Davona Dale

Stonehedge LLC's homebred Fiona's Magic (f, 3, St Patrick's Day--Mollie's Magic, by Factum) was catapulted into the spotlight on a Saturday reeling from several pre-race scratches of major players in significant graded events. Gulfstream Park's GII Davona Dale S. presented by FanDuel TV, a Road to the Kentucky Oaks race worth $200,000 as well as points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale, was not immune as Eclipse champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Just F Y I (Justify) developed a fever Saturday morning after shipping to Gulfstream from Payson Park....

Three-for-three in her young career, Kathleen O. (Upstart) looks to extend her undefeated record in Saturday's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. The $275,000 2021 OBS April purchase will stretch out to two turns for the first time, having come from the clouds to break her maiden by a head over seven furlongs at first asking Nov. 21 at Aqueduct. This year, she's put up back-to-back wins at Gulfstream Park, first by a commanding 8 1/2-lengths in the Cash Run S. Jan. 1 and then by two lengths in the GII Davona...

Winngate Stables LLC's very promising Kathleen O. (Upstart) remained undefeated and stamped herself as a leading GI Kentucky Oaks contender with another impressive victory in Saturday's GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream. Backed down to 2-1 favoritism from a 9-2 morning line, the rail-drawn dark bay trailed the deep field of seven early. Up a spot into sixth following an opening quarter in :23.38, she was under a ride rounding the far turn while racing in between horses. Stuck in a little traffic approaching the quarter pole, Javier Castellano found...

A field of seven, including a pair of promising unbeaten 3-year-old fillies, will line up in Saturday's GII Davona Dale S. going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream. The rail-drawn Kathleen O. (Upstart) could be any kind after delivering impressively in her first two attempts. The dark bay rallied from the back to post a head-turning 8 1/2-length victory after an eventful start in the track-and-trip Cash Run S. last time Jan. 1. "You never know they're going to be this kind," Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said. "She had...

Eleven rivals will be waiting to take on recently crowned champion Vequist (Nyquist) in Saturday's GII Davona Dale S. going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park. The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine, campaigned in partnership by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and breeder Swilcan Stable, earned her diploma at second asking with a daylight tally in Saratoga's GI Spinaway S. Sept. 6. Second behind Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) as the 4-5 favorite in the GI Frizette S. at Belmont Oct. 10, she turned the tables on that rival with a two-length...

The 70 Beyer Speed figure Tonalist's Shape earned last time for her GIII Forward Gal S. score might have scared some bettors off of her and onto 'TDN Rising Star' Spice is Nice--who earned an 84 Beyer for her head-turning 12-length debut romp--but the Saffie Joseph, Jr. pupil proved plenty fast as she upped her record to five-for-five and continued her march towards the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks. A 19-1 debut winner for Juan Avila and Sabana Racing Stable Corp sprinting here last September, Tonalist's Shape was subsequently sold privately...

Robert and Lawana Low's $1.05-million 'TDN Rising Star' Spice Is Nice (Curlin), an impressive 12-length victress on debut, will take her first big step toward the GI Kentucky Oaks as a probable favorite in Saturday's one-mile GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream. A daughter of GISW Dame Dorothy (Bernardini), the chestnut was bet strongly to be 11-10 at the off debuting over track and trip Jan. 12 and did not disappoint, squeezing through a narrow rail opening on the turn and rocketing away to a powerful graduation. She has drilled...

The Green family's DJ Stable has privately acquired multiple stakes winner Ceci Valentina (Prospective) from owner/breeder Amalio Ruiz-Lozano and transferred the sophomore filly to trainer Joe Orseno. A winner of the FTBOA Florida Sire Susan's Girl S. at Gulfstream last August and the Juvenile Fillies Sprint S. at Gulfstream Park West in November, the dark bay was last seen finishing fourth beaten just a half-length in Tampa's Gasparilla S. over seven panels Jan. 18. "We just moved her to our barn this morning and want to see how she does...