Stakes winners Majestic Venezuela and Vive Veuve both will bring perfect records over the Gulfstream Park turf course into the track’s $95,000 Cellars Shiraz on Friday.
The race for 3-year-old fillies will be run over 1 1/16 miles on the grass. A full field of 12 is set for the stakes, which goes as the 10th and final race. Gulfstream is moving its regular first post to 12 p.m. Eastern beginning with the Friday card.
Majestic Venezuela is 2 for 2 over the local lawn, among her wins the Miss Gracie at a mile Aug. 3. She’s made one start since, finishing second in the Ginger Punch, which was moved from turf to Tapeta. There is little chance for precipitation Friday.
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“She’s coming back to the grass and she’s never lost on the grass,” trainer Victor Barboza Jr. said. “And the last race, she ran against older fillies and mares, 4- and 5-year-olds. Now, it’s only 3-year-olds. That’s very important.”
Leonel Reyes has the mount from post 4 for Orlyana Farm. Majestic Venezuela could get a stalking trip.
“I like the [post] position,” Barboza said. “I think three, four fillies in the race are very fast. My filly will run in the middle in the group.”
Vive Veuve was third in the Grade 2 Music City at Kentucky Downs in her last start Sept. 7. She is stretching back out in distance off the 6 1/2-furlong race and will break from post 12 under Drayden Van Dyke.
“Turf racing, you’ve got to find a good trip,” trainer Jack Sisterson said. “I think you’ve got to concentrate on saving ground either the first turn or the last turn, so that’s up to Drayden. I assume he’ll break and drop in and try to save ground as soon as possible.”
Vive Veuve is also 2 for 2 over the local lawn, among her wins the Sanibel Island at 7 1/2 furlongs in March. She went on to run third in the Grade 2 Wonder Again at 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct and third in the Grade 3 Lake George at a mile at Saratoga. Vive Veuve began her career in Ireland.
“She’s been very consistent,” Sisterson said. “If you look at her form, she’s never been off the board for us. We’ve tried her over several distances and she’s competed well over them. You know, the mile and an eighth at Aqueduct was a little bit too far for her and the six and a half might have been a tad short at Kentucky Downs.”
Sisterson said there were a couple of different reasons to return to Gulfstream, among them the opportunity to race with straight 3-year-olds in the Cellars Shiraz and the Tropical Park Oaks in December.
“She likes the turf course and we’d like to take advantage of the last remaining 3-year-old races for her down at Gulfstream,” he said.
Vive Veuve races for Sterling Stables.
There is one other runner in the field who is unbeaten over the Gulfstream turf. Simply Striking, 2 for 2 on the local lawn, will be making her stakes debut.
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