Defiant Lass Chasing First Stakes Win in Daring Kathy Handicap

Anna’s Promise Gets Stakes Breakthrough Ahead of Championship Meet
Pletcher-Trained Runners Grace Gulfstream Park Work Tab Friday
Daring Kathy Included in Rainbow 6, Sunset Six, Coast-to-Coast Wagers

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Though his runners have been spread out over the past 10 weeks, Jimmy Toner has made them count. The 86-year-old trainer has four wins and three thirds with his last seven starters, dating back to his 900th career victory with Siege of Boston in the Empire Builder overnight handicap Aug. 2 at Gulfstream Park.

“They’ve been spread out, but when you run them, you want to give them some time, anyway,” Toner said. “So far so good. No complaints.”

Toner’s last starter will also be his next one, when he sends out Phillips Racing Partnerships and Pam Gartin’s 4-year-old homebred filly Defiant Lass in Saturday’s $60,000 Daring Kathy overnight handicap, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles over the Gulfstream turf course.

Defiant Lass came from off the pace to be third in the Ginger Punch Handicap Sept. 12, just a neck behind runner-up Fantasy Performer and beaten a length for it all by Miss Mary Nell – both of whom come back in the Daring Kathy. Originally carded for a mile on the turf, the race was moved to a mile and 70 yards on the all-weather Tapeta.

“She had a wide trip last time,” Toner said. “She had an outside post and was wide all the way around, but she finished up really well. She got a better post this time, which I think will help her. She tries. Every time she runs, she gives you everything she’s got. That’s all we can ask for.”

Defiant Lass drew Post 5 in an 11-horse field that includes seven stakes winners led by Vincey Girl, a narrow 5-2 program favorite over fellow 123-pound highweight Souper Zonda (3-1). Defiant Lass will be ridden by Samy Camacho at 118 pounds.

Originally trained by Dale Romans, Defiant Lass came to Toner last spring and wound up going 10 months between starts before running second by a neck in her return, a five-furlong optional claimer July 5 that marked her turf debut. Prior to the Ginger Punch she was third by two lengths in a similar spot going 1 1/16 miles Aug. 10.

Defiant Lass broke her maiden going two turns on the main track at Churchill Downs in May 2025.

“She’s doing really well. She came out of the race good,” Toner said. “She’ll run on anything. She’s a very versatile filly. She’s won on the dirt, she’s been in the money on the grass and on the Tapeta. She’s eligible for a non-winners of one and I was thinking of shipping her to Keeneland for that but we’re basically just trying to get her some black type and if we do, that’s great. We always have the condition to fall back on.”

The Daring Kathy for fillies and mares 3 and older shares top billing on Saturday’s 10-race program with the $60,000 Chasing Artie overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for five furlongs on the grass.

Anna’s Promise Gets Stakes Breakthrough Ahead of Championship Meet

Bell Racing’s newly minted stakes winner Anna’s Promise, runner-up in the 2025 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), is likely to get one more start before returning to trainer Carlos David’s primary South Florida string ahead of the 2026-2027 Championship Meet.

Just 15 minutes before David-trained 2-year-old Stick Talk won the $75,000 Palm Bay overnight handicap, he watched as 4-year-old Anna’s Promise went gate to wire to earn her elusive first stakes victory in the $100,000 Twixt at Laurel Park.

In four prior stakes attempts, the best finish for Anna’s Promise was her second in the 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Park Oaks, an effort that convinced David and Bell Racing’s William Belford to send the daughter of 2018 Fountain of Youth (G2) winner Promises Fulfilled to the Kentucky Oaks (G1), where she ran fifth at odds of 29-1.

“That was cool. I love that filly,” David said. “She took us on a trip to the Oaks, and she’s just been great.”

Out of the Oaks Anna’s Promise ran third in the Monomoy Girl last June at Monmouth Park before getting the rest of the year off, returning Jan. 15 at Gulfstream. She ran third and second in two subsequent starts during the Championship Meet, returning to the winner’s circle May 24 at Churchill Downs.

Prior to her win in the Twixt, Anna’s Promise was fourth in the Mari Hulman George Memorial Handicap July 11 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Following the race she rejoined David’s secondary string at Keeneland.

“We’re going to run her at Churchill one time and then we’ll see if she needs a break or if she’ll keep running here in the winter,” David said. “I think she’s just going to get better as she gets older.”

Pletcher-Trained Runners Grace Gulfstream Park Work Tab Friday

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher was represented by four horses on Friday’s work tab at Gulfstream Park, most notably Vibe, a 4-year-old son of Into Mischief who has a winning history at the track.

Vibe breezed a half mile over the main track in 49.28 seconds, fourth fastest of 11 recorded at the distance, while working in company with Backlash, one of three juveniles that breezed four furlongs at Gulfstream Friday.

A $3 million purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September sale, Vibe graduated at Gulfstream in his second career start by 9 1/2 lengths in April 2025 before going on an 11-month hiatus. He returned to action at Gulfstream with a 1 1/2-length allowance score March 14 before going on to win an allowance at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

Following a rough trip, Vibe was vanned off the Belmont track after being eased during the stretch run of the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) but returned to action two months later. He will be looking to return to winning form in his next start following a pair of off-the-board finishes at Saratoga and Parx.

Daring Kathy Included in Rainbow 6, Sunset Six, Coast-to-Coast Wagers

The $60,000 Daring Kathy overnight handicap for fillies and mares 3 and up anchors Saturday’s 20-cent Rainbow 6 wager at Gulfstream Park and also highlights the $1 Sunset Six and $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 wagers with Santa Anita.

Gulfstream’s Rainbow 6 spans Races 5-10 and includes the $60,000 Chasing Artie overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for five furlongs on the grass in Race 7. The wide-open field is led by stakes winner and lukewarm 4-1 program favorite Souper Quest and Mattingly, last-out winner of the Bob Umphrey Sprint Sept. 12.

Seven stakes winners are among a field of 11 in the Daring Kathy, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf including Vincey Girl, exiting a pair of graded-stakes attempts at Del Mar; Miss Mary Nell, winner of the Ginger Punch Handicap Sept. 12; and multiple stakes winner Souper Zonda.

The Sunset Six begins with Races 8 and 9 at Gulfstream and continues with Race 3 at Santa Anita, the Daring Kathy, and Races 4 and 5 at Santa Anita. The Coast-to-Coast opens with Gulfstream’s Race 9, followed by Race 3 at Santa Anita, the Daring Kathy, and Races 8-10 at Santa Anita.