When Stanley Gold saddled Sing Praises to win the $100,000 Dr. Fager Stakes, the first leg of the Florida Sires Stakes series at Gulfstream Park, the veteran trainer joined exclusive company in the annals of the series for 2-year-olds by Florida-based stallions.
By defeating stablemate Of Course by 1 3/4 lengths in the Aug. 9 Dr. Fager, Sing Praises became the 14th Florida Sires Stakes winner for Gold, tying him with local legend Frank Gomez. Sing Praises' triumph also gave owner-breeder Jacks or Better Farm a 14th win in the series that was inaugurated at Calder Casino & Race Course in 1982 and moved to Gulfstream this year.
Gold has entered Sing Praises and Of Couse in the $250,000 Affirmed Stakes Sept. 6. He has six overall chances in that race and the $250,000 Susan's Girl Stakes, the filly counterpart in the series, on the same card.
Sing Praises was a troubled second in his career debut June 29 before breaking his maiden with a 5 1/2-length romp at 20-1 in the $91,250 Birdonthewire Stakes July 12. Favored at 1-2 in the Dr. Fager while stretching out from 5 1/2 to six furlongs, the son of Hear No Evil posted a front-running triumph while outrunning his stablemate.
"He keeps impressing me because he keeps doing things so easy," Gold said. "When you think he might not have anything left you find out that he's not even near the bottom of the tank and he explodes for you. He has been doing that in his works.
"His last work was 58 and change (seconds) and he was just loose-reining it. When the rider chirped to him, he just took off. I don't know how good he is. He's good."
In addition to Sing Praises and Of Course, Gold has also entered Twotwentyfive A in the Affirmed, which includes a three-ply entry of Vespertini, Jaiden's Best, and Wayne's Way from trainer Kathleen O'Connell.
Jacks of Better and Gold will be represented by three fillies in the Susan's Girl Stakes, headed by Leap Year Luck, winner of the $100,000 Desert Vixen Stakes, the opening leg of the filly division of the Florida Sires Stakes.
Also representing Gold and Jacks or Better in the Susan's Girl are Standard Deal runner-up to Leap Year Luck in the Desert Vixen, and Awesome Ice, who has one win and two seconds to her credit in three starts.
In the Desert Vixen, Standard Deal got hooked up in a speed duel with the precocious Katie's Kiss and the two ran through a quick opening quarter-mile in :22.09 and a half-mile in :45.15. Standard Deal separated herself from Katie's Kiss at the eighth pole, but after enduring a rough stretch duel the filly did not have quite enough left to hold off her fast-closing stablemate.
"Actually, the race was even more impressive than if you just look on paper, because they were legitimate, hard fractions, and she held up well and was able to put away the one horse she was with and hang on for second," Gold said. "My other horse, Leap Year Luck, actually benefited by it, but that was not a poor race by Standard Deal."
Pinnacle Racing Stable LLC and Norman Stables LLC's Moment of Delight has been entered by trainer Bill Kaplan off an impressive maiden win Aug. 16. The daughter of A.P. Warrior opened eyes when she professionally made a three-wide bid from off the pace to take her career debut by 4 1/2 lengths.
"I thought it was a great performance," Kaplan said. "It wasn't unexpected. She has a wonderful mind, and I'm not concerned about the additional distance. I expect (Moment of Delight) to run well. Obviously it's a big leap up from a maiden race to facing these horses, but I expect she'll run good. She's very professional." Gulfstream Park, Saturday, September 06, 2014, Race 10 Gulfstream Park, Saturday, September 06, 2014, Race 11
Entries: Florida Sire Affirmed S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Sing Praises (FL) Ramsey Zimmerman 118 Stanley I. Gold - 2 2Vespertini (FL) Jose Arturo Gutierrez 118 Kathleen O'Connell - 3 3Of Course (FL) Edgard J. Zayas 118 Stanley I. Gold - 4 4Keyed for Speed (FL) Jocelyne C. Gomez 118 William P. White - 5 5Jaiden's Best (FL) Eduardo O. Nunez 118 Kathleen O'Connell - 6 6Rockinatten (FL) Jilver Chamafi 118 Ralph E. Nicks - 7 7Jack's Comprise (FL) Rodney Soodeen 118 Barry R. Rose - 8 8Wayne's Way (FL) Pedro Monterrey, Jr. 118 Kathleen O'Connell - 9 9Twotwentyfive A (FL) Abdiel Jaen 118 Stanley I. Gold - 10 10Bwana Dance (FL) Luca Panici 118 Joseph G. Calascibetta - 11 11Boozin Time (FL) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 118 Wesley A. Ward -
Entries: Florida Sire Susan's Girl S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1I'm a Good Looker (FL) Jose Arturo Gutierrez 118 Kathleen O'Connell - 2 2Herecomesmisskitty (FL) Eduardo O. Nunez 118 Kathleen O'Connell - 3 3Awesome Ice (FL) Ramsey Zimmerman 118 Stanley I. Gold - 4 4Evelyn's Dream (FL) Jose I. Rodriguez 118 William P. White - 5 5Moment of Delight (FL) Fernando Jara 118 William A. Kaplan - 6 6Standard Deal (FL) Edgard J. Zayas 118 Stanley I. Gold - 7 7Leap Year Luck (FL) Jesus M. Rios 118 Stanley I. Gold - 8 8Hangover Saturday (FL) Jose Valdivia, Jr. 118 David Fawkes - 9 9Holywell (FL) Orlando Bocachica 118 Jose Pinchin - 10 10R Sassy Lass (FL) Abdiel Jaen 118 Kirk Ziadie - 11 11Jamie's Dancer (FL) Rodney Soodeen 118 Barry R. Rose - 12 12Miss Amalita (FL) Jilver Chamafi 118 Teresa M. Pompay - 13 13Media Rules (FL) Pedro Monterrey, Jr. 118 Jason DaCosta -
