BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Spirited Boss, a winner of the Grade 3 Monrovia over the Santa Anita turf in April and the $158,000 Sanibel Island on the Gulfstream Park grass last year, takes her coast to coast itinerary to the new Belmont Park for Friday’s $175,000 Perfect Sting Stakes (Listed), a seven-furlong event for fillies and mares on the grass. The well-traveled Florida-bred filly also returns to the Empire State for the first time since third in the Listed Soaring Softly at Saratoga Race Course in June of last year.
The Perfect Sting will be the second start off a 90-day break for the Jose D’Angelo trainee and homebred for Gary Randolph’s TAG Racing of Richmond, Texas.
Spirited Boss won the six-and-a-half-furlong Monrovia coming down the grassy hill at Santa Anita then had one other start over the course, finishing second to Florida-bred Queen Maxima in the $102,000 Mizdirection (Listed) on May 16.
She enters off a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Never Say Die Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Sprint on August 29, a six-and-a-half-furlong test on the unique course at Kentucky Downs in which she was fanned seven-wide in the final turn after racing last of 10 through the first half-mile.
Spirited Boss has five wins in 12 career starts with two seconds and two thirds and has $334,875 in earnings.
She is by Street Boss out of Spirited Town, by Stormy Atlantic and will be ridden for the first time by Many Franco from post five.
Epic Style appears to be the filly to beat as she comes into Friday’s race off two straight wins on grass, including a length-and-a-half victory in the $125,000 Sweet Briar Too (Listed) going six furlongs at Woodbine on September 19. Two starts back, she won a second condition, $80,000 optional claiming going six-and-a-half furlongs on the turf at Kentucky Downs on August 30.
Epic Style is trained by Michael Stidham for Speedway Stables and has won four with three seconds and two thirds in 13 lifetime starts.
A $300,000 purchase by Speedway at the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale where she was consigned by Hartley/Derenzo Thoroughbreds based in Ocala, Epic Style has since earned $311,815.
She is by Good Magic out of Final Mesa, by Sky Mesa and Antonio Fresu will be aboard from post two.
Also entered are Cupids Crush with jockey Julio Hernandez, Somnium will have jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., Civetta will have Javier Castellano in the saddle, Samuel Marin will have the reins on Fast Market, Oversubscribed (GB) teams with Flavien Prat, New Rose will have Umberto Rispoli up and Jose Lezcano is named on Wind Flower.
Return to the October 20 issue of Wire to Wire
