BY BROCK SHERIDAN

A evenly-matched field of Florida-bred fillies and mares make up Saturday’s Sheer Drama at Gulfstream Park, headed by Charlie’s Wish and Flakes, two 3-year-old fillies who resume their rivalry after finishing first and second respectively in the $100,000 Azalea in their last start. The $65,000 Sheer Drama will be contested at seven furlongs and will also offer a $25,000 win bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association for contenders eligible for the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes.

Charlie’s Wish dominated the seven-furlong Azalea at Gulfstream Park on July 22, winning by four-and-three-quarter lengths after sweeping four-wide in the turn and running past frontrunners Trust Me and Flakes in midstretch. That evened the score between the two fillies after Flakes held off Charlie’s Wish to win the $100,000 Game Face by a neck over a sloppy six-and-a-half furlongs at Gulfstream on June 17.

The Azalea was also the first stakes victory in four solid efforts against added-money company for Charlie’s Wish, who was second to future graded stakes-winner Dorth Vader in the $75,000 Juvenile Fillies Sprint for state-breds at Gulfstream in October and second to Opus Forty Two in the $50,000 Gasparilla at Tampa Bay Downs in January.
The only time the David Fawkes trainee finished out of the top three in her career, she was fifth in the $150,000 Suncoast won by Florida-bred Dreaming of Snow in February at Tampa Bay Downs.

Charlie’s Wish is by Double Diamond Farm stallion First Dude out of Superior Sarah, by Werblin and she was bred by Three Gin Guys Stable. Owned by Royalight Racing LLC, Charlie’s Wish has won three with four seconds and third in nine starts while earning $188,540.

Leonel Reyes – Lauren King Photo

Leonel Reyes – Lauren King Photo

Charlie’s Wish has drawn post six and Royal Palm meet leading rider Leonel Reyes has the mount.

Like Charlie’s Wish, Flakes also has just one finish out of the top three in her career. She was sixth in the Grade 3 Forward Gal won by Red Carpet Ready at Gulfstream in February. She has shown she can compete at the graded stakes level however, having finished third, just two lengths behind winner Affirmative Lady in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on April 1.

In one start between the Gulfstream Park Oaks and the Game Face, Flakes was second to Imonra in a first level, $75,000 optional claiming going a mile on muddy main track at Gulfstream in May. Imonra went on to finish second in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks won by Crypto Mo in her next start.

Owned by BC Racing LLC, Flakes was bred by Arindel and is by Frosted out of Tell a Great Story, by Bluegrass Cat. She has three wins, two seconds and a third in seven starts with earnings of $188,030.

Emisael Jaramillo takes over the riding chores on Flakes after regular rider Edgard Zayas chose to ride Rosie’s Halo in the Sheer Drama.

Flakes will break from post five and is one of three Sheer Drama entrants not eligible for the $25,000 Florida Sire Stakes win bonus along with Race Day Speed and Chick’s Shadow.

Rosie’s Halo makes her first black-type start in the Sheer Drama after winning a first level, $25,000 optional claiming by six lengths in her last start going a mile at Gulfstream Park in April.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for Sean Defreitas, Rosie’s Halo is another with only one finish out of the top three in a racing career that span nine starts. The 4-year-old filly has three wins, three seconds and two thirds with earnings of $130,610.
Her two other wins include a neck victory against $40,000 optional claiming maiden fillies at Gulfstream in August of last year and against state-bred fillies in a first level, $25,000 optional claiming in December.

Rosie’s Halo is by Jess’s Dream out of Shackalou, by Shackleford and she was bred by Colin Mouttet and Paul Mouttet.

The bay filly will break from post two.

Other Sheer Drama entrants include Principia with jockey Anthony Thomas, R Adios Jersey and rider Edwin Gonzales, Race Day Speed with Luca Panici aboard, Restofthestory will be ridden by Samy Leon and Samy Camacho Jr. has the mount on Chick’s Shadow.