BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Tempo Dulu Investment’s Celestial Express tries to become the first Florida-bred winner of the $125,000 Via Borghese, which will be run for the 12th time Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Douglas Seyler, the 4-year-old Celestial Express is an upset choice at 50-1 on the morning line as she takes on seven other fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older, who will race a mile-and-three-eighths on the turf.
Celestial Express makes her stakes debut in her first race at the distance after all three of her career wins, one through disqualification, came at a mile-and-a-sixteenth this year.
She broke her maiden in May on the all-weather course at Gulfstream against $12,500 maiden claiming fillies and won a non-winners of two, $16,000 claiming on the grass at Colonial Downs on Aug. 29. She finished second under the same conditions and at the same distance at Colonial in her previous start on Aug. 16, but was later awarded first-place money when the winner was taken down due to a medication violation.
Celestial Express enters the Via Borghese off a seventh-place finish after a difficult start in a $16,000 claiming going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass at Tampa Bay Downs on Dec. 5.
Her career record reflects three wins and a second in 18 starts with earnings of $82,695. Celestial Express is by Tapwrit out of Blue Angel Express, by Marciano and was bred in Florida by Karen J. Silva. Her owners bought her for $35,000 out of the Stuart Morris consignment at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Winter Mixed Sale.
Cornelia Hartsmar will ride Celestial Express from post three.
Alluring Angel (GB) tries for her second consecutive stakes victory at the distance after taking the Grade 3 Long Island by a length-and-a-quarter in her last start over the Aqueduct inner turf on Nov. 8.
The 5-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock (Aus) was also third at this distance two starts back in the Grade 3 Waya on the inner turf during the Belmont at Big A meeting on Oct. 5.
Alluring Angel is owned by Lawrence Goichman and is a winner of four of 13 career starts with one second and two thirds with earnings of $424,775.
She is the 2-1 morning line favorite and will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from post four.
Also set for the Via Borghese are Louise Procter with Edgard Zayas named to ride, David Egan has the mount on Madame Mischief, No Show Sammy Jo (GB) and jockey Jorge Ruiz, Irad Ortiz Jr. will guide La Mehana and Gallant Greta with Micah Husbands in the irons.
Return to the December 23 issue of Wire to Wire
