Godolphin sends out talented pair in G2 Miss Grillo

Godolphin will send out the talented pair of stakes-winner Quiet Street and debut-winner Rose Room in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf route for juvenile fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

The Miss Grillo [Race 8] offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on October 31 at Del Mar, and is one of three Breeders’ Cup preps slated for Saturday’s lucrative 12-race card, featuring the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne [“Win and You’re In” for the Juvenile] in Race 7 and the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette [part of the “Dirt Dozen” series for the Juvenile Fillies] in Race 6. The card is supported by the Grade 2, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational in Race 4 and the restricted $125,000 Discovery in Race 2. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

The international powerhouse’s Kentucky homebred Quiet Street [post 12, Junior Alvarado] boasts a perfect 2-for-2 record and enters from a one-length win in the 6 1/2-furlong Untapable on September 7 at Kentucky Downs.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the Street Boss chestnut duplicated the same impressive turn-of-foot she showed in her debut graduation, pouncing from five lengths back in eighth-of-11 to make a late surge down the lane and score in a final time of 1:14.80.

Quiet Street overcame a pinched start in her August 13 debut at Saratoga Race Course, and found enough late in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint to score by a neck over Lit Ship, a next-out maiden winner at Kentucky Downs. Out of the winning Tapit mare Serene, Quiet Street’s second dam – the dual Grade 1-placed Fascinating – is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner and sire Bodemeister.

Godolphin also sends out the late-footed Michael Stidham trainee Rose Room [post 6, Florent Geroux], who was fourth when closing from last-of-10 in the Listed Juvenile Fillies on August 31 at Kentucky Downs as part of a dramatic four-way photo finish that went to Meringue by a head over Red Beretta. To a Flame was another nose back in third while a head better than the Florent Geroux-piloted Rose Room.

“She was getting there, but not quite in time,” Stidham said. “We were really pleased with her. I was surprised to see her that far back, but that Kentucky Downs course can confuse horses, especially a 2-year-old that had only run one time. Florent said that she was kind of switching leads back and forth and he thought best to let her get her feet under her and ask her to make a move when they straightened up. It almost worked.”

The daughter of Ghostzapper posted a two-length debut graduation sprinting about 7 1/2 furlongs on August 7 at Delaware Park. Out of the stakes-winning Street Cry mare Speckled, Rose Room is a half-sister to dual graded stakes-winning turfer Pixelate, a Stidham trainee for Godolphin.

“She’s really trained forwardly, and she’s one of those ones that didn’t know what she was doing early on, but then she started figuring it out and went right out there and broke her maiden,” Stidham said. “She’s a half to Pixelate, and they’re similar. They both really love the grass and Pixelate was one of those honest, consistent horses that ran hard every time. She seems like she’s going to be the same type.”

Lanni Bloodstock and Madaket Stable’s Dyna is still in search of her first victory, but boasts a strong 80 Beyer Speed Figure as she hopes to draw in off the also-eligible list.

Trained by Kevin Attard, Dyna enters from a third as the mutuel favorite in Woodbine Racetrack’s Listed Catch a Glimpse on August 16, where she was forced seven-wide into the stretch and made a willing run to come up two lengths shy of the victorious and undefeated Corsia Veloce, who exited that event to win the Grade 1 Natalma on September 13 at the Toronto oval. She earned an 80 Beyer for the effort.

“Obviously she’s a nice filly that we think highly of. She was supposed to run in the Natalma and we had to scratch her – she spiked a bit of a fever so we wanted to play the side of caution,” Attard said. “The horse that beat us in the Catch a Glimpse came back and won the Natalma, so that’s part of the reason we’re encouraged to try New York with her. I think coming to a two-turn track now for her will be beneficial as well.”

The Quality Road bay faced males on debut in a six-furlong turf maiden on July 27 at Woodbine, and utilized a stalking trip before making a troubled bid in upper stretch when bumped several times by a rival. She matched strides with Awesome Connection in the deep stretch and battled on determinedly, but lost the bob at the wire. The winner exited to run second in the Listed Juvenile Mile on September 7 at Kentucky Downs.

“She ran a winning race that day against the boys and in another jump, she wins the race, so the goal was to try and get her to the Natalma for a ‘Win and You’re In’ at home,” Attard explained. “That didn’t work out as planned, but I think we’ve got a good ‘Plan B.’”

The $250,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the dual graded stakes-winning Dynaformer mare Social Queen, making her a half-sister to Force the Pass, whose four stakes wins included the 2015 Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational.

“She’s got the pedigree to go a distance and for turf, so we’re anxious to see that,” Attard said.

Jose Lezcano, who has been sidelined since August 29 with a collarbone injury, has the call [post 13, AE].

Klaravich Stables’ Deep Learning [post 9, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] was a wide and closing fifth in the aforementioned Natalma on September 13, finishing just 1 3/4-lengths back of Corsia Veloce in her first start against winners.

Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the daughter of Cairo Prince earned a field-best 85 Beyer for her debut 3 1/4-length victory going this distance on August 8 at the Spa. The $325,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training is out of the Union Rags mare Dovima, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Secret Gypsy.

C Two Racing Stable, BAG Stables, Barry Fowler, Charles Deters and Mark Taylor’s Day to Day [post 2, Edgard Zayas] gets back to turf after a distant fourth on dirt in the Grade 1 Spinaway on August 30 at the Spa.

The McKinzie bay was making her first start for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. after she was privately purchased following a half-length debut graduation against restricted company on July 31 over the Colonial Downs turf for trainer Michael Trombetta. In the seven-furlong Spinaway, she trailed in last-of-7 through the early stages and made mild progress in the lane to finish 15 3/4 lengths back of the victorious Tommy Jo.

“It looked like she was completely done. The rider wasn’t doing much and then when he asked her, she did stay on a bit more,” Joseph, Jr. said. “So, whether she stayed on because she was passing tired horses or she was running on, that is hard to say.”

Day to Day has posted two works at Saratoga since the Spinaway, including a bullet half-mile in 48.68 seconds over the Oklahoma turf training track on September 15.

Completing the competitive field are a host of maiden-winners, including Fille d’Oro [post 11, Manny Franco] for dual Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Brad Cox; Ground Support [post 3, Adam Beschizza] for trainer Kelsey Danner; El Barrio [post 7, Joel Rosario] for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse; Miss Picky [post 10, Kendrick Carmouche] for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher; Boomington [post 8, Luis Saez] for conditioner George Weaver; Miss Call [post 4, Luis Rivera, Jr.] for trainer Ken McPeek; Cara’s Dreamchaser [post 1, Ruben Silvera] for trainer Mitch Friedman; and the Bill Morey-trained Believe in Magic [post 5, Jaime Rodriguez], who is cross-entered in Thursday’s six-furlong Grade 3 Matron here.

Caradise has been entered for the main track only.  

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