BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Halina’s Forte and Talkin Tipsy present a formidable duo for their four rivals Friday night at Prairie Meadows as the two Florida-bred sprinters figure to be among the favorites in the $50,000 Prairie Rose for fillies and mares going six furlongs. Halina’s Forte is the 5-2 morning line favorite for trainer Philip Bauer while Jon Arnett will saddle Talkin Tipsy, who is 7-2 in the program.
Halina’s Forte enters off a six-month layoff after winning four of nine starts, including two stakes, in 2024 for Richard and Tammy Rigney’s Rigney Racing LLC of Louisville, Ky. The bay daughter of Mitole won the $100,000 Ruthless at Aqueduct in February of last year and the $139,000 Galway at Saratoga Race Course in August. Her last win came on Oct. 30 against allowance fillies at Churchill Downs on Oct. 30 before finishing the year with a third in the $200,000 Cheryl S. White Memorial at Mahoning Valley Race Course on Nov. 25.
Out of Lunarlady by Yes It’s True, Halina’s Forte has won five with two seconds and two thirds in 12 career starts while earning $406,250. She was bred in Florida by Bill and Corinne Heilegbrodt of Houston and Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck of Williston, Fla.
The Vanlangendonck’s consigned Halina’s Forte at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Winter Mixed Sale where she sold for $130,000 to Woodford Thoroughbreds. Woodford sold her the following year for $250,000 to Chenowith Run Stables during the Fasig-Tipton July Yearling Sale.
(Halina’s Forte’s Yearling Video)
Halina’s Forte has post four and Tyler Bacon will ride.
Talkin Tipsy has more recent form including a win over the Prairie Meadows main track on May 10 in a five-and-a-half-furlong allowance race. Earlier this year, she was second to Florida-bred Great Venezuela in the $125,000 Lightning City going five furlongs on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 22.
Arnett claimed the 6-year-old mare for Kelly’s Racing LLC for $32,000 out of a second-place effort against second level optional claiming fillies and mares on Jan. 31.
Talking Tipsy is by Greenpointcrusader out of Tipsy Toes, by Got the Last Laugh and was bred in Florida by Jim Gulick. She has won eight of 31 races with four seconds and four thirds while banking $371,455.
Ken Tohill will ride Talkin Tipsy for the third time from post three.
Rounding out the field are Stone Cold Lover and rider Alfredo Triana Jr., Martin Garcia takes the call on Legadema, Faith Alone will be guided by Walter De La Cruz and Elvin Gonzalez will ride Charlee Mae.
Return to the June 4 issue of Wire to Wire
