan. 18 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf, her third straight triumph in the restricted event, and she captured the E.P. Taylor (G1) and Canadian (G2) in front-running fashion last fall. The pace was hot in the Suwanee River (:22.60 and :46.93), and Starship Jubilee had no difficulty reverting back to stalking tactics.
“Today, just to see her accelerate and win by open lengths, I wasn’t expecting that,” Attard said. “I thought it was going to be a dogfight to the wire (with Magic Star). I was pretty impressed with her today, no doubt about it. The last race, she was against restricted company so there’s a lot to be said about that. Today, it’s open company and she proved she’s quality.”
“What a perfect trip,” Saez added. “When I hit the stretch I had plenty of horse. She is pretty easy to ride.”
Magic Star finished a neck better than 9-2 third choice Tapit Today in third. It was another 1 1/4 lengths to Smart Shot, and pacesetter Kelsey’s Cross and Great Sister Diane completed the order.
A reformed claimer who was racing for a $16,000 tag in early 2017, Starship Jubilee has now earned $1,353,667 from 34-16-5-3 career record. Over the last 13 months, she hasn’t finished off the board from nine starts, posting five wins, three seconds a third. Ten of her career wins have come on Gulfstream’s turf.
Bred in the Sunshine State by William P. Sorren, Starship Jubilee hails from the unraced Forest Wildcat mare Perfectly Wild, who is out of Grade 1 winner Perfect Arc.
