A quartet of stakes worth a combined $550,000 served as the highlights of an action-packed Saturday card at Gulfstream Park.
Up first was the $125,000 Tropical Park Oaks for three-year-old fillies racing 1 1/16 miles on turf. Be My Sunshine, entering off a course-and-distance victory in a $25,000 allowance optional claimer, started at 8-1 under jockey Edgard Zayas but finished fast from behind splits of :22.81, :47.22, 1:11.19 to take command and hold off deep-closing Breath Away by a head.
The Saffie Joseph-trained daughter of Frosted completed the race in 1:39.94. Alpha Bella, Cairo Consort, Sun Bee, Implicated, Startup Mentality, Zipadoo, Riding Pretty, Speed Trap, Dolce Sopresa, and Personal Pursuit completed the order of finish.
In the $150,000 Sugar Swirl (G3) for fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs on dirt, Spirit Wind was easily best as the 3-1 second choice under jockey Jose Ortiz. Making her first start for trainer Carlos David, and her first start since finishing a subpar fourth in the May 29 Winning Colors (G3) at Churchill Downs, Spirit Wind led all the way to beat rallying favorite Intrepid Daydream by half a length in 1:10.58. She now boasts five wins and two seconds from seven starts at Gulfstream.
Olivia Darling finished third in the Sugar Swirl, while My Destiny, Bluefield, Napa Candy, and Magna Massa trailed the field.
The $125,000 Mr. Prospector (G3), a seven-furlong dirt sprint, went to defending winner and 19-10 favorite Sibelius. After battling for the lead through an opening quarter-mile in :22.44, Sibelius took over through half a mile in :45.00 and drew clear under jockey Junior Alvarado to dominate by four lengths.
The Jeremiah O’Dwyer trainee completed the race in 1:23.16, securing his first victory since traveling abroad to win the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) back in March. Sibelius was chased home on Saturday by Gilmore, Dreaming of Kona, Long Range Toddy, Great Navigator, Hurricane J, Howbeit, Winfromwithin, and Scaramouche.
The card wrapped up with the $150,000 Tropical Park Derby for three-year-olds racing 1 1/16 miles on turf. Not many bettors expected Souper Blessing to take home trop honors off a runner-up finish in the Showing Up S. over the Gulfstream Park Tapeta track, but the son of Temple City outran his 12-1 odds while switching surfaces, settling in midfield through fractions of :22.69, :47.46, and 1:12.20 before outkicking the deep-closing favorite Irish Aces to prevail by a neck in 1:40.53.
Edwin Gonzalez rode the winner on behalf of trainer Michael Trombetta. Boppy O, Anglophile, Ohana Honor, Smokey Mandate, Armstrong, Torigo, Legacy Isle, Mutaawid, April Fools Andy, and Eyes On the King completed the order of finish.
Racing continues on Sunday at Gulfstream Park with a 10-race card highlighted by the $100,000 H. Allen Jerkens H. First post time is 12:10 p.m. ET.
