Anatomy is set to make a rare start on turf Friday at Gulfstream Park when she goes in a first-level allowance for fillies and mares at five furlongs.
She will start from post 7 in the field of 10.
“We have a better post position now than the last time she ran on turf,” said trainer Jose D’Angelo.
Friday is the first card of the Sunshine meet, which will feature the first two legs of the Florida Sire Stakes. The opening divisions of the first leg, the Dr. Fager and Desert Vixen, are Saturday. The Grade 3, $220,000 Princess Rooney will be held Sept. 21. The Rooney is a Win and You’re In qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
In her July 14 turf debut, Anatomy finished sixth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths going five furlongs at Gulfstream. D’Angelo believed she handled the surface, but had a trip that worked against her.
“When she ran on the grass last time, she was in post position 8 from eight horses and she was wide all the time – wide, wide wide,” he said. “So, now we have a better position to make her own pace.”
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Anatomy is a daughter of Liam’s Map, who gets a respectable 14 percent winners on turf. Anatomy has made one start since the grass race. She was second in a first-level allowance for Florida-breds that was moved from turf to Tapeta on Aug. 9.
“I think she has a pretty good chance to win the race,” D’Angelo said. “She’s training well. We gave her enough time for recovery from her last race. She’s ready to go again.”
Miguel Vasquez has the mount for New Horizon Farm and Los Samanes.
D’Angelo also will saddle Perilous, a maiden special weight winner last out at Gulfstream. For the effort, she earned a 77, this field’s best last-race turf Beyer Speed Figure.
“She won pretty well, got a good number,” D’Angelo said. “She’s a nice horse, first time against older horses. I think she’s going to run well.”
Perilous is a half-sister to Palace, a multiple Grade 1 winner who earned $1.5 million.
Leonel Reyes has the mount on the Gun Runner filly from post 2 for Tami Bobo.
Others of interest in a competitive race include Sparkling Star, who is making her first start outside of Peru; Bahamian Moon, a nine-time winner out of a mare who won 16 races; and Fay’s Rhonda Cares, a half-sister to Flameaway, a multiple Grade 3 winner turned stallion who earned more than $900,000.
Focus on 2-year-olds
The Sunshine meet puts the spotlight on 2-year-olds, which is evident on Friday’s nine-race card that has a pair of maiden special weights for juveniles.
Animated, a half-brother to multiple stakes winner Sister Lou Ann, debuts in the first race. The 2-year-old son of Tapit is part of a field of nine in the one-mile turf race.
Sister Lou Ann is a stakes winner on turf who has earned nearly $600,000. Animated’s dam, Granny Mc’s Kitten, was a stakes winner on turf who earned more than $300,000.
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Edgard Zayas has the mount from post 4 for trainer Joe Orseno.
The Sunshine meet stakes schedule is filled with opportunities for 2-year-olds, and trainer Carlos David said he has a pair of fillies targeting the $95,000 Hallandale Beach on Sept. 14.
His candidates for the one-mile race for 2-year-old fillies are Mom’s Martini, a daughter of Liam’s Map who won her debut last out, and Miss Mary Nell, who in her last start won a maiden special weight over 7 1/2 furlongs on turf.
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