Dynamic Holiday shifted off the rail in upper stretch and surged to her fourth consecutive victory in the $150,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Gulfstream Park turf March 13 (VIDEO).
George Strawbridge Jr.'s Augustin Stable homebred daughter of Harlan's Holiday registered her first graded stakes win, finishing two lengths in front of the rallying Mystical Star. The final time for the 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-old fillies was a strong 1:46.60 over firm turf.
Since breaking her maiden on Keeneland's Polytrack in October for trainer Graham Motion, Dynamic Holiday has recorded three straight stakes wins over three different Florida turf courses. The bay filly won the Tropical Park Oaks at Calder Jan. 1 and the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 12, both contested over "good" turf conditions.
Sent off at odds of 4-1, Dynamic Lady was ridden to victory in the Herecomesthebride by Ramon Dominguez, who was also aboard for her Florida Oaks win. Breaking from the rail, Dynamic Lady was taken in hand early while racing mid-pack in the field of nine.
War Prospector broke on top and settled into a pedestrian clip (:24.42, :47.95, 1:10.86) as Excited (the 5-2 favorite), Triune and Sassy's Dream raced in close attendance. War Prospector, with continued pressure from Triune, led the field to the eighth pole.
Dynamic Lady, advancing along the inside rounding the final turn, angled three wide in upper stretch and soon threatened the leaders. She took over near the sixteenth pole and finished powerfully, opening up a sizable advantage to win with relative ease.
"I was hoping she was going to put herself into contention because it seems like you have to be pretty close to the pace on the turf right now," Dominguez said. "Everything worked out perfectly. There was enough speed to set up her run and she was good again today. Her last few races, she’s really gotten good.”
The late-running Mystical Star, in her second start for trainer Christophe Clement, closed willingly from between rivals to get second with Joe Bravo aboard. It was 1 1/4 lengths to third-place finisher Excited and John Velazquez. Triune finished a half-length farther back in fourth, edging War Prospector by a head. Then came Forest Legend, Parting Words, Holidaysatthefarm, and Sassy's Dream.
After losing her first three maiden starts, Dynamic Lady has not lost since while compiling a 4-2-0 mark in seven starts. She earned $90,000 for the win and has now banked $232,575 in her brief career. Her maiden and Tropical Park Stakes victories were both by a nose but she won the Florida Oaks by a comfortable 1 3/4 lengths. She was not favored in any of her stakes triumphs.
The Pennsylvania-bred Dynamic Lady is out of the Dynaformer mare Dynamic Cat.
Motion said before the race that he plans to give Dynamic Holiday, with three starts already this year, a breather.
“I think that was her best race yet and she’s run some good ones," said David Rock, Motion's assistant. "The plan has been that after this race she would get a break, probably until summer.”
Carrying top weight of 120 pounds, Dynamic Lady paid $10.20, $6.60 and $4 as the third choice. Mystical Star, who won her debut over the course at nine furlongs Jan. 27, returned $10.40 and $5.80 and rounded out a $103.80 exacta. Excited, who snapped a string of three consecutive runner-up finishes for trainer Todd Pletcher, was $3 to show.