Five-time stakes winner Lady's Island returns to Gulfstream Park Dec. 12 for the $100,000 Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3), a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares that the daughter of Greatness won last year by 6 3/4 lengths.
The race also will mark a return to trainer Georgina Baxter. Averill Racing and Matties Racing Stable's veteran mare has been shared by Baxter, Danny Gargan, and Gerald Bennett. Last year's Sugar Swirl score capped a five-race winning streak for Lady's Island, who won those five tests by a combined 32 1/4 lengths.
This year, the 6-year-old mare will enter the Sugar Swirl off a bit of a break as she has not raced since a rare off-the-board finish in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) Oct. 3 at Keeneland. That ended a stretch of 15 races dating to January 2019 in which Lady's Island finished in one of the top three spots.
Her connections hope a return to South Florida helps the former claimer bounce back. Lady's Island has won seven of 11 Gulfstream Park starts—with two seconds and two thirds thrown in for good measure. Since her return, Lady's Island has worked twice at Gulfstream for Baxter, including a Nov. 29 breeze in which she earned the bullet after completing three furlongs in :36:05. Lady's Island followed that move with a Dec. 6 breeze of a half-mile in :48.38.
After last year's Sugar Swirl, Baxter commented on the overwhelming early speed of Lady's Island.
"She's just a super-fast filly," Baxter said. "I knew there was a lot of speed, but I didn't think they were going to be as fast as her. They always say they have got one faster, but they have to be really fast to beat her out of the gate."
Lady's Island, who has had the lead at first call in 28 consecutive dirt races, could be tested early by the promising Golden Ami, who makes her stakes debut after leading at every call in her two starts: a six-length maiden win in March at Gulfstream and a 5 1/4-length allowance win in November on the synthetic surface at Woodbine.
A homebred for Ivan Dalos, Ontario-bred Golden Ami is a 4-year-old daughter of Goldencents —Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop, making her a half sister to Canadian champion and grade 3 winner Amis Gizmo, grade 3 winner Ami's Flatter, and stakes winner Aragorn Ami. Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 12, 2020, Race 6
Entries: Sugar Swirl S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Sound Machine (FL) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 5/1 2 2Lady's Island (FL) Emisael Jaramillo 120 Georgina Baxter 7/2 3 3Golden Ami (ON) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Josie Carroll 5/2 4 4Bronx Beauty (PA) Luis Saez 122 Anthony R. Margotta, Jr. 8/1 5 5Cinnabunny (PA) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Brad H. Cox 3/1 6 6Aunt Nadine (FL) Edgard J. Zayas 118 Michael J. Maker 4/1
