HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Sister Troienne put forth another dominant effort at Gulfstream Park Saturday and to hear trainer Brian Lynch tell it, the best may be yet to come.
Sister Troienne, sitting second under Mario Gutierrez down the backside, roared past pacesetting Day to Day approaching the top of the stretch, then continued on for a 2 3/4-length victory in the $150,000 Sweetest Chant Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. It was her third stakes win of the winter meet at Gulfstream Park, and her fifth consecutive win overall after losing her debut on dirt.
Sister Troienne’s victory was the second of two stakes wins on the card for Lynch and Gutierrez, who three hours earlier had teamed to win the $155,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes with the 3-year-old colt Thousandsticks.
Sister Troienne’s victories have come at distances from a mile to 1 1/16 miles, but Lynch said he’s really looking forward to watching the filly stretch out even farther.
“I honestly think that’s going to be the flavor for her,” Lynch said. “She’s out of a Lemon Drop Kid mare [Dyna Passer] and I think the farther she goes, the better she’s going to be. That gives you a good feel for what’s ahead because you got great racing in Kentucky through the spring and Saratoga through the summer.”
One can only imagine the spring and summer being better than the fall and winter.
Sister Troienne, a daughter of Munnings, won her maiden and allowance at Keeneland and Churchill, respectively, last fall. Once down in Florida, Sister Troienne scored a three-length victory over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface when the Nov. 27 Wait a While Stakes was washed off the turf. She came back on Jan. 3 with a facile 1 3/4-length score in the Ginger Brew going one mile on turf.
“Every time she’s won, I think we still have something left in the tank; the races she won she has done it fairly easy,” Gutierrez said. “Today was a better test and she responded well.”
Gutierrez was able to get Sister Troienne into a stalking second, and was 4 1/2 lengths behind Day to Day, who under Edwin Gonzalez ran a half-mile in 47.56 seconds. Gutierrez didn’t even really ask his filly to run when she sling-shotted by Day to Day at the five-sixteenths pole. At that point, the race was over.
Spicy Princess, a 61-1 longshot, rallied from well back to get second, 1 1/2 lengths clear of Brat Pack.
Sister Troienne, owned by Woodslane Racing, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.76 over firm turf. She returned $3 as the heavy favorite.
“Very impressive, finished up in a strong time, too,” Lynch said. “When they turned for the run down the backside she looked the winner every jump of the race.”
Lynch isn’t sure if Sister Troienne will make another start at Gulfstream, or wait for a race like the Grade 2, $500,000 Appalachian at Keeneland on April 4.
“Honestly, I think she’s getting better and better with racing,” Lynch said. “She’s so relaxed down the backside, she’s just got such a big, efficient stride, when you ask her for run she just finds more.”
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