Haulin Ice Staying Home for Sunday’s Musical Romance

Graded Stakes Winner Prepping for Honorable Miss (G2)

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – C2 Racing Stable LLC, Miller Racing LLC, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch’s Haulin Ice will seek her fourth straight victory in Sunday’s $75,000 Musical Romance at Gulfstream Park while hauling between five and 12 pounds more than her six rivals in the 6 ½-furlong overnight handicap for fillies and mares.

The 126-pound highweight will also be making her first start since claiming her first graded-stakes victory in the 6 ½-furlong Vagrancy (G3) May 4 at Aqueduct, where the 4-year-old Arkansas-bred filly came again to finish a neck in front of R Disaster following a heated stretch duel.

“It seems like she’s improved a lot as a 4-year-old,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “It was a gutsy performance. When she had to wear down R Disaster, she showed a new dimension.”

Haulin Ice has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite to win her ninth race from 15 career starts. Should she perform to expectations Sunday, she would likely run next in the July 20 Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga.

“She’s been training so well at Palm Meadows, we wanted to stay home and run here then go to the race at Saratoga if she runs well,” Joseph said.

Prior to her Vagrancy triumph, Haulin Ice won the Downthedustryroad Breeders’ Stakes for Arkansas breds and the Matron back-to-back at Oaklawn Park.

“When you see her win at Oaklawn, you expect that of her because she runs so well there,” Joseph said. “When she won at Aqueduct the other day, it was important for her resume.”

After winning three of her first five races, all at Oaklawn, the daughter of Coal Front was purchased privately in May 2004 and captured the Azalea at Gulfstream two starts later. In her next four starts, she was soundly defeated in graded stakes at Charles Town, Keeneland and Gulfstream and won an allowance race at Oaklawn.

Joseph is also represented in the Musical Romance field by Princess Indy, who finished a distant second behind runaway stablemate Claret Beret in the May 11 Mo Green overnight handicap at Gulfstream in her first start since being acquired by Miller Racing LLC.

Edgard Zayas has the call on Haulin Ice, while Jose Moreles has the call on Princess Indy, who is rated at 8-1 on the morning line and who will carry 120 pounds.

Blu Boy Racing Stables LLC and Gary Ferman’s Vincey Girl returns to Gulfstream Sunday following a pair of even efforts at Aqueduct and Monmouth Park. The 4-year-old daughter of Race Day has won all three of her career wins at Gulfstream, including a late-rallying optional claiming allowance score March 12.

Rated second at 5-2 on the morning-line the Jose D’Angelo-trained Vincey Girl will carry 121 pounds, including Edwin Gonzalez.

Royalight Racing LLC’s Charlie’s Wish, a multiple stakes-winning 5-year-old daughter of First Dude, will also carry 121 pounds while coming off a five-month freshening. The David Fawkes trainee, who will be ridden by Miguel Vasquez, is rated third on the morning line at 4-1.

Sport of Kings Racing Partners LLC’s Fantastic Flame (118, 6-1), JC Racing Stable’s Poiema (117, 20-1) and Gandolfi Stable and El Herraje LLC’s Gallop d’Hermes (114, 30-1) round out the field.