BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Edward A. Seltzer’s Bluefield will attempt to win her second straight stakes Saturday when the Florida-bred mare breaks from the gate in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream Park. A field of eight fillies and mares will go six furlongs in the $125,000 Sugar Swirl while Bluefield, Magna Massa and Spirit Wind compete for an extra $25,000 win bonus for Florida-breds presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Bluefield won the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes City of Ocala going seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs in her last race on Dec. 9 for her second victory of 2023. The 7-year-old daughter of Field Commission also won the $60,000 Musical Romance overnight handicap, a six-and-a-half-furlong test for fillies and mares at Gulfstream on May 28 then finished second to millionaire Yuugiri in the $100,000 Saylorville at Prairie Meadows in July. She was then fourth behind winner Three Witches in the Grade 3 Princess Rooney at Gulfstream on Oct. 7.
Bluefield has won eight career races with three seconds and three thirds in 20 starts with earnings of $323,000. She is out of the Pentilicus mare Imtheblues and was bred by Edward A. Seltzer and Ed Pendray.
She will break from post one and Edgard Zayas will ride.
Florida-bred Spirit Wind will make her first start since May 28 in the Sugar Swirl for trainer Carlos A. David.
The Jacks or Better Farm Inc. homebred daughter of Double Diamond Farm stallion Bahamian Squall was last seen finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Winning Colors won by champion Echo Zulu going six furlongs at Churchill Downs after she won an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming at Gulfstream in March in her only other start of 2023.
Spirit Wind is out of Sacred Psalm, by Awesome of Course and has won four with two seconds in seven career starts while earning $261,490.
Jose Ortiz will be aboard Spirit Wind when she breaks from post eight.
Florida-bred Magna Massa will make her stakes debut in the Sugar Swirl after winning a non-winners of two allowance at Horseshoe Indianapolis going six furlongs on Nov. 9 in her last start.
Owned and trained by Heather Irion, Magna Massa has won two of 12 career starts with three seconds and three thirds while banking $68,945. She is by The Big Beast out of Offlee Sheikh, by Offlee Wild and was bred by John Grossi.
Reynier Arrieta will ride Magna Massa from post three.
Joseph will also saddle Intrepid Daydream for the Sugar Swirl in pursuit of her fifth consecutive victory, three of which came in stakes for Maryland-breds.
The daughter of Jess’s Dream most recently won the $75,000 Politely by five-and-a-quarter lengths going six furlongs at Laurel Park on Nov. 24. She also won the $100,000 Maryland Million Distaff on Oct. 14 and the $75,000 Shine Again at Pimlico on Sept. 16.
Intrepid Daydream has won seven with three seconds and a third from 13 career starts with earnings of $363,350.
Joseph has given the riding assignment on the 4-year-old filly to Tyler Gaffalione and they have post four.
Rounding out the field for the Sugar Swirl are My Destiny and jockey Edwin Gonzalez, Olivia Darling with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, Headland and rider Luis Saez and John Velazquez rides Napa Candy.
