BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Since being claimed for $20,000 by trainer Laura Cazares for owners Road Trip Racing Inc. and Past the Wire Racing Inc. in March of last year, Florida-bred Fulminate has finished in the top three in six of nine races but has yet to break through for her first career stakes victory. Her only sub-par races in that span barn came off three consecutive slow starts in June, August at Colonial Downs and at Gulfstream in September.
The 5-year-old mare will try to get that first career black-type score Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs when she sprints five furlongs in the $75,000 Leinster Lightning City for fillies and mares, 4-years-old and older.
Fulminate is one of five Florida-breds in the Lightning City who will be running for an additional $25,000 in FTBOA Florida-bred bonus money to be paid to the top six finishers on a 60%-20%-10%-5%-3%-2% schedule. Florida-breds Boo Boo Kitty, Jordi’s Dream, Delta Charm and Awesome Pic have also entered with Awesome Pic having a “main track only” stipulation.
Fulminate is the second choice on the morning line at 3-1 and makes her first start since finishing third in the $115,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint won by Florida-bred Stone Silent going five furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 11. Since her last poor finish in a $35,000 optional claiming, starter allowance on the Gulfstream synthetic in September, Fulminate was second to Bedtime Story under the same conditions on Nov. 19. She then won an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming by a half-length going five furlongs on the turf on Jan. 1, both at Gulfstream.
Fulminate has a lifetime record of six wins, three seconds and two thirds from 22 starts with earnings of $261,867.
By Get Stormy out of E Built This City, by City Zip and bred by D’Oyen Thoroughbreds LLC, Fulminate is an Ocala Breeders’ Sales alumna who sold to QRF for $12,000 out of the Summerfield consignment at the 2020 October Yearling Sale.
Fulminate has drawn post nine and will be ridden by Carol Cedeno.
Trainer Kevin Rice has entered Boo Boo Kitty, who is 10-1 in the program and will be making her first start in 16 months.
A winner of the $100,000 Satin and Lace going six furlongs on the synthetic main track at Presque Isle Downs in August of 2022, Boo Boo Kitty was last seen winning an upper condition, $40,000 optional claiming in wire-to-wire fashion going six furlongs at Presque Isle on Oct. 12, 2022.
A 5-year-old daughter of Poseidon’s Warrior out of Seductive Lady, by Langfuhr, Boo Boo Kitty is owned by Rice Racing and was bred by Stonehedge LLC. She has a consistent four wins, two seconds and two thirds in 11 starts while banking $148,200.
Rice has given the assignment to jockey Pablo Morales and they have drawn the inside post one.
A homebred for Shade Tree Thoroughbreds Inc., Delta Charm has one win from nine starts with five seconds and earnings of $55,540 but ran perhaps her best race last out at Gulfstream on Feb. 2. Delta Charm led from the start but was caught in final jumps to finish fourth, just a half-length behind winner Admissible, in a non-winners of two, $50,000 claiming race.
Delta Charm is by Journeyman Stud’s Khozan out of Jim’s Lonesa, by Put It Back and is 20-1 on the morning line.
She has post four and will be ridden by Marcos Meneses.
Jordi’s Dream exits a neck victory going five furlongs on turf against special weight maidens on Jan. 19 at Gulfstream for owner and trainer Bertram C. Manchan. She has earned $53,490 in five career starts and is 30-1 on the morning line.
She is by Neolithic, who stands in Florida at Pleasant Acres Stallions, out of Tiz Worldly, by Tiznow and was bred by Ian Parsard.
Charlie Marquez rides Jordie’s Dream from post three.
Awesome Pic is 6-1 on the morning line and will try to win for the first time since July when she took an entry level, $17,000 optional claiming going a mile at Delaware Park. She looks to improve on her last race at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 3 when fifth in a second condition, $32,000 optional claiming won by Easy Come Easy Go going seven furlongs.
Robert Smith trains Awesome Pic and owns her with Richard and Wayne Kingston and Chico Owens LLC. She has the outside post 10 with jockey Daniel Centeno giving her first call should the race come off the turf.
Rounding out the field for the Lightning City are Howboutdemapples with jockey Daniel Centeno, 5-2 morning line favorite Just a Care (Ire) and rider Samy Camacho, Jesus Castanon has the mount on Covenant Lady, She’s My Warrior with Alonso Quinonez aboard and Play the Music with Antonio Gallardo up.
