Beach Party Bingo will try to become a triple-surface threat on Sunday, when she attempts to nail down her first dirt win in the ninth race at Gulfstream Park, a first-level allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares that helps close out the Royal Palm meet.
Gulfstream’s racing action resumes on Friday with the start of the Sunshine meet that continues into November.
The Sunday feature drew a field of eight, including Qualificata, who is a half-sister to champion Letruska, and Gallop d’Hermes, who is out of the Group 1-winning mare Vamo a Galupiar. Marshmallow Queen figures to get good support after placing in a stakes in June.
Beach Party Bingo is already proven on the synthetic and turf. She won her maiden on Tapeta in a two-turn race last November at Gulfstream and a few starts later, conquered turf in a Florida-bred allowance, again going two turns at Gulfstream. She enters Sunday’s test off a runner-up finish at this level and distance, beaten a neck while earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 87.
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“Last time was first-time dirt and first-time cutting back and she ran quite well from a Beyer perspective,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said.
“Hopefully she can run similar and if she does, she should have a chance.
“You always want to see them run a second good race on the dirt.”
Beach Party Bingo owns the field’s best last-race dirt Beyer. She is a 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride and the mare Malibu Princess, whose three career wins came in dirt sprints. Beach Party Bingo is owned by Kuehne Racing, which co-bred the filly in partnership with Justin Hart.
Drayden Van Dyke has the mount from post 7.
Qualificata is making a few notable moves. She’s back on dirt and back at one turn after routing on Tapeta. Qualificata should respond to the changes as she won her maiden by 8 3/4 lengths sprinting on the main track at Tampa Bay Downs.
Qualificata’s half-sister, Letruska, had her greatest success routing on dirt and retired with a record of 19 wins from 28 starts for earnings of more than $3 million. During her career, she was a multiple winner at one turn on dirt at Gulfstream. Fausto Gutierrez, who trained Letruska for much of her career, is the trainer of Qualificata.
Marshmallow Queen earned an 87 Beyer two races back when winning a $16,000 starter allowance at six furlongs on dirt at Gulfstream.
◗ The opener Sunday is a maiden special weight for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf and Super Sailor should get good support off a runner-up finish to Forged Steel in a two-turn turf race Aug. 11. Forged Steel is being pointed for a Kentucky Downs stakes, according to his trainer, Saffie Joseph. Bobby Dibona, who is closing out a high-percentage meet, trains Super Sailor.
◗ The third race is a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt and Joseph has a pair of leading contenders in One Sharp Cookie and Holiday Pay.
◗ The fifth race drew millionaire Tiz the Bomb.
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