(From track report)Allamerican Bertie, a galloping winner of the Grade 3 Sabin Handicap her last start, heads a field of six fillies and mares set to go 1 1/8 miles in the $200,000 Rampart Handicap (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park Saturday.
Allamerican Bertie is owned by Elaine, Richard and Bertram Klein and trained by Steve Flint, the same team that combined for a Sabin-Rampart double with De Bertie in 2001.
The 4-year-old filly by Quiet American threw in one bad race at Gulfstream this year, which came on the turf in the Honey Fox Handicap in January. Allamerican Bertie tired to last in the 10-horse field but she apparently got what she needed from the outing. She followed with a draw-off win in the Sabin by more than five lengths.
Second morning-line choice at 5-2 is Dogwood Stable's Smok'n Frolic. Trainer Todd Pletcher sent the 4-year-old daughter of Smoke Glacken to Santa Anita for the Jan. 25 Sunshine Millions Distaff, and Smok'n Frolic whistled to a two and a half-length victory. That was her first start since she won the Grade 2 Cotillion on Oct. 5.
Smok'n Frolic shows a big win at the Rampart distance with her four and a half-length score in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct in 2001.
Trainer Carl Nafzger won the Rampart in 1999 with Banshee Breeze, who had been champion 3-year-old filly the preceding season, and sends out another strong representative in Jim Tafel's Softly. The 5-year-old mare ran poorly in the Sabin but figures to improve in her second start of the year. Softly has won two of five Gulfstream starts during her career, including her maiden score in 2001.
The field for the $200,000 Rampart Handicap in post position order:
1. Softly, Eibar Coa, 6-1;
2. Southern Fiction, Rene Douglas, 15-1;
3. Tuff Chick, Eduardo Nunez, 8-1;
4. Smok 'N Frolic, Jose Santos, 5-2;
5. Redoubled Miss, Cornelio Velasquez, 8-1;
6. Allamerican Bertie, John Velazquez, 4-5.
