BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Mythical has the graded stakes credentials but Sweet Ember and Tizasweetlady were both impressive in their last races as the three Florida-breds head into Saturday’s $125,000 Any Limit Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Six fillies are entered to go six furlongs with Mythical, Sweet Ember and Tizasweetlady running for respective shares of $25,000 included in the purse from the Florida-bred Incentive Fund.
Mythical won five of six races as a 2-year-old including a three-and-a-quarter-length victory in the six-and-a-half-furlong Adirondack (G3) in her third career start at Saratoga Race Course in August. That came after she had defeated males in the $145,000 Tremont in June and before she suffered her only loss of the year when fifth in the Grade 1 Spinaway going seven furlongs on August 30, both at Saratoga.
Trainer Jorge Delgado returned her to Gulfstream in October for the last two legs of the filly division of the Florida Thoroughbreds and Owners’ Association Florida Sire Stakes. She responded by winning the seven-furlong, $200,000 Susan’s Girl by nearly 13 lengths then won the mile-and-a-sixteenth, $300,000 My Dear Girl by two-and-a-half lengths on November 29.
A homebred for Arindel, Mythical was then given a two-month break before returning in the seven-furlong Forward Gal (G3) at Gulfstream on January 31. Uncharacteristically slow from the gate in the Forward Gal, jockey Edgard Zayas rushed Mythical to a half-length lead after an eighth-of-a-mile while pressed by even-money favorite On Time Girl and Imperatrice to her outside. She remained in front until the five-sixteenths pole then dropped back at the top of the stretch, finishing a well-beaten fifth.
By St Patrick’s Day out of Lailoni, by Brethren, Mythical has now won five of seven career starts with earnings of $545,115.
Zayas returns to ride in the Any Limit and they have drawn post five.
Eddie Plesa Jr. trains Sweet Ember, a winner of her last two races from three career starts, all at Gulfstream.
She was most imposing going six furlongs in her most recent race on February 26, winning by nine-and-a-half lengths against Florida-bred allowance fillies. In her second career start on January 15, she won by a length-and-three-quarters in a maiden $50,000 optional claiming going five furlongs on synthetic.
Owned by Leon Ellman, Glassman Racing and Laurie Plesa, Sweet Ember has earned $71,700 in her three starts.
Her owners bought her for $380,000 out of the Tom McCrocklin consignment at last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale. She is a two-time graduate of OBS, having also sold for $36,000 to Mustang Farms out of Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield consignment at the 2024 October Yearling Sale.
She is by Mitole out of Sadie Be Good, by Big Drama and was bred in Florida by George and Karen Russell’s Rustlewood Farm located in Reddick. She is a half-sister to multiple stakes-placed Cairama and stakes-placed Florida-bred Maverama.
Plesa has given the riding assignment to her regular rider, Jose Morelos and they have post two.
Tizasweetlady also exits a victory against Florida-bred allowance fillies.
Going five-and-a-half furlongs on synthetic at Gulfstream on January 30, she was fourth, a length-and-a-half off the lead after a quarter mile then steadily advanced to the front in the stretch to win by a length-and-a-quarter.
That was her second win in six career starts with a third and she has earned $61,350 for The Four Horsemen Racing Stable and Lady Lindsay Racing Stables. Tizasweetlady is by Sweetontheladies out of Tizablizzard, by Tizway and was bred in Florida by Four Horsemen.
Trainer Leon McKanas has given the return mount to Horacio Karamanos and they have drawn post three.
Rounding out the field are Dee’s On Dow with Micah Husbands up, Tyler Gaffalione rides A Fine Chardonnay and Hollen Drive has jockey Jorge Ruiz.
Return to the March 11 issue of Wire to Wire
