BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Stonehedge LLC’s Fiona’s Magic, who currently ranks 24th on the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 10 points, will try improve on her tally Saturday at Gulfstream in the $200,000 Davona Dale for 3-year-old fillies at a mile.
The Davona Dale offers 105 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 50-25-15-10-5 point schedule.
Fiona’s Magic and fellow Florida-bred Miss Sayely will also be running for an additional $20,000 bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, paid on a 50%-30%-20% scale if they finish in the top three in the Davona Dale.
Fiona’s Magic made her stakes debut and earned her initial Oaks points in her last race on Feb. 3 at Gulfstream when she finished second to Florida-bred R Harper Rose in the Grade 3 Forward Gal going seven furlongs. The daughter of Journeyman Stud stallion St Patrick’s Day has won half of her four career starts for trainer Michael Yates, including a maiden special weight by seven lengths going six furlongs at Gulfstream in her second career start on Nov. 19.
She then won a first level, $75,000 optional claiming by two-and-a-half lengths at Gulfstream on Dec. 7.
Yates will be trying to win the Davona Dale for the second consecutive year after taking last year’s version with Florida-bred Dorth Vader.
Also bred by Marilyn Campbell’s Stonehedge, Fiona’s Magic is out of Mollie’s Magic, by Factum and has earned $118,150.
Tyler Gaffalione will get the return mount and they have post four.
Miss Sayely steps on the road to the Kentucky Oaks with two wins and three thirds in seven starts including a two-and-three-quarters-lengths victory in a first level allowance race going seven furlongs over a sloppy and sealed track at Gulfstream on Dec. 29. In one start since, the Jose D’Angelo trainee was third in a first level, $75,000 optional claiming won by Gun Song going a mile at Gulfstream on Feb. 9.
A two-time graduate of Ocala Breeders’ Sales, Miss Sayely was first sold by breeder Beth Bayer at the 2022 Winter Mixed Sale where she was purchased by Tempo Dulu Investment for $32,500. She sold later that year at the Keeneland September Sale for $28,000 to Blue River Bloodstock, who subsequently consigned her at the OBS Spring Sale in April of 2022. There she was purchased by current owners Gran Chanito Stable and Soldi Stable for $50,000. Orange Racing Stable LLC has since joined the ownership team.
Miss Sayely is by Maximus Mischief out of Lady Halite, by Medaglia d’Oro and she has career earnings of $89,356.
Paco Lopez will ride Miss Sayely from post one.
Just F Y I, the 2023 champion 2-year-old filly, makes her first start of 2024 after winning all three starts last year including the Grade 1 NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juveniles Fillies by a neck at Santa Anita on Nov. 3. Trained by Bill Mott for George Krikorian, Just F Y I also won the Grade 1 Frizette over a sloppy mile during the Belmont at Big A meet in October.
The daughter of Justify has earnings of $1,317,750 and will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from post three.
Another strong contender is Leslie’s Rose, who is undefeated in two starts for trainer Todd Pletcher and Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm LLC.
The bay daughter of Into Mischief broke her maiden by nine-and-a-quarter lengths at Aqueduct in November and won a first level, $75,000 optional claiming by one length going seven furlongs at Gulfstream on Jan. 11.
Pletcher has given the riding assignment to Irad Ortiz Jr. and they have post two.
Rounding out the field are Whocouldaskformo with Jose Ortiz set to ride, Queen’s Martinie and jockey Luis Saez, New Diamond has David Egan named to ride and Julien Leparoux has the mount on Into Champagne.
