BY BROCK SHERIDAN
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL—Arindel homebred Mythical returned to Gulfstream Park Saturday to trounce her rivals in the $200,000 Susan’s Girl, the second leg of the filly division of the $1.2 million Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida Sire Stakes. In defeating a 10 other 2-year-old fillies by registered Florida stallions, Mythical set a stakes record, finishing seven furlongs in 1:22.95. She eclipsed the old mark of 1:23.05 set by Princess Secret in the 2020 Susan’s Girl.
Sent to the post as the 2-5 favorite in the Susan’s Girl, Mythical and regular rider Emisael Jaramillo took a different tactic than in her previous four races. Typically explosive from the gate and on the lead, this time Mythical started evenly from post 11 and Jaramillo allowed her to race fifth on the far outside, about three lengths behind the frontrunning, 45-1 longshot Drama. Drama led through the first two furlongs in :22.29 with Love Like Lucy a length back in second as Mythical tracked from fourth. Mythical began to advance around the turn, comfortably passing Drama and Love Like Lucy at the three-eighths marker then quickly drew clear under little urging from Emisael. She was four lengths in front of Love Like Lucy at the top of the stretch, six lengths clear at eighth pole then galloped under the wire to win by 12 ¾ lengths. Love Like Lucy finished second, a neck faster than Finding Strength in third. They were followed in order by Dare Greatly, Blazing Bridgette, Win Bet Only, Laigina, Sister Hustle, Drama, Flowko and Tizasweetlady. Social Storm and Stunning Sapphire were scratched.
“[To race in a stalking position early] was the plan in previous races but unfortunately we had the inside post and we had to go to the lead,” Jaramillo said. “Today was different. She was on the outside and she was able to follow the filly in front. She relaxed very nice. The plan was very clear and I knew when I was sitting [fourth] behind the speed, I would win the race.
“She’s very special, very classy.”
Mythical paid $2.80 to win.
“It was kind of our expectations,” trainer Jorge Delgado said. “Last time we were pushing it in the Grade 1 [Spinaway], thinking we were going to win. But we had a lot of pressure and it was a different class.”
In her only career loss, Mythical finished fifth behind winner Tommy Jo in the seven-furlong Spinaway at Saratoga on Aug. 30. That day she battled on the lead through blistering fractions of :22.22 and :44.54 before tiring in the stretch.
“I think [returning to Florida] was the right move for her after a strong summer; to come here and find herself again,” Delgado continued.
The Florida Sire Stakes final for fillies, the $300,000 My Dear Girl, will be contested at a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Gulfstream Nov. 29.
“I think we’re going to go there,” Delgado said of the My Dear Girl. “Against this competition, we’re going to try [two turns]. The ways she’s training and the way she’s feeling here in Florida, I think it’s a no-brainer for her.”
“She is so classy that she can overcome any difficultly racing over a mile,” Jaramillo added
Mythical turned heads in her introduction, breaking her maiden by eighth-and-a-half-lengths going four-and-a-half furlongs in the first race for 2-year-olds this year at Gulfstream Park on April 17. Delgado then sent her to Saratoga where she became the first filly since 1995 to win the $145,000 Tremont on June 5, scoring by three-and-a-half lengths after five-and-a-half furlongs. Mythical then earned her graded stakes credentials with a three-and-a-quarter-length score in the Grade 3 Adirondack racing six-and-a-half furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 3.
Mythical is by St Patrick’s Day out of the Florida-bred mare Lailoni, by Arindel’s stallion Brethren. Also a homebred for Arindel, Lailoni has produced three foals with Mythical her only starter. Lailoni has a weanling filly, Sonny’s Iris, by Colonelsdarktemper and was bred to Coal Front in 2025.
Mythical now has a career record of four wins in five starts with earnings of $360,750. Her 12 3/4-length margin in the Susan’s Girl is second only to Holywell in 2014 and Cascade in first division in 1985, who both won the Susan’s Girl by 13 lengths.
Return to the October 18 issue of Wire to Wire
