BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Edward Seltzer’s 8-year-old Florida-bred mare Bluefield ran to her 4-5 odds to defend her title in the $94,000 Musical Romance at Gulfstream Park Saturday, winning by three-and-a-half lengths with Drayden Van Dyke aboard. She won the Musical Romance last year by four lengths when it was run under overnight handicap conditions.
Mojave Desert set the pace in the six-and-a-half furlong Musical Romance with a one-length lead on second-running Cousin Kristi as Bluefield, Hihellohowareyou and Anatomy formed a Florida-bred triad in third from another length back.
Cousin Kristi took over from Mojave Desert around the far turn as Hihellohowareyou went three-wide to challenge for the lead and Bluefield saved ground behind them in fourth.
Hihellohowareyou took a short lead from Cousin Kristi to her inside coming out of the turn as Van Dyke took Bluefield widest of all to make her run. Those three battled down the stretch until Bluefield spurted away inside the final sixteenth. She won in a final time of 1:16.50 on the fast track.
Cousin Kristi was second, a length-and-three-quarters ahead of Hihellohowareyou in third, Imonra, Anatomy and Mojave Desert finished in that order. Athena’s Wisdom, Batucada and Florida-bred Olga scratched.
Bluefield is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and she paid $3.60 to win.
“I spoke with Saffie [Saturday] morning. He told me to ride her with a little bit of finesse and get a good tactical spot and not to be on the lead,” Van Dyke said. “That’s where I found myself. He told me to work my way out if I could. I couldn’t work my out until late, but it worked out really well. She came home with a nice kick.”
It was the second career black-type victory for Bluefield, who won the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes City of Ocala going seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs in December. She was also second to Olivia Darling in the Grade 2 Inside Information at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27 and second to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Yuugiri in the $100,000 Saylorville at Prairie Meadows in July of last year.
By Field Commission out of Imtheblues, by Pentelicus, Bluefield was bred in Florida by Ed Pendray and Edward A. Seltzer. Imtheblues also produced graded stakes-winning Florida-bred Beat the Blues and has four winners from six starters.
Return to the June 29 issue of Wire to Wire
