BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE (Edited)

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Silverton Hill Farm’s Wootun, an impressive maiden winner over Florida-breds three weeks ago, will step up to stakes company for the first time in his third start in Saturday’s $200,000 Affirmed at Gulfstream Park.

The seven-furlong Affirmed is the second leg of the $1.2 million FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds by accredited Florida stallions, co-headlining a 12-race program with the $200,000 Susan’s Girl for fillies.

Bred by Baoma Corp., Wootun comes back 22 days after graduating in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Sept. 27 where the bay colt opened up by six lengths at the top of the stretch and wound up two-and-a-half lengths better than runner-up Hawk, who also returns in the Affirmed.

 

Wootun had launched his career when he ran second by the same margin just 20 days prior while facing open company, also at six furlongs. Luca Panici, aboard for the debut effort, returns to ride from post 8 in a field of 11. They are rated as the 5-1 third choice on the morning line in a wide-open field of 11.

“It’s a little short back for this race. Ideally I’d like to have another week or two, just because, in my personal opinion, it’s a little quick to run him back-to-back to back,” trainer Heather Smullen said. “But you’re dealing with what’s in front of you. The races are carded as such, and you just have to take what options you have. He’s always been professional; he’s always had a good brain. He has gotten a little bit cheekier since he’s ran. If I didn’t like something about him, I wouldn’t run him. But he’s doing really well and we’ll take a shot.”

It will be the first FSS starter for the 43-year-old Smullen, who is certainly no stranger to the series. She worked as a longtime assistant to retired trainer Ralph Nicks, an eight-time Sire Stakes winner between 2016 and 2020 including four straight victories in the Affirmed with Soutache, Garter and Tie, Liam’s Lucky Charm and Breeze on By starting in 2017.

Also during their time together Smullen, who registered her first career training victory May 30, 2024 at Gulfstream, was the regular morning rider for Caledonia Road, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2017. Other stops as an assistant came with Barclay Tagg, for whom she breezed 2020 Florida Derby (G1), Belmont (G1) and Travers (G1)-winner Tiz the Law, and Dale Romans. When Romans sent Promises Fulfilled to the 2019 Golden Shaheen (G1) in Dubai, Smullen went with the Grade 1-winning millionaire.

“They’re all cool horses. It’s hard to say this one was my favorite, or that one. Caledonia Road was a champion that I got on all the time that I really enjoyed. She was just neat,” Smullen said. “Tiz the Law was impressive. I just [breezed] him but he had a great turn of foot and he’s turned out to be a very good sire. I took Promises Fulfilled to Dubai for Dale. That horse had the best personality. I’ve been very lucky to be around a lot of very good horses.”

Smullen is still chasing her first career stakes victory. She has won with five of 21 starters during the Sunshine Meet which began Sept. 5, ranking in the top 10 for wins. She went seven-for-78 during the preceding Royal Palm Meet including a maiden triumph with 2-year-old Florida-bred filly Bayou Brigid, most recently sixth in the $150,000 P. G. Johnson on the Saratoga turf on Aug. 27.

“There’s pressure going into any races. You want all of them to run well, regardless. You want to take them over there in the best shape you can,” Smullen said. “You always want to get better horses and have more options to be able to step up and go other places. We took a handful of horses to Saratoga and we needed a different type of horse to go there. Ideally you want to move up to the point where you have stock that can compete anywhere.”

Wootun is one of six newcomers in the Affirmed along with the second through sixth-place finishers from the $100,000 Dr. Fager, the six-furlong first leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes on Sept. 6. Dr. Fager-winner Fourth and Central was forced to miss this race with a minor setback but is being pointed to the Nov. 29 series finale, the $300,000 In Reality.

“We don’t know if he wants to go seven-eighths, but we’re going to find out. He isn’t a need-the-lead type, he’s just naturally fast enough to be there. So, you might as well let him be where he’s comfortable and if someone wants to go faster than he does, that’s okay, too,” Smullen said. “Anytime you have 2-year-olds you have to play the break and see what happens and see where that puts you. If you try to plan stuff out in those types of races, all the best-laid plans [don’t] matter if they don’t come out of the gate when they’re supposed to.”

Return to the October 17 issue of Wire to Wire