BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Sean Defreitas’ Rosie’s Halo is set to make her first start outside Gulfstream Park Saturday along with fellow Florida-breds Frosty O Toole and Hashtag Lucky in the $100,000 Nellie Morse at Laurel Park in Maryland. A field of seven fillies and mares, 4-years-old and older, will go a mile-and-a-sixteenth in the Nellie Morse.
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Rosie’s Halo is also entered in the Grade 3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream Saturday where she is 20-1 in the program while the 5-year-old mare is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line for the Nellie Morse.
The Nellie Morse would be her third try against stakes company going back to a fourth-place finish in the $90,000 Sheer Drama for Florida-bred fillies and mares at seven furlongs and won by R Adios Jersey in August. She was also sixth behind winner Three Witches in the Grade 3 Princess Rooney going seven furlongs on Oct. 7 and was most recently fourth in the $150,000 Rampart won by Florida-bred Maryquitecontrary going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream on Dec. 30.
The Nellie Morse will be the first time Rosie’s Halo has tried two turns as she attempts to improve on her career record of three wins, four seconds and two thirds in 13 career starts with earnings of $156,957.
Rosie’s Halo is by Jess’s Dream out of Shackalou, by Shackleford and was bred in Florida by Colin Mouttet and Paul Mouttet.
Jevian Toledo has been given the riding assignment on Rosie’s Halo, who has drawn the inside post one.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Frosty O Toole will try to build on a four-and-a-quarter-length victory against second-level, $32,000 optional claiming fillies and mares going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on a main track labeled good at Tampa Bay Downs in her last start on Jan. 7.
The 4-year-old daughter of Frosted is trained by Mike Dini, who conditioned her to two wins last year at Tampa Bay Downs in her first four career starts.
She was then sent to Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher but returned to Dini after three unsuccessful starts in New York including two off-the-board finishes in the Grade 3 Gazelle in April and Grade 1 Acorn in June.
Frosty O Toole has won three of 11 career starts with one third while earning $109,175. She is out of O’ Toole, by Distorted Humor and was bred by Helen and Joseph Barbazon.
She has post six and will be ridden by Jeiron Barbosa for the first time. Frosty O Toole is 12-1 on the morning line.
Hashtag Lucky is 15-1 in the program and looks for her first victory since winning a second level, $28,000 optional claiming going a mile at Delaware Park on Nov. 2. In three starts since, her best effort was a third-place effort in a $12,500 starter allowance won by Xylophone over a sloppy mile at Fair Grounds on Dec. 2.
Hashtag Lucky is trained by Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon for Lugamo Racing Stable LLC. The 6-year-old mare has won 10 with eight seconds and eight thirds in 49 lifetime starts with earnings of $341,122.
She is by Speightster out of Bern Legacy, by Bernstein and was bred by Barbazon Racing and Bloodstock and Pedigree Partners.
Angel Cruz has the mount from post five.
The even-money favorite on the morning line and winner of last year’s Nellie Morse is Hybrid Eclipse for trainer Brittany Russell and owner The Elkstone Group LLC.
The daughter of Paynter won the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on Nov. 11 and the $100,000 Caesers Wish over a mile in July, both at Laurel.
Sheldon Russell will ride Hybrid Eclipse from post seven.
Rounding out the field are New Hire with Julio Hernandez named to ride, Charming Way with jockey Jaime Rodriguez and Tais Lyapustina has the mount on In My Opinion.
