Kinsman Stable's 4-year-old homebred filly Sweet Symphony raced into the top ranks of her division last year, winning her first four races, including the Alabama Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga, before tailing off in her last two starts of the season.Trained by Bill Mott, the dark bay daughter of A.P. Indy returns to competition in Saturday's $200,000 Rampart Handicap (gr. II) going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park in her first start since finishing ninth in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) at Belmont Park on Oct. 29.
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While Sweet Symphony is the obvious class in the field of six fillies and mares entered in the 27th Rampart, it will be demanding to go nine furlongs in her first start in five months against several accomplished rivals with good recent form.
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Charles H. Wacker III's Oonagh Maccool, to be ridden by Rafael Bejarano; Ralls and Foster's Eyes On Eddy with Rene Douglas aboard, and David Hutson's Mocita, under Eddie Castro, each fit that description.Oonagh Maccool is an Irish homebred daughter of Giant's Causeway who won an allowance race by eight lengths Aat Gulfstream Feb. 11, going 1 1/8 miles in her first-ever try on dirt. Now trained by Todd Pletcher, Oonagh Maccool won her first two starts in England last year for trainer Marcus Tregoning at Pontefract and Sandown before finishing sixth as the favorite in the Soaring Softly Stakes at Aqueduct on a yielding turf in November, her last start until the Feb. 11 allowance romp.
Eyes On Eddy tried turf in her last start for the first time, finishing a non-threatening sixth behind Wend in the Honey Fox Handicap (gr. IIIT) on March 4, but returns to the main track where she established her credentials for trainer Paul McGee. A 4-year-old daughter of Touch Gold, Eyes On Eddy won over $200,000 last year, winning and placing in stakes at Arlington Park, Hoosier Park and Turfway Park. Prior to the Honey Fox, she won the Suwannee River Handicap here on Feb. 4 when that race was forced off turf and contested over a sloppy track.Mocita is a 4-year-old filly by Boundary who got good late last year for trainer Marty Wolfson, winning the Stormy Frolic overnight stakes and the Stage Door Betty Handicap at Calder on New Year's Eve. In one start since, she finished a good second in the Sabin Handicap (gr. III) over the track and distance on Feb. 18.Completing the compact field for the Rampart are George and Lindsay Bolton and David DiPietro's Classy Charm, Mike Smith; and My Meadowview Farm's Saint Kris, Rajiv Maragh.