After disappointing as a prohibitive favorite in her previous start, Haulin Ice made amends at Gulfstream on Saturday, leading throughout to register a 4 3/4-length victory over 41-1 shot Nerazurri in the $200,000 Princess Rooney Stakes. The Grade 3 fixture is the lone Breeders’ Cup Challenge race on the Gulfstream Park stakes schedule in 2025, and the win earned Haulin Ice a free ticket to the BC Filly and Mare Sprint.
Haulin Ice was ridden to victory by Edgard Zayas and gave trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. his third straight win in the event. Joseph captured the race a year ago with Soul of an Angel, who went on to upset the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar in her next start.
Joseph entered four fillies in the Princess Rooney but started only three. He scratched Mystic Lake, who proved a popular winner of the Liberty Bell Stakes earlier in the afternoon at Parx.
Haulin Ice had her four-race win streak snapped when finishing second behind Vincey Girl in the Sheer Drama Handicap on August 16. Haulin Ice carried 127 pounds in that race, seven more than the winner.
Toting a more manageable 123 pounds in the Princess Rooney, Haulin Ice sprinted right to the front along the inside, as expected, and was carefully rated on the lead by Zayas. She turned back a mild bid from Nerazurri approaching the stretch, opened a commanding advantage through the furlong grounds, and was never seriously threatened thereafter.
Nerazurri, who finished a distant third in the Sheer Drama, showed some surprising early foot to attend the winner for much of the trip. While no match for that rival, she held off Reputation by a half-length to prove best of the rest. The latter stumbled at the start and rushed forward upon recovering, but she lacked a sufficient closing response. Nerazzuri and Reputation were the only two 3-year-olds in the Princess Rooney lineup.
Vincey Girl, who benefitted from a lightning-fast pace to upset the Sheer Drama, was never a factor in her rematch with Haulin Ice, racing far back for the opening five furlongs before passing tired horses down the lane to be fourth. Claret Beret and Ultimate Authority, Joseph’s other two starters in the Princess Rooney, finished fifth and seventh, respectively. Claret Beret went off as the 8-5 favorite.
Haulin Ice, an Arkansas-bred daughter of Coal Front, surpassed $943,000 in career earnings after completing seven furlongs over a good track in 1:22.80. She returned $7 for her 10th victory in 17 lifetime starts.
“We were disappointed she got beat last time, but the weight, carrying 127 pounds, was a lot to overcome,” said Joseph, who was not in attendance at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. “Anything over 126 is serious weight, especially for a filly, and there wasn’t as much speed in the race as last time. We decided to separate the two fillies today and thank God they both got the job done. Haulin Ice is such an ultra-hard-trying filly, and getting a race like this on her résumé is great for her.”
As for moving forward to the Breeders’ Cup with an automatic berth in her pocket, Joseph was noncommittal
“We’ll talk it over with the owners,” said Joseph. “Obviously, she earned her spot, but last year, Soul of an Angel, with her running style, was tailor-made for a race like the Filly and Mare Sprint. Haulin Ice is a different type, more of a forwardly placed kind of filly, and it’s hard to win those types of Breeders’ Cup races with that style. We’ll see. She won well today. But this was the main target for her today. This was her Breeders’ Cup.”
The Princess Rooney was the third of four stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park that began with an eye-catching, 7 1/4 length victory by Wayne’s Law in the $75,000 Aventura for 2-year-olds going a mile over the main track.
Wayne’s Law benefited from a suicidal speed duel between the 6-5 co-favorites Road Forever and Strategic Answer, who softened each other up contesting a rapid early pace. The ultimate winner rated about four lengths off that pair under Marco Meneses before readily collaring the duo and drawing off decisively through the final furlong. Road Forever outlasted Strategic Mission to finish second in a scratch-reduced field of just four starters.
Wayne’s Law, who is trained by Amador Sanchez, paid $7 to win.
“We looked at the race and there were only two horses that had speed, so the plan worked out perfect,” Sanchez said. “Marcos made his move on the turn and they kept coming in the stretch.”
The two other stakes on the card, the $75,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint and $75,000 Ginger Punch, were originally scheduled to be run on the grass but ultimately had to be switched to the synthetic Tapeta course due to the weather.
The change in venue for the Umphrey proved a significant factor, with Asher’s Edge taking advantage of the surface switch to register a 2 3/4-length decision over Abir Caminos. A 20-1 shot on the morning line had the race been decided on grass, Asher’s Edge was bet down to 3-1 over the Tapeta, returning $8 while making his stakes debut for trainer David Fawkes. Edwin Gonzalez rode the winner, who broke alertly and stalked the pace from the outset.
Joseph notched his second stakes win on the card in the Ginger Punch after Leo Toro led throughout, digging down gamely in the face of several challenges, before holding off 2-1 favorite Starship Impulsive to register a mild upset. The win was the third in a row for the former claimer, who was also instakes company for the first time on Saturday.
Leo Toro was guided to victory by Micah Husbands and paid $8.60.
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