BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Third as the odds-on favorite in the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Desert Vixen won by R Morning Brew last out, Win N Your In avenged that loss with a convincing four-and-a-half-length victory in the $200,000 Susan’s Girl, the second leg of the Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Trained by Carlos David and ridden by Miguel Vasquez, Win N Your In defeated six other 2-year-old fillies by accredited Florida stallions in the seven-furlong contest.
Rogue Diamond and jockey Leonel Reyes sprinted to a length-and-a-half advantage for the run down the backstretch while 3-5 morning line favorite R Morning Brew and Win N Your In raced in a joint second from a length-and-a-half back.
After a quarter-mile in :22.39, Rogue Diamond continued to show the way into the turn as R Morning Brew closed in on the outside and Win N Your In remained patient on the inside in third. Midway around the bend, Vasquez found an opening on the rail and sent Win N Your In quickly to the front while finishing the half-mile in :46.10.
Once clear past the quarter-mile marker, Win N Your In began to increase her lead and was never challenged in the stretch, eventually winning in a final time of 1:25.23 on the fast track. Longshot Kip the Distance battled with R Morning Brew at the top of the stretch before prevailing to finish second by nearly three lengths. R Morning Brew held on for third followed in order by Don’t Fool With Me, I’malwaysthinking, Rogue Diamond and Wiggle An’ Wine.
Win N Your In paid $6.80 to win.
David said weather played in part in Win N Your returning to win after disappointing in the six-furlong Desert Vixen on Sept. 7.
“It was the heat. It was really hot that day,” David said. “Some horses don’t handle it well and she’s one of them. She just doesn’t like it. I told the guys that as long as we have good weather, she’s going to rock it. And she did. Thank God for the good weather today.
“The initial plan was to go to the lead. Her best performances have been on the lead, so I told Miguel, ‘I would encourage you to go to the lead if you can get it and just kind of set the pace. But if they go, just stay back a little bit and let them do their thing and come around.’
“She does well taking back a little bit, too, and stalking,” he added. “I was a little worried coming around the turn because [Rogue Diamond] was stopping a little bit and I was like, ‘We’re going to get stopped.’ She’s gone to the rail before and she does well doing it, so we got lucky there. She drew off and she’s just great. She’s little, but she can run.”
It was the second victory in the Susan’s Girl for David, who also saddled 2022 winner Lynx. It was also the second for Vasquez after riding Princess Secret to victory in the 2020 Susan’s Girl.
Win N Your In started her career with a third against Florida-bred special weight maiden fillies at four-and-a-half furlongs on June 6 but returned a month later to win by seven-and-a-half lengths under the same conditions but going a furlong farther.
Win N Your In then won the $95,000 Sharp Susan by nearly five lengths on Aug. 10 before going in the Desert Vixen. She has now earned $218,950 for owners Troy Johnson and Maritza Weston while winning three of five races with two thirds.
Johnson purchased Win N Your In for $12,000 at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Winter Mixed Sale on the advice of Maritza Weston’s husband, Charles Weston. She was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield.
Win N Your In is by Ocala Stud’s Win Win Win, the currently leading first crop sire in the Florida. She is out of Hello Rosie, by Yes It’s True and was bred in Florida by Marion G. Montanari. Hello Rosie has six winners from seven starters including multiple stakes-winning Florida-bred Miss Auramet.
“[Hello Rosie] was a very, very nice mare and I sold [Win N Your In] early on,” Montanari said. “I guess I’m the breeder but I sure wish I still owned her.”
Montanari said the decision to breed to Win Win Win was based on the advice of Michael O’Farrell with Ocala Stud.
“I always go with Mike O’Farrell to see the different stallions he has and he knows my mares. Plus Win Win Win is a very handsome horse.”
