Paul Pompa Jr.’s Backseat Rhythm, third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) last fall, and Briarwood Farm’s Highest Class, invading from Fair Grounds, are the likely favorites in a field of seven 3-year-old fillies set for the $150,000 Bonnie Miss Stakes (G2), one of four stakes to be run on the Florida Derby undercard Saturday at Gulfstream.

            Jockey Javier Castellano is the regular rider of Backseat Rhythm and retains the mount for trainer Patrick Reynolds while trainer Neal Howard has engaged John Velazquez to ride Highest Class in the filly counterpart to the Florida Derby, a race that often points out contenders for the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

            Backseat Rhythm is a daughter of El Corredor who finished 2¾ lengths behind then-undefeated Indian Blessing in the Breeders’ Cup at Monmouth Park over a ‘sloppy’ track on Oct. 27 after finishing second to that rival in the Frizette Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park in her previous start. Backseat Rhythm returned to competition with a third-place effort in a turf allowance here on Feb. 22.

            Highest Class comes into the Bonnie Miss after making her last three starts at Fair Grounds, most recently a third-place finish behind Indian Blessing in the Silverbulletday Stakes (G3) on Feb. 9 when beaten 2¼ lengths. A daughter of Mineshaft, Highest Class would appear to appreciate the Bonnie Miss distance.

            Completing the field for the Bonnie Miss are My Meadowview Farm’s Overandabeauty, Kent Desormeaux; Denholtz Stables’ Shes All Eltish, Eddie Castro; Three Chimneys Racing and Richard Colton, Jr.’s Halo Hollie, Cornelio Velasquez; Paul Pompa, Jr.’s Classy Concern, Ariel Smith; and Richard Scanlon’s Robbie’s Gal, Jose Lezcano.

Sugar Swirl the One to Beat in Rescheduled Shirley Jones

            The $200,000 Shirley Jones Handicap (G2) for fillies and mares at seven furlongs was scheduled for last Saturday, but a day-long deluge caused the card to be cancelled after the sixth race. The stakes has been re-drawn for the Florida Derby Day card with Stronach Stable’s 5-year-old mare Sugar Swirl still expected to be a heavy favorite.

            Regular rider Javier Castellano will be back aboard the Canadian homebred chestnut for trainer Brian Lynch as she bids for a sweep of the meet’s filly and mare sprint-division stakes following impressive tallies in the First Lady Handicap (G3) and Hurricane Bertie Handicap (G3) earlier in the meet.

            A daughter of Stronach’s 1997 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Touch Gold, Sugar Swirl will be bidding for a fourth consecutive stakes victory. She won the Very Subtle Stakes at Churchill Downs in early November for trainer Bobby Frankel before being sent to Lynch at Palm Meadows for a winter campaign.

            Sugar Swirl’s most formidable rival in Saturday’s field of six may be IEAH Stables and partners’ 5-year-old mare Shaggy Mane with Cornelio Velasquez to ride for trainer Rick Dutrow, who will be running her for the first time in the Shirley Jones.

The California-bred daughter of Bertrando was a leader in the filly and mare sprint division last year when based in California with trainer Don Chatlos Jr. She shipped east twice to win the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint at Gulfstream in January by 7½ lengths and finished a game second in the Princess Rooney Handicap (G1) at Calder in July.

Shaggy Mane has won six of 14 career starts with one second, but has failed to hit the board in three tries on synthetic tracks, most recently finishing fifth in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita, an obvious factor in sending her east.

Completing the field for the Shirley Jones are Zayat Stable’s Baroness Thatcher, John Velazquez; Miklin Stable’s Dixie Dreamer, Eddie Castro; Marsha Naify’s Moon Catcher, Rene Douglas; and Bonnie and Sy Baskin’s Featherbed, Eibar Coa.

Run Sully Run, Sporting Art Meet Again in Bulleit Bourbon Palm Beach

 Ol Memorial Stable and C.E. Glasscock’s Run Sully Run and Jon and Sarah Kelly’s Sporting Art finished one-two, a neck apart, in an allowance race over the Gulfstream turf course on Feb. 20, and will have a rematch in the $150,000 Bulleit Bourbon Palm Beach Stakes (G3) on Saturday.

Jockey Joe Bravo gets a return call on Run Sully Run for trainer Cam Gambolati in the 1 1/8 miles turf test that drew a field of 11 3-year-olds. A son of Cherokee Run, Run Sully Run was making his grass-course debut when winning the ‘two other than’ allowance after capturing two of seven tries on the main track.

Gambolati also trains 4-year-old turf stakes-winner Buffalo Man for Ol Memorial owner Rick Pitino and Glasscock. Pitino is head basketball coach for the University of Louisville basketball team, currently in the thick of the NCAA tournament.

Sporting Art turned in a big effort when coming up only a neck short of catching Run Sully Run in the Feb. 20 allowance while making his American debut for trainer Christophe Clement. A Kentucky-bred son of Doneraile Court, Sporting Art won two of four starts in England last year with the Gulfstream race his first start since mid-September at Goodwood.

Completing a wide-open field for the Palm Beach are Bruce Lunsford’s Celestial Comet, Frank Calabrese’s Prime Realestate, Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s Titan of Industry, North Shore Racing’s Moral Compass, J. Mack Robinson’s Cherokee Focus, J D Farm’s Wise Answer, John Fort’s Flying Dismount, Zayat Stable’s Dynamalt and Sabine Stable’s Victory Café.

Forever Whirl to Bring Down Curtain on Florida Derby Day

            Completing the Florida Derby Day stakes lineup will be the $75,000 Forever Whirl Stakes for Florida-bred older horses at 1 1/8 miles with a field of nine led by Padua Stable’s 5-year-old gelding Electrify going in the 12^th and final race on the program.

            Jockey Jose Lezcano rides Electrify for trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. as he bids to bounce back from an unfortunate trip to California in late January when finishing eighth through a rough trip in the Sunshine Millions Classic. The son of Delaware Township was the leader of the handicap division at Calder last year, winning four stakes, including the Fred W. Hooper Handicap (G3).

            Completing the field for the Forever Whirl are Dr. D.K. Paul and Dr. J.C. Benjamin’s Lost Conquest, Jerome Bozzo Trust’s Zoobstick, Hobeau Farm’s Saint Daimon, Joseph and Helen Barbizon’s Believeinmenow, Lewis Pell and Michael Eigner’s Imawildandcrazzyguy, Robert Abbo Racing Stable’s Better Than Bonds and Osed LLC’s Too Many Toyz.