Stronach Stable’s 5-year-old Kentucky homebred mare Spring Waltz didn’t make her career debut until last June at Woodbine and was making her first-ever start in a stakes in Sunday’s $200,000 Rampart Handicap (G2) at Gulfstream Park, but the occasion proved worth the wait as she drew clear to score by 3¼ lengths under jockey Javier Castellano.

            A roan/gray daughter of Silver Charm, Spring Waltz was made the even-money favorite in the field of seven fillies and mares to contest the 1 1/8 miles test after winning her previous three starts for trainer Brian Lynch, most recently an allowance race over the track and distance on Feb. 17 by 13 lengths. Sunday’s victory brought her record to six wins and three seconds in as many starts.

Bruce Lunsford and Lansdon Robbins III’s 4-year-old Tessa Blue dueled for the lead from the start and held well for second, a length before Darley Stable’s 5-year-old Golden Velvet third. The winner was timed in 1:49:73 over the ‘fast’ track.

Winning Jockey Quotes

Javier Castellano:

“There was no question that I was concerned with getting stuck behind horses on the final turn.  We had to squeeze through a little bit, but she’s got a big heart.  As soon as we made it through she hit another gear and took off.  I really like riding her because I can do whatever I want to do on her.  In her last race she was on the lead and this race I put her behind horses.  He (trainer Brian Lynch) told me that he wasn’t going to tell me how to ride the race, but that he did have a little concern with the early speed.  He wanted me to be patient, but he said it was up to me.  She’s a very nice filly (mare).” 

Winning Trainer Quote

Brian Lynch:

“Mr. (Frank) Stronach deserves a lot of credit for her success. She had several issues as a young horse, including shin problems, but he said to persevere with her, that he thought he believed she would be worth the wait. So she didn’t start until last year as a 4-year-old (June) and she developed through her conditions, improving all the time. I was concerned today that she was back off the pace and behind horses for so long. Then she had to split horses, but she came through and ran a great race. I think she’ll run in the two-turn stakes on Derby Day at Churchill Downs when we’ll have Sugar Swirl for the Humana Distaff (seven furlongs). I think I’ll have both of them through those races, and then they’ll go with Bobby (Frankel) while I go back to Canada.”

Fractions:   

23:094, 47:91, 1:11:92, 1:37:11 & 1:49:73