BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Second against fellow Florida-bred stakes fillies and mares at Gulfstream Park in her last race, Thiele Thoroughbreds’ Dreaming of Abba travels west to Santa Anita Park for Friday’s $100,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes. The Possibly Perfect has a field of nine fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and older, scheduled to go a mile-and-a-quarter off the downhill turf course.
Trained by Kathleen O’Connell in her previous 21 starts, the last 19 on grass, stakes-placed Dreaming of Abba will be trained by Leonard Powell in Southern California.
She produced a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure last out when second to Souper Zonda in the $100,000 FHBPA Filly and Mare Turf going a mile at Gulfstream on April 25. She was also close to a winning Souper Zonda against Florida-breds two starts back in the $100,000 Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf on March 29 at Tampa Bay Downs. She finished two-and-a-half lengths back in fourth with an 82 Beyer number.
Dreaming of Abba has been consistent in two other races this year with 81 Beyers, both at Tampa Bay Downs. She won a second condition, $32,000 optional claiming going a mile on the grass on January 6 and was fifth, beaten less than five lengths in the Grade 3 Endeavour at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on January 31.
The 5-year-old Dreaming of Abba has earned $206,725 from four wins, five seconds and four thirds. She is out of Stellar Strength, by Gone West and will be ridden by Cesar Belmont from post six.
Dreaming of Abba is listed at 15-1 on the morning line in competitive field that has Hey Jessie the 7-2 morning line favorite.
Hey Jessie tries for her second straight stakes victory after winning the $100,000 Santa Barbara by three-quarters of length after a mile-and-a-half on the Santa Anita turf on May 3.
Sean McCarthy trains Hey Jessie, a 4-year-old daughter of Grazen, who makes her fourth start in 2026. She was second to Vodka Vodka versus California-breds in the $175,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic presented by City National Bank going nine furlongs on January 17 and sixth, beaten less than three lengths in the Grade 3 Santa Ana going a mile-and-a-quarter on the green at Santa Anita on March 15.
Hey Jessie has four wins and a second in 12 career starts with earnings of $248,288.
Emisael Jaramillo has the call on Hey Jessie from post eight.
Philip D’Amato brings in Innovative, at 5-1 in the program, although her last two starts were eighth-place finishes split by a six-month layoff against graded stakes company.
After winning two straight in a first level, $80,000 optional claiming going a mile on the Del Mar turf in August and the six-and-a-half-furlong John C. Harris Stakes (G3) on the Santa Anita grass in September, Innovative was off the board in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss in October and Grade 3 Royal Heroine in April, both at a mile on the Santa Anita sod.
Ricardo Gonzalez takes the reins on Innovative from three.
Rounding out the entries are Watchtower with Welfin Orantes in the irons, Resolve and jockey Kazushi Kimura, The Mizen Queen (Ire) will have Hector Berrios up, Juan Hernandez takes the assignment on Ulysses Rose (Ire), Cailin Dana will carry Armando Ayuso and Kentucky Gal (Ire) has Antonio Fresu named to ride.
Return to the June 10 issue of Wire to Wire
