By Jill Williams
Winner of the GIII Vagrancy Stakes at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet in May, Haulin Ice (f, 4, Coal Front–She's Smoke, by Half Ours) secured her trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint with victory in Saturday's GIII Princess Rooney Stakes at Gulfstream Park, a 'Win and You're In' race for the championship in November.
The gray speedball hustled straight to the front in Hallandale, setting uncontested fractions of :23.01 and :45.50 with her ears flicking back and forth. She didn't stop, shifting into another gear at the top of the lane before powering clear to victory by 4 3/4 lengths while notching her second graded score. Never challenged, she got the seven furlongs in 1:22.80. Gulfstream local and MSP Nerazurri (Protonico), who at 40-1 chased Haulin Ice throughout, held second, while Colonial's last-out Tyson Gilpin Stakes winner Reputation (Bolt d'Oro) got up for third.
“Today, she was the speed of the speed, and she put up pretty easy fractions and then sprinted home,” said winning rider Edgard Zayas.
He continued: “She really finished out very nice. I know seven furlongs might be a little stretch for her, but the way she put up the fractions in the beginning, she really came home very nice.”
A private purchase for C2 Racing Stable, Paul Braverman, Miller Racing, and Timothy Pinch at Oaklawn in 2024 after she started her career going three for five for trainer Lindsay Schultz, Haulin Ice is conditioned by Saffie Joseph, Jr. Her six black-type wins under his care include five of her six most recent starts.
Saffie's Princess Rooney win was his third in a row. His 2024 winner, Soul of an Angel (Atreides), was named the Eclipse champion female sprinter after going on to win the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint for a partnership that included C2 Racing, part-owner of Haulin Ice. His 2023 winner, Three Witches (Into Mischief), was third in the Breeders' Cup.
“She's incredible,” said C2 managing partner Clint Cornett about Haulin Ice. “This little horse, we bought her out of Oaklawn. She's a little grinder. We couldn't be more excited for C2, Miller Racing, all of our partners. This is great.”
Now the leading money earner ever to be bred in Arkansas, Haulin Ice will attempt to follow the same path as Soul of an Angel. While she is not currently nominated to the Breeders' Cup, Haulin Ice is eligible to be nominated for $100,000.
“Back-to-back Rooneys and headed back to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint,” exclaimed Cornett.
Pedigree Notes:
After spending his first five seasons in Central Kentucky, Coal Front moved to Red River Farms for 2025 and the timing couldn't have been better for his introduction to Louisiana. The Stay Thirsty stallion is having a 2025 to remember with four black-type winners to date this year, including graded winners Coal Battle, Crazy Mason, and Haulin Ice on the national stage. Overall, Coal Front has six black-type winners from his two crops aged three and up.
Also one of 10 black-type winners for Half Ours as a broodmare sire, Haulin Ice is a daughter of the unraced She's Smoke, who was picked up at the 2015 Breeders' Sales Company of Louisiana September Yearling Sale for $9,000 by Eugenia Thompson, who bred Haulin Ice in Arkansas. The Princess Rooney winner was the mare's first foal. She has an unraced 2-year-old full-sister to Haulin Ice named She's So Coal and a Feb. 15-foaled colt by Yorkton. She's Smoke was bred back to Laurie's Rocket for 2026.
HAULIN ICE ($7.00) iced out the field in the $200,000 Princess Rooney Stakes (G3) at @GulfstreamPark. The 4YO filly earned her entry into the @BreedersCup F&M Sprint with this @LanesEndFarms #WAYI! @zayas_edgardo rode for trainer @SaffieJosephJr. @C2RacingStable pic.twitter.com/PlWavAUVNv
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 20, 2025
Saturday, Gulfstream
PRINCESS ROONEY S.-GIII, $200,000, Gulfstream, 9-20, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22.80, gd.
1–HAULIN ICE, 123, f, 4, by Coal Front
1st Dam: She's Smoke, by Half Ours
2nd Dam: Ready At Nine, by More Than Ready
3rd Dam: Nine Pines, by Pine Bluff
O-C2 Racing Stable LLC, Paul Braverman, Miller Racing LLC,
and Timothy Pinch; B-Eugenia Thompson -Benight (AR);
T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.; J-Edgard J. Zayas. $115,200. Lifetime
Record: 17-10-4-0, $958,650. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree
or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Nerazurri, 117, f, 3, Protonico–Beautiful Liar, by Candy
Ride (Arg). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Porta Pia Stables
LLC (KY); T-Angel Quiroz. $38,400.
3–Reputation, 118, f, 3, Bolt d'Oro–Final Reward, by Arch.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($170,000 RNA Ylg '23 KEESEP;
$135,000 Ylg '23 OBSOCT; $450,000 2yo '24 EASMAY). O-JR
Ranch and MyRacehorse; B-H. Steve Conboy Maple Lane
Farm (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado. $21,120.
Margins: 4 3/4, HF, 1HF. Odds: 2.50, 41.20, 2.90.
Also Ran: Vincey Girl, Claret Beret, Gallop d'Hermes, Ultimate Authority. Scratched: Mystic Lake.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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