by Jeremy Plonk
October 17, 2023
The middle round of this year’s Florida Sire Stakes series will be unveiled Saturday at Gulfstream Park with the $200,000 Affirmed division for the colts and the $200,000 Susan’s Girl for the fillies. These races follow August’s FSS opening round with the Dr. Fager and Sharp Susan.
For more coverage on Saturday’s Affirmed division for the colts, check out our Race of Week analysis available Wednesday.
Let’s meet the contenders for the 7-furlong Susan’s Girl (post time 4:17 pm ET):
#1-Bucchera (Edgar Perez / Mike Maker)
Daughter to elite turf sprinter Bucchero must show her better form on Tapeta and turf can overcome her lone poor effort on dirt to date. With four career starts, she’s second-most experienced in the field, but stretches out from 5-1/2 furlongs to 7 furlongs.
#2-Mist (Emisael Jaramillo / Juan Alvarado)
Nose runner-up in the FSS Desert Vixen has a field-high five starts under her belt for foundation, including a 6-1/2 furlong maiden victory on August. Rocky run through the stretch last time when coming up just short. Connections won last year’s Susan’s Girl with fellow Brethren filly Lynx.
#3-Reina Mar (Miguel Vasquez / Roderick Rodriguez)
Maiden rallied last-to-fourth in her only start, a September 3 state-bred maiden special weight behind return rival Unrelentless. Must make up 5-1/2 lengths on that rival and take on new challenges.
#4-Haunted (Hector Diaz / Juan Alvarado)
One of four Khozan fillies in the lineup, she debuted a distant second behind return rival R Harper Rose in a local Aug. 5 maiden special weight sprint vs. open company. Trainer won this race last year with Lynx.
#5-Kity’s Pretty (Leonel Reyes / Ralph Nicks)
Smashing, open-company debut winner in June didn’t step forward in the Susan’s Girl (also vs. open company) when a disappointing seventh at well-backed odds of 5-2. Nicks will add blinkers on the Khozan filly in hopes of shaking things up, while also dropping in class to face state-breds.
#6-Dancing N Dixie (Marcos Meneses / Mark Casse)
Third-start maiden breaker did so when extending around two turns and switching to the Tapeta on October 1. She’s back 20 days later with a return to dirt sprinting, where she was an unthreatening fourth and fifth in two previous tries.
#7-Fields of Green (Jose Morelos / Ralph Nicks)
Uncoupled stablemate of Kitty’s Pretty, this Adios Charlie filly outran her 26-1 odds last out in the FSS Desert Vixen to finish a close-up fourth. Wired a maiden claimer prior to that on a sloppy track and was able to make the lead most recently on fast footing. She’ll take them as far as she can stretching to 7 furlongs.
#8-Unrelentless (Luca Panici / David Fawkes)
Rallying debut winner Sept. 3 over 6 furlongs, she scored a half-length win over fellow state-breds witj an 11-1 surprise. Running style and pedigree suggest the 7 furlongs should suit this daughter of The Big Beast, hero of the G1 King’s Bishop in 2014 over this trip.
#9-Welcome Back (Edwin Gonzalez / Jose D’Angelo)
The Desert Vixen winner to open the FSS series looks to add a third career victory without a defeat. She beat open allowance company on July 29 with a strong debut rally, then got up by a nose at 4-5 odds despite a troubled trip last out. The Adios Charlie filly should be rallying and one to fear late.
#10-Jazzin (Sonny Leon / Ruben Sierra)
$4,000 sales purchase rallied from last-to-second in her only start to date, a September 29 maiden claiming heat against open company. Gets a rider switch to Kentucky Derby winner Leon after carrying a 10-pound bug in the debut.
#11-R Harper Rose (Edgard Zayas / Saffie Joseph Jr.)
Unbeaten and untested through two starts, this Khozan filly has been up to the wagering hype so far. Bet to .80 and .50 in her first two starts, she responded with 6-1/2 and 5-3/4 length victories in open-company maiden and open-company allowance tests. She’s led nearly wire-to-wire in both and will stretch out from 5-1/2 furlongs to 7 with the big money on the line.
#12-Honey Dijon (Samy Camacho / Joe Sharp)
The lone shipper in the field, this Kentucky-based and Kentucky and New York-raced Girvin filly was a Saratoga maiden breaker on dirt on August 10. Since, she finished a close-up sixth on turf in the Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Two years ago, Outfoxed was the lone shipper in the Susan’s Girl and romped to victory off her Saratoga form.