BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Amanda Hernandez’s Willow Case heads a rematch of the three Florida-bred juvenile fillies who made up the Sharp Susan trifecta on Aug. 9 at Gulfstream Park. Willow Case is one of six 2-year-old fillies, five of which are Florida-breds, in Friday’s $75,000 Hallandale Beach Stakes going a mile.
In the Sharp Susan, Willow Case and jockey Leonel Reyes came from mid-pack to catch front-running Florida-bred Evolution at the top of the stretch and win by three-and-a-half lengths at odds of 27-1. Tessellate was second with Dakota’s Lil Auror third over a sloppy track.
Willow Case is trained by Ramon Minguet at Equels Training Center in Ocala, Fla., and has won two of three career starts. She won a maiden special weight for fillies by a neck in her second start going four-and-a-half furlongs at Gulfstream on May 1. She was outdistanced by future graded stakes-winning Florida-bred Mythical when fourth in her first lifetime start in April.
An earner of $86,360, Willow Case is by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic out of Pillow Case, by Drosselmeyer and was bred in Florida by the late Sherry R. Mansfield and Kenneth H. Davis.
Leonel Reyes gets the return mount on Willow Case, who has drawn post five.
Tessellate won the break as the 9-5 favorite in the Sharp Susan but dropped back to fifth on the rail around the far turn. Jockey Wilfred Vasquez then took her to the outside turning for home and she made a good run in the stretch to finish a close second with Dakota’s Lil Auror in third.
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Tessellate was a two-length winner of a maiden special weight for Florida-bred fillies going five furlongs at Gulfstream on July 19 in her only other start.
She has two bullet works coming into Friday’s contest including a four-furlong breeze in :46.60 at Palm Meadows Training Center on Saturday, the fastest of 66 moves at the distance that morning. She also worked four furlongs in :46.45 at Palm Meadows on Sept. 12, the fast of 25 that morning.
Joseph purchased the daughter of McKenzie for $170,000 out of the Paramount Sales consignment at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and she is now owned by a conglomerate made up of Magic Cap Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch, Castle Gate Farm LLC, Kuehne Racing and John Reinhardt.
She is out of Shotdowninflames, by Trappe Shot and was bred in Florida by Tim and Crystal O’Donohue’s Castle Gate Farm LLC located in Ocala.
Tessellate has earned $40,500 in her two starts and will be ridden for the first time by Edgard Zayas. She has post three.
Oliver Gray’s Dakota’s Lil Auror looked to be a threat while advancing on the rail in the Sharp Susan but was shut off by a tiring Evolution coming out of the turn. Jockey Jose Morelos found a seem on the rail for Dakota’s Lil Auror in midstretch where pushed through to rally in the final furlong.
Dakota’s Lil Auror won a maiden special weight for Florida-bred fillies by three-quarters of a length in her second start on June 20.
She is trained by Herbert Miller and has earned $37,220 in three races.
She is by Echo Town out of Mony’slittlegracie, by Alphabet Soup and was bred in Florida by Crystal Lanum of Ocala.
Dakota’s Lil Auror has post two and will again be ridden by Morelos.
Vita Mia is another to watch for Friday after winning her third last out by four lengths against special weight maiden fillies at Gulfstream on Sept. 6.
Trained by Armando De La Cerda for Stephen Screnci, Vita Mia produced a field high 71 Beyer Speed Figure last out and has since clocked a solid work at Gulfstream Park. The chestnut daughter of Engage went three furlongs in :34.30 Saturday, the fastest of 28 works at the distance.
Vita Mia is out of Distorted Sunrays, by Drosselmeyer and was bred in Florida by Ponder Hill Inc., located in Chrystal River, Fla.
De La Cerda bought her out of the Ordonez consignment at the OBS Spring Sale for $40,000. Jose Ordonez purchased her at the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale for $22,000 out of the Abbie Road Farm consignment.
Miguel Vasquez takes the call on Vita Mia from the outside post six.
Also entered are Florida-bred Triple Threat with jockey Elija Greenidge and Yolber Torress will guide That Police.
Return to the September 23 issue of Wire to Wire
