The $250,000 Gallant Bloom Stakes was not in trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.’s original plans for his speedy filly R Disaster. But a couple of unforeseen circumstances not only put R Disaster in the starting gate for the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom, it also put her in the winner’s circle following her impressive and popular 3 1/2-length victory over the 27-1 Patricia Ann in the 6 1/2-furlong filly and mare sprint fixture Saturday at Aqueduct.
Joseph said he had originally intended to send R Disaster to Keeneland for next Saturday’s Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes, but after R Disaster suffered a minor foot injury shortly after winning a high-priced allowance/optional-claiming race at Saratoga on Aug. 20, the filly’s itinerary ultimately changed.
“She stood on a nail, we’re not sure where she picked it up, a couple of days after winning the allowance and missed some time,” Joseph explained. “We were never looking at this race [Gallant Bloom], but when it seemed to be falling apart a little bit, it made more sense to keep her here [in New York]. And it worked out.”
:: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports
Breaking from the inside post, R Disaster quickly sprinted clear, as expected, under jockey Jose Ortiz. She angled off the rail turning for home, shook off a minor challenge from Senza Parole upon settling into the stretch, quickly opened a comfortable advantage and was never seriously threatened thereafter.
Patricia Ann raced forwardly placed while saving ground from the outset and continued willingly to easily prove best of the rest. Sterling Silver out-finished the slow starting, rail skimming Impel to finish third.
The victory was the seventh for R Disaster, a 4-year-old daughter of Awesome Slew, who has never finished worse than second in a dozen career starts. The Gallant Bloom was the first graded stakes tally for the Florida-bred who suffered a couple of frustrating, near misses against Grade 3 competition earlier in the season in the Hurricane Bertie at Gulfstream Park and Vagrancy at Aqueduct.
R Disaster, who is owned in partnership by Averill Racing, Two Eight Racing, and Anthony Matera, completed the distance over a fast track in 1:14.78 (96 Beyer Speed Figure) seconds and paid $4.24.
“I thought she ran huge,” said Joseph who watched the race from his home base at Gulfstream Park. “She does well with almost a very minimal amount of preparation. She only had one work going into this race.”
Joseph said he would discuss the option of sending R Disaster to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint with the owners before deciding on when and where the filly might run next. Joseph won the 2024 edition of the race a year ago at Del Mar with Soul of an Angel.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.