BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Liberty Rings came three wide off the turn then overtook a front-running Mon Coquette at the sixteenth pole to win going away in the $100,000 Scandalous Act at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Trained by Nicholas Palmer for Teresa and David Palmer of Jupiter, Florida, Liberty Rings won at odds of 8-1 in a field of six 2-year-old Florida-bred fillies going six furlongs.
Liberty Rings also earned a $25,000 Florida Sire Racing Incentive bonus from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association. Capped at $1 million, the FSRI program pays $20,000 to the owner and $5,000 to the breeder of eligible Florida-sired, Florida-bred 2-year-olds who win maiden special weight, allowance, allowance optional claiming and stakes at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs in 2026.
Mon Coquette broke on top from post two and raced a length ahead of Colombina in second with Liberty Rings third on the rail through a first quarter mile in a quick :22.04. Colombina joined Mon Coquette on the lead after a half mile in :45.53 as jockey Miguel Vasquez took Liberty Rings to their outside turning for home. Mon Coquette shook free at the top of the stretch as Liberty Rings took second and began closing in, getting to the front in the final sixteenth to win by three lengths in 1:12.63 on the fast track. Mon Croquette was second, three lengths in front of odds-on favorite Hot Rod Honey in third. Boots, Colombina and Jost a Chance Yadi followed in that order.
Liberty Rings paid $19.20 to win.
It was the second stakes victory for Liberty Rings after taking the $122,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies on the turf as a maiden in her second start. She won the five-furlong Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies by a length-and-a-quarter on May 9 but could not repeat in the $222,000 Debutante (Listed) at Churchill Downs on June 28, finishing seventh behind winner Pierette.
“We threw the last race out because she just didn’t handle the track that day,” Palmer said. “This was really big, major for us to know that she’s back to form and going in the right direction.
“My plan when I spoke to Miguel [Vasquez] in the paddock was to try to get her engaged right out of the gate, but if she didn’t want to go up and take the lead then that was okay. Just keep her in the bridle and make one run in the stretch. I was very happy with that.”
Liberty Rings earned $59,400 to increase her total bankroll to $131,350 from two wins in four starts with a third coming in her first start, a four-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight won by Ford Roadster on April 19.
Nicholas Palmer as an agent purchased Liberty Rings for $27,000 out of the Camelot Acres Racing and Sales consignment at the 2025 Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale. She is by Awesome Slew, who stands at Ocala Stud, out of America First, by Uncaptured and was bred in Florida by Janet Erwin.
America First has two starters, both winners, from two foals with Liberty Rings her only stakes winner.
Scandalous Act, bred and owned by the late Gil Campbell and trained by Kathleen O’Connell, was the fourth and most recent horse to sweep the Florida Sire Stakes Series for 2-year-old fillies with victories in the 2013 Desert Vixen, Susan’s Girl and My Dear Girl, competing in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). She was retired with four wins and one second from nine starts with $341,806 in purse earnings.
— portions of this story were taken directly from a Gulfstream Park press release
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