Dynamic Holiday brings a three-race winning streak for trainer Graham Motion into the $150,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Gulfstream Park turf March 13.
George Strawbridge's Augustin Stable homebred makes her graded stakes debut for Motion off back-to-back stakes wins in the Tropical Park Oaks and the Florida Oaks this year, both over "good" turf courses at Calder and Tampa Bay Downs, respectively. This will be Dynamic Holiday's first try on the Gulfstream grass.
In the Florida Oaks at Tampa Feb. 12, the daughter of Harlan's Holiday rallied from seventh, splitting horses in the stretch to get home 1 3/4 lengths in front of Holidaysatthefarm, who also shows up for this 1 1/8-mile test. Dynamic Holiday held on by just a nose in winning the Jan. 1 Tropical Park Oaks.
The Herecomesthebride, which attracted a field of nine 3-year-old fillies, is the 10th race on the Gulfstream program with a 5:25 p.m. EST post.
Jockey Ramon Dominguez retains the ride on Dynamic Holiday, who breaks from the rail with top weight of 120 pounds. The Pennsylvania-bred bay filly began her current streak breaking her maiden on Polytrack at Keeneland in October. She has three wins and two seconds in six starts.
Glen Hill Farms' Holidaysatthefarm, trained by Tom Proctor, has placed in three consecutive stakes tries but hasn't won since taking an allowance race on the turf at Keeneland Oct. 20. The Florida homebred by Smarty Jones made a strong rally in the stretch to finish second in the Florida Oaks. Jose Lezcano rides.
Two others in here appear formidable: Excited, to be ridden by John R. Velazquez for trainer Todd Pletcher, and Forest Legend, trained by Vickie Oliver with Javier Castellano aboard.
Michel Tabor's Excited is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Giant's Causeway that has run well in all five of her career starts on turf, most recently finishing second by 1 ¼ lengths to the highly-regarded Kathmanblu in the Sweetest Chant over the Gulfstream course on Jan. 22. It was her third straight runner-up effort.
Excited won her debut on turf at Saratoga in late August and finished fourth with a wide trip behind Winter Memories in the Miss Grillo Stakes (gr. IIIT) on a yielding course at Belmont Park in early October. Winter Memories went on to finish second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IIT) at Churchill Downs Nov. 5.
Forest Legend, a daughter of Forest Camp owned by G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and St. George Racing, finished fourth in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf in her third career start for Oliver. In her only try this year, Forest Legend finished a good second as the favorite in a turf allowance over the Gulfstream course Feb. 2.
The winner of that one-mile allowance tilt, Lael Stables' Parting Words, is also in the field for trainer Barclay Tagg. The Artie Schiller miss broke her maiden in her previous start Nov. 14 at Aqueduct
Another contender is Ben Walden Jr. and Patrick Madden’s Triune with Kent Desormeaux named to ride for trainer Jimmy Jerkens. The daughter of E Dubai won an allowance race over the course on Feb. 13 after a good third-place effort behind Dynamic Holiday in the Tropical Oaks.
$150,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (gr. III, Race 10, 5:25 p.m.), 3-Year-Old Fillies, 1 1/8 Miles (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Dynamic Holiday (PA), R A Dominguez. 120, H G Motion
2. Excited (KY), J R Velazquez, 116, T A Pletcher
3. Holidaysatthefarm (FL), J Lezcano, 116, T F Proctor
4. War Prospector (KY), R Maragh, 116, J C Vazquez
5. Triune (KY), K J Desormeaux, 116, J A Jerkens
6. Sassy's Dream (KY), J R Leparoux, 116, K G McPeek
7. Mystical Star (KY), J Bravo, 116, C Clement
8. Parting Words (KY), A Garcia, 116, B Tagg
9. Forest Legend (KY), J Castellano, 116, V H Oliver
Dynamic Holiday brings a three-race winning streak into the Herecomesthebride Stakes.
Tom Cooley Photography