Class Edge for G2 Winner Indy Bay in $100,000 Musical Romance

Just Philly Chasing Third Straight Win in Sprint for Fillies and Mares

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Agave Racing Stable and Miller Racing’s Grade 2 heroine Indy Bay, having returned to her winning ways in dominant fashion last month, bids for a second straight victory against six rivals including three Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained stablemates in Saturday’s $100,000 Musical Romance Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

The 6 ½-furlong Musical Romance for fillies and mares 3 and up shares top billing on a 10-race program with the $100,000 Carry Back for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs, both on the main track. First race post time is 12:20 p.m.

Indy Bay, a 4-year-old daughter of 2012 Florida Derby (G1) winner Take Charge Indy, dropped out of stakes competition for the first time in more than a year when she came from off the pace to romp by 7 ¾ lengths in a seven-furlong optional claimer May 24 at Gulfstream, her fifth career victory.

“We kind of went back to the drawing board. She had a few runs where we couldn’t really find out why she wasn’t running well. She was training just as good,” Joseph said. “We needed a confidence booster and I thought that was a good win for her. She’s continued to train well since and I feel like she should run well again.”

In her prior start Indy Bay ran second as the favorite behind Runaway Diva in the one-mile Mo Green overnight handicap April 18, which came after off-the-board finishes in the Inside Information (G2) and Hurricane Bertie (G3) during the 2025-2026 Championship Meet.

Two of Indy Bay’s wins have come in stakes, starting with a determined head victory in the six-furlong Jersey Girl last summer at Saratoga followed six weeks later by a 1 ¾-length triumph in the seven-furlong Charles Town Oaks (G2). She went four months between starts after being eased in the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion (G1).

“She had run in all stakes and then she just hadn’t run up to the level that we thought she was capable of. It seemed like she had improved as a 4-year-old, but it wasn’t showing,” Joseph said. “I feel like that [last race] was the right steppingstone and I feel like we can build on it this time and kind of set us up for the Princess Rooney down the line.”

Micah Husbands is named to ride Indy Bay, the 7-5 program favorite, from Post 3 at topweight of 125 pounds.

Joseph also entered Cooey, Luvumorgan and Kerry’s Kiss. Epic Horses, BAG Racing Stables and The White House Stables’ 4-year-old Kerry’s Kiss (Post 4, Edwin Gonzalez, 4-1, 120) will be racing first time for the trainer after spending the winter at Oaklawn Park where she exits a front-running optional claiming victory going 1 1/16 miles. The daughter of Vino Rosso, cutting back to one turn for the first time in seven starts, has finished second in each of her two previous tries at 6 ½ furlongs.

“She was a private purchase. Mark Cornett found her for the group,” Joseph said. “Our plan was to run her a one-turn mile because we feel like she might excel at that, but we haven’t gotten a race to go and this seems like a decent spot to try 6 ½ [furlongs]. She’s trained well and we feel like she could run a very productive race, also.”

Brad Grady’s Florida homebred Cooey (Post 1, Rasheed Hughes, 9-2, 118) returns to the dirt after finishing fifth in a 5 ½-furlong optional claimer on the all-weather Tapeta June 7. The 4-year-old Girvin filly joined Joseph last fall and promptly won her next two starts including a 6 ½-furlong optional claimer by 4 ½ lengths in mid-December in gate-to-wire fashion.

Joseph said it was unlikely that Shining Stables, Steven Friedfertig and Miller Racing’s Luvumorgan (Post 2, Rey Williams, 6-1, 119), unraced since finishing seventh in the Hurricane Bertie March 7, would run.

Mark Knight’s Just a Philly (Post 7, Diego Herrera, 7-2, 120) is chasing a third straight win for trainer Herbert Miller, who claimed the 4-year-old daughter of Girvin for $12,500 out of a popular three-length victory Feb. 20 at Gulfstream. She has also finished second twice including the 6 ½-furlong FHBPA Filly & Mare Sprint behind Grade 3 winner Nic’s Style.

“I’d been watching her all last summer. When she came back for the [$12,500] I said, ‘Man, I gotta take a shot here.’ Luckily, I won the shake and got her. It’s just been great from there,” Miller said. “She’s been doing good since I claim her. She’s been nothing but awesome. She’s been improving a whole lot. Every race, she improves.”

Just a Philly has won each of her last two starts by 3 ¼ lengths as the favorite against starter allowance company and does own a win at the Musical Romance distance in a starter allowance last October for previous trainer David Braddy. She cuts back three weeks after stretching out to a career-long one mile in her most recent start.

“The last race going a mile, me and the owner sat down [saying] she’d never gone the distance. I said, ‘Based on her running style I think she can get the trip,’ and he said, ‘OK go ahead and try her,’” Miller said. “I just told the rider to break her away from there and relax her for the first furlong and a half, two furlongs, and pretend like you’re going three-quarters. He did that and it worked out. That was awesome.

“The horse to beat is Indy Bay,” he added. “She came back in the allowance and showed some refreshment and some good class there to win by seven against practically the same bunch of horses as Saturday. Hopefully we can put some pressure on her and keep in contact and see what happens from there.”

Completing the field are Dante Zanelli-owned and trained Gallop d’Hermes (Post 5, Samy Camacho, 15-1, 119) and Imaginary Stables’ Braganza (Post 6, Leonel Reyes, 20-1, 118).

Florida-bred Musical Romance, trained and co-owned by the late Bill Kaplan, won 12 of 41 starts and nearly $1.7 million in purses during her career. Four of her wins came in graded-stakes including the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) in 2011 – when she earned the Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter and was named Florida Horse of the Year – and Princess Rooney (G1) in 2012.