BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE (Edited)
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Palm Beach Racing’s 4-year-old Florida homebred Miss Mary Nell, beaten a neck when second to Turino two starts back, will have the benefit of more distance as she attempts to avenge that result in Saturday’s $100,000 Powder Break at Gulfstream Park.
The Powder Break for fillies and mares 3-years-old and older, is scheduled for a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass and headlines a three-day weekend punctuated by first of eight consecutive Monday programs to close the Royal Palm Meet.
By Girvin, Miss Mary Nell is out of the It’s No Joke mare Tempest’s Flash, who earned her lone win on the grass and ran fourth in the 2015 Powder Break. Miss Mary Nell is a half-sister to 3-year-old colt Ababajoni, runner-up in the seven-and-a-half-furlong Cutler Bay March 28 on the Gulfstream turf.
Though she has fared better on the all-weather course thus far in her career, with five wins, one second and two thirds from 11 starts, Miss Mary Nell was resurgent on the grass this spring. She was third by less than a length to multiple stakes-winning Florida-bred Souper Zonda in the $100,000 FHBPA Filly and Mare Turf on April 25, then was unable to hold off favored Turino’s rally when second in the $82,000 Monroe on May 16 – both contested at a two-turn mile.
Miss Mary Nell is winless in three turf tries at the Powder Break distance but was second in last summer’s $75,000 Martha Washington at odds of 14-1 behind another multiple stakes winner, Starship Impulsive. Sent off at 24-1, she won the $100,000 South Beach overnight handicap going a mile and 70 yards over the synthetic on the Pegasus World Cup Day program on January 24.
“Last year I didn’t think she really liked the turf,” trainer Carlos David said. “She was running better on Tapeta and then it just kind of clicked and she started running again on the grass. I’m happy she’s getting that turf form again.”
Miss Mary Nell was back on synthetic for the Little Miss Holly overnight handicap sprinting five-and-a-half furlongs June 14, trailing the field early on before making a late run through traffic to be fourth, beaten three lengths.
“I feel good about her. She’s going to face some of the same fillies that she has been facing. I put her in the sprint race last time because I didn’t want to give her 45, 50 days between races. Giving her a short race in between, it was kind of like a breeze,” David said.
“I knew she wasn’t to win that. She doesn’t have the speed to go to the lead going short, but she ran pretty good. Even though she couldn’t keep up, she was closing at the end,” he added. “That kept her in form and now we’re looking forward to this race going long again. She’s training good and I think she’ll run good.”
Leonel Reyes, who has a win, two seconds and a third in four tries aboard Miss Mary Nell, rides back from post three in a field of 10. Reyes won six races over the Fourth of July holiday weekend including a hat trick July 3.
Carrie Brogden and Circle N Thoroughbreds’ Turino takes a two-race win streak into the Powder Break, having won a first condition, $25,000 optional claiming at the course and distance on April 18 after losing by a nose in a similar spot Jan. 24 to open her 5-year-old season. She has been favored in five of her seven starts since joining Royal Palm Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. last summer including a maiden win on the synthetic in June.
Turino has jockey Rasheed Hughes and will depart post eight.
Florida-bred Laigina placed in three Gulfstream turf stakes including the $85,000 Honey Ryder at a mile on May 2 in her most recent start. She won a first level allowance race going a mile on the turf versus Florida-breds on February 7 before traveling to Tampa Bay Downs where she was fifth in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass. She was then third in the $152,000 Sanibel Island (Listed) back on the Guflstream turf on March 28 before the Honey Ryder.
Laigina has won two of eight with two seconds and a third with earnings of $140,830. She is by Leinster out of Patriotic Brother and was bred in Florida by Diamond 100 Racing Club.
Diego Herrera has the call on Laigina from post six.
Also set for the Powder Break are Little Jaimi and jockey Nik Juarez, Micah Husbands rides Florida-bred City Minute, Hello Hello Hello will have Skyler Spanabel in the irons, Rajiv Maragh takes the call on Make the Boys Wink, Calathea will be ridden by Edgar Perez, Vincey Girl will have Edwin Gonzalez up and Miguel Vasquez takes the reins on Fantasy Performer.
Bred in Florida by Robert Williamson and Farnsworth Farm, Powder Break won 11 of 44 starts from 1983-86. After spending much of her early career in the maiden and claiming ranks, she evolved into an outstanding older mare with wins in the 1985 New York Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park and La Prevoyante Invitational Handicap (G2) at Calder Race Course and Gulfstream’s 1986 Pan American Handicap (G1) against males.
— Brock Sheridan contributed to this story
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