BY BROCK SHERIDAN
My Denysse wore down odds-on favorite Stunner in deep stretch to upset the $300,000 My Dear Girl, the final leg of the filly division of the $1.2 million Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida Sire Stakes, at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Winning for the first time in her career, My Denysse won at odds of 35-1 with jockey Jesus Rios aboard, taking the mile-and-a-sixteenth test against six other 2-year-old fillies by registered Florida stallions. It was the second biggest upset in the 43-year history of the My Dear Girl, after Consider Thesource won at odds of 52-1 in 2005.
My Denysse started quickly from post three but was taken back to third on the rail heading into the clubhouse turn. Stunner, winner of the $150,000 Tempted at Aqueduct in her last start; and $100,000 Florida Sire Stakes Desert Vixen-winner R Morning Brew, showed the way after finishing the first quarter-mile in a quick :23.32 as Rios allowed My Denysse to settle further back in the fifth, more than six lengths off the pace.
Stunner began to pull away from her rivals after a half-mile in :47.49 and around the far turn was three lengths ahead of Florida Sire Stakes Susan’s Girl-winner Win N Your In and R Morning Brew together in second with My Denysse beginning to advance from six lengths back.
Stunner turned for home four lengths clear while My Denysse went four-wide to take second from Win N Your In on the rail while Fede began to advance from between horses.
Stunner was still well clear past the eighth pole when My Denysse began closing in on the outside. My Denysse got up in the shadow of the wire to win by neck in a final time of 1:49.30 on the fast track as Stunner held on for second, seven-and-a-quarter lengths ahead of Fede in third. R Morning Brew, Bee a Queen, Win N Your In and Kip the Distance completed the order of finish.
“I felt the pace was fast at the beginning, so I decided to be at the back of the pack,” Rios said to the Gulfstream Park press office through an interpreture. “[She] allowed them to sprint and down the stretch [she] was coming very strong.”
“The horse was a maiden before the race but I suspected [she would] run a good race because a long time ago I said to the trainer, ‘this filly, with more distance at a mile-and-a-sixteenth, she will be running very well and maybe she will run this race.’ And she won.”
A homebred for trainer Ruben Sierra’s Just for Fun Stable Inc., My Denysse paid $72.80 to win.
“It’s the biggest win of my short career and I have no words to describe the feeling,” Sierra said.
“My expectation, I’ve got to be honest, was I hope I run second,” Sierra continued. “Stunner looked like a very difficult task. I was hopeful that the extra half-a-furlong was going to help us. I’ve got to give all the credit to Rios. When he rode her the first time he said, ‘This is the filly I want to ride.’
“All I told Rios was, ‘Good luck.’ He’s been telling me all along he was very confident going into the race. I was surprised that he was that confident, but I guess he knew what he had. He executed the plan to perfection. I can only give him a lot of credit.”
My Denysse’s best finish prior to the My Dear Girl came last out when second to Little Squeeze in a one-mile maiden special weight for fillies at Gulfstream on Oct. 20. She was fourth in her debut going five furlongs in June then third twice at six furlongs in July and August, all at Gulfstream.
“What we did was try to curtail her career for this target. [When] she ran the mile, she had a little bit of trouble. She actually lost a shoe in that race. We were very excited about this opportunity, until we saw Mr. Cox enter Stunner,” Sierra said. “She’s shown us that she wants distance. That’s why we targeted this race, and thank the Lord that we had the opportunity to win it.”
My Denysse is by Neolithic, who stands in Florida at Pleasant Acres Stallions, out of Sophia’s Pride, by Pleasant Tap. With the $180,000 first-place check, she has now earned $201,900 from one win, one second and two thirds from four starts.
Sierra purchased second dam Sophia’s Reward for $100,000 out of the 2005 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale then bred and raced winner Sophia’s Pride. With Poseidon’s Warrior, she produced multiple stakes-winning Florida-bred Warrior’s Pride and has three winners from four starters. She has an unnamed weanling filly by Do the Roar and was bred to Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Curlin’s Honor in 2024.
