Joseph-Trained Quartet Looms Tough in Hallandale Beach

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Trainer Joe Orseno is hoping D.J. Stable LLC’s Ha’ Penny is ready to blossom in Saturday’s $75,000 Azalea at Gulfstream Park, where the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro will seek her first stakes victory in the seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

Ha’ Penny enters the Azalea in sharp form, having come off a brief freshening to impressively capture a May 19 optional claiming allowance before finishing a solid second at the same level a month later.

The homebred filly broke her maiden in her second career start last November at Gulfstream before finishing fourth back-to-back in a pair of Tampa Bay Downs stakes and running off the board in a stakes at Laurel Park.

“We’ve tried some stakes. The owner is a breeder, so we’d obviously love to get some more black type for her family. I trained the mother for them, Mo’ Green. After this filly broke her maiden, we might have been overly ambitious, but we were trying to get some black type for her,” Orseno said. “We took a couple shots, and then we said, ‘Ok, let’s let her mature and develop a little.’ She came back running and has been running well.”

Mo’ Green, a daughter of Uncle Mo, finished second in the 2017 Royal Delta (G2) at Gulfstream before earning graded-stakes credentials in the Top Flight (G3) at Aqueduct in her next outing.

Both of Ha’ Penny’s starts this year were contested at the one-turn mile distance.

“I’ve kind of sharpened her up a little so she can stay a little closer to the pace on her own without worrying about using her too much,” Orseno said. “I think we’re OK with the seven-eighths.”

Ha’ Penny, who will be ridden by Junior Alvarado for the first time Saturday, made a four-wide bid on the turn into the stretch in her most recent start but was no match for Poiema. Ha’ Penny, who finished 7 ½ lengths clear of the third-place finisher, was beaten by 8 ¾ lengths by Poiema.

“I was pleased with her last race. She hooked a horse that happened to freak in that race,” Orseno said. “I don’t know if it was a one-time thing. We’ll find out.”

Owner/trainer Larry Bates’ Poiema is scheduled to return in the Azalea in search of her first stakes success. The daughter of Neolithic had won one of her first nine race while running on dirt, turf and Tapeta before registering her last-out romp.

Edgar Perez has the return call on Poiema.

Ha’ Penny and Poiema will concede considerable stakes experience in the Azalea to multiple-stakes winner Last Leaf. Monarch Stable Inc.’s daughter of Not This Time is coming off a 3 ½-length victory in the 6 ½-furlong Game Face at Gulfstream, two starts after winning the five-furlong Melody of Colors on turf.

“She’s won on both surfaces. If she’s fonder of the dirt it’s only because the turf races are at five-eighths, which she’s good at. She’s not good at two turns on turf. She’s proven that a couple of times,” trainer Ron Spatz said. “She’s good at five furlongs on turf. If the [sprint] distances were longer on turf, I’d probably says she’s better on turf.”

Last Leaf, who defeated boys on turf in the Hollywood Beach last fall, has won three races on dirt – two over wet tracks.

“I’d love to see her on a wet track again. I think that’s her best thing on all,” Spatz said. “Either way, she gives it her all.”

Miguel Vasquez has the return call aboard Last Leaf.

Windylea Farm LLC’s Rapturous, also a filly that gives it her all every time, is set for a return in the Azalea following a rough-trip third-place finish in the Game Face. The Kathleen O’Connell-trained daughter of Kantharos has won on Tapeta and dirt during her eight-race career, in which her only out-of-the-money finish came in a fourth-place finish in her only turf start.

Luca Panici has the return mount.

Champion Equine LLC’s Easy Come Easy Go, Rodney Lundock’s Maryquitecontrary, and Sonata Stable’s Stellar Ride round out the field.

Joseph-Trained Quartet Looms Tough in Hallandale Beach

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is represented by four entries in Saturday’s Hallandale Beach, a mile-and-70-yard overnight handicap on Gulfstream Park’s Tapeta course.

Ken Ramsey and the Estate of Sarah Ramsey’s Ramsey Solution tops the Joseph-trained quartet, which also includes Daniel Alonso’s Novo Sol, Sir David Seale’s Renaisance Frolic, and Sonata Stable’s Calibrator.

Ramsey Solution, who came off an 11-month layoff to capture the June 18 Coral Gables Handicap by 3 ½ lengths, has been assigned highweight of 126 pounds. The 6-year-old gelding had finished second in the Baltimore/Washington International (G3) at Laurel before going to the sidelines.

Novo Sol, who was Group 1 stakes-placed in Brazil before winning his U.S. debut in a Jan. 5 allowance and finishing third in the April 2 Pan American (G3) on turf at Gulfstream, is coming off a pair of off-the-board Grade 2 stakes efforts at Pimlico and Belmont Park. Renaisance Frolic is scheduled to make his first start since finishing seventh in the Dec. 18 Fort Lauderdale (G2) on turf. Calibrator finished third behind Ramsey Solution last time out.

Robert Cotran’s Eamonn, who finished second behind Ramsey Solution in the Coral Gables at even weights, is scheduled to be in receipt of three pounds from the Joseph trainee Saturday.

Also entered in the Hallandale Beach: Sailing Solo, Public Information, Figureti, and Laker Mamba.