BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Already a multiple stakes winner in her young career, Teresa and David J. Palmer’s Liberty Rings attempts an added-money hat trick Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $150,000 Three Rings, a seven-furlong tilt for six juvenile fillies bred in Florida.
Liberty Rings was a gate-to-wire winner of the $122,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies sprinting five furlongs against open company on the Gulfstream Park turf in her second start, defeating Florida-bred Pros and Cons by a length-and-a-quarter on May 9.
Pros and Cons came back to win a maiden special weight by three lengths on the turf at Saratoga Race Course in her next start and is the 2-1 favorite in the Listed P. G. Johnson Stakes over the Spa’s inner turf Saturday.
Liberty Rings was sent to Churchill Downs for her next race on June 28, but the chestnut daughter of Ocala Stud stallion Awesome Slew finished seventh in the $222,000 Debutante (Listed), a six-furlong test in which trainer Nick Palmer said she didn’t handle the track. She returned to Gulfstream for the $100,000 Scandalous Act versus fellow Florida-breds on August 8, this time rallying to win by three lengths after six furlongs.
Bred in Florida by Janet Erwin of Belleview, Liberty Rings is out of America First, by Uncaptured and has earned $131,350 from two wins and a third in four starts. She was a $27,000 purchase by Nick Palmer as agent at the 2025 Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale where she was consigned by Camelot Acres Racing and Sales.
Liberty Rings has drawn post six and regular rider Miguel Vasquez has the return assignment.
Taking another shot at Liberty Rings will be Mon Coquette, who was second in the Scandalous Act for trainer Victor Barboza Jr.
A homebred for Vicente Stella Stables based in Weston, Florida, Mon Coquette and jockey Samy Camacho led the Scandalous Act for five-and-a-half furlongs before succumbing to Liberty Rings in deep stretch. Also quick from the start in her debut on July 18, Mon Coquette won by two-and-a-half lengths versus Florida-bred fillies in a maiden special weight going five furlongs at Gulfstream.
Mon Coquette is by Omaha Beach out of Starcloud, by Backtalk and has $58,800 in earnings from her two races. She is a graduate of this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale and last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale but did not meet her reserve at either auction.
Camacho will again be aboard Mon Coquette and they will depart post one.
Looking to keep an unblemished record alive is Blinkster, a winner of a $35,000 maiden claiming for fillies on the Gulfstream Park synthetic in her only start on August 29.
Blinkster is trained by Patrick Biancone, who owns the bay daughter of Leinster in partnership with Amy E. Dunne of Ocala. Out of the Omega Code mare Fancy Jack Pot, Blinkster was a $2,000 purchase by Leinster partners at last year’s OBS October Yearling Sale where she was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield.
J.G. Torrealba has the call on Blinkster from post four.
Completing the field are R Island Jewel with Rasheed Hughes taking the riding assignment, R One Way teams with jockey Nik Juarez and Boots with Diego Herrera in the irons.
Return to the September 3 issue of Wire to Wire
