BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Winplaceandshow took control midway around the far turn but had to hold off a steadfast Permian Basin the last sixteenth of a mile to narrowly win the $88,250 Azalea Stakes at Gulfstream Park Saturday. It was the first career stakes victory for the Florida-bred Winplaceandshow, who won against five other sophomore fillies going seven furlongs.
Jockey Edwin Gonzalez had Winplaceandshow perfectly placed in third, two lengths behind fellow Florida-bred Flowko, who had clipped off a :22.49 first quarter mile while keeping three parts of length in front of Sorokin in second. Sorokin and Winplaceandshow went past Flowko with three-eighths of a mile to go before Winplaceandshow got the edge while three-wide coming out of the turn. Winplaceandshow putway Sorokin at the top of the lane when Permian Basin appeared on the far outside. Permian Basin tried to get past Winplaceandshow but settled for second by a head. The final time was in 1:24.41 on the fast track. Wander Woman was six lengths back in third followed by Sorokin, Flowko and favorite Late Night Text.
“She swapped her leads back and forth a little bit, I think she maybe wasn’t getting hold of the track,” Gonzalez said. “Other than that, when she leveled off, she dug in to not let [Permian Basin] go by. It was gutsy race. She showed a lot of determination.”
Winplaceandshow paid $5.40 to win while giving trainer Joe Orseno his second victory of the day.
He also saddled Florida-bred Ez Orb Not, a Breeze Easy homebred who won the eighth race, a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and older, by eight-and-a-half lengths.
“Watching the horses go down the backside, I knew [Flowko] was going to show speed. I actually thought [Late Night Text] was going to go with her. But when she didn’t, [Sorokin] went,” Orseno said.
“Then [Winplaceandshow] moved before her and I thought, ‘okay, maybe we’ll get away from her,’” he added. “When [Permian Basin] started coming, I thought, ‘I hope she didn’t do too much.’ It all worked out, but she had to fight hard.”
It was third consecutive trip to the winner’s circle for Winplaceandshow, who has taken four of five starts since scoring in a $50,000 maiden optional claiming in December. She took a first level allowance race for Florida-bred fillies on March 20 and was a seven-and-a-half-length victress last out in an upper tier, $75,000 optional claiming on May 10. She has won four of six career starts, all at Gulfstream, with one third. She earned $57,050 Saturday to push her lifetime revenues to $163,980.
“[Winplaceandshow is] a filly that we always thought had talent. She’s got six starts, four wins, so the proof is right there in her record,” Orseno said. “We’ll have to see where we’re going to run her next but she’s a lovely Florida-bred to have, I’ll tell you that much.”
Winplaceandshow is by Ocala Stud stallion Win Win Win out of the winning Distorted Humor mare Honey Talk and was bred in Florida by the late Brereton C. Jones. She is the first stakes winner for the productive Honey Talk, who has six winners from as many runners and eight foals. Honey Talk has an unraced 2-year-old Florida-bred filly, Starwin, by Win Win Win.
Honey Talk is out of the Grade 1-winning Stormin Fever mare Sweet Talker. Honey Talk is a full sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Perregaux and a half-sister to Grade 2-placed, stakes-winner Sweettapper, graded stakes-placed American Seed and graded stakes-producer Callista. Jones purchased Honey Talk for $50,000 in foal to Ghostzapper at the 2013 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
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