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In a Jam Gets New Look for Saturday’s Not Surprising
6/5/2024
Welcome Back Gives Turf Another Try in Martha Washington
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – A two-time winner during this year’s Championship Meet, Gary Barber’s In a Jam will have a new look in Saturday’s $95,000 Not Surprising at Gulfstream Park.
The son of Preservationist will face seven other 3-year-olds without blinkers in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, which will co-headline Saturday’s 11-race program with the $95,000 Martha Washington, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
In a Jam most recently overcame early bumping in the May 4 English Channel at Gulfstream to finish second, beaten by just a neck.
“We just thought he may be waiting on horses,” Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said. “Plus, I’m not a big blinker guy. We use them sometimes with younger horses, but as they mature, we tend to take them off.”
In a Jam might have broken his maiden when equipped with blinkers for the first time in his third career start last summer at Ellis Park but was narrowly beaten after the jockey lost an iron. Yet, the Kentucky-bred colt went five more starts before breaking his maiden Jan. 6 at Gulfstream going a mile. He came right back to capture a mile optional claiming allowance. The Casse trainee’s overdue success may well be attributed more to a stretch-out around two turns than his blinkers.
“He got better once we started running him around two turns,” Casse said. “He’s had some setbacks here and there, but he has really seemed to excel since we started running him long.”
Emisael Jaramillo will ride In a Jam for the first time Saturday.
Alex Andres LLC’s Dancing Groom, who finished a troubled sixth in his turf debut in the English Channel, will return in the Not Surprising. The son of Vino Rosso broke his maiden in his second career start at Gulfstream before finishing a distance third in the Champagne (G1) at Aqueduct last season.
The Antonio Sano trainee ran in four consecutive graded stakes, including the Holy Bull (G3) and Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream, this year without success before trying turf in the English Channel
Luca Panici has the return mount on Dancing Groom.
Anthony Rogers’ Echo Lane returns to Gulfstream after finishing fifth in the James W. Murphy on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico following a troubled start. The son of Treasure Beach had previously scored optional claiming allowance victories on Tapeta and turf back-to-back.
Trainer Rohan Crichton has named Miguel Vasquez to ride the Florida-bred colt.
BC Racing LLC’s Prevent figures to be a strong pace factor in the Not Surprising. The son of Neolithic set the pace into the stretch before faltering late to finish fourth in the English Channel. The Florida-bred colt was coming off a front-running optional claiming allowance score at Gulfstream and a narrow loss in the Sophomore Turf for state-breds at Tampa Bay Downs.
Hector Diaz Jr. has the call on Prevent for the first time.
Cammarota Racing LLC’s Secret Lover, Phils Racing Stable LLC’s Inherent Promise, Gran Chanito Stable LLC’s Oishi and De La Cerda Racing Stable Inc.’s El Chato round out the field.
Welcome Back Gives Turf Another Try in Martha Washington
A stakes winner on dirt during her juvenile campaign, Soldi Stable LLC’s Welcome Back will seek to become a stakes winner on turf in Saturday’s $95,000 Martha Washington, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies that will co-headline Saturday’s program at Gulfstream Park with the $95,000 Not Surprising, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds.
The daughter of Adios Charlie proved unusually precocious for a filly of her rather imposing stature in two starts as a 2-year-old, rallying from off the pace on Tapeta to win on debut at five furlongs before overcoming traffic to score a narrow victory in the six-furlong Florida Sire Stakes Susan’s Girl on dirt.
Welcome Back was scratched on the day of the My Dear Girl, the 1 1/16-mile FSS series final, and didn’t return until making her turf debut in the May 4 Honey Ryder.
“When we scratched her from the sire stakes, we sent her to the farm to rest,” trainer Jose D’Angelo said. “She came back good, and we knew she needed the race last time.”
Welcome Back trailed the 10-horse field in the Honey Ryder before making a late run to finish fifth, more than eight lengths behind De Regreso, the likely favorite for the Martha Washington.
“I always felt she would be good on grass because of the action she has when she works,” D’Angelo said. “Now we’re back on the grass and Tapeta where we think she is better.”
Edwin Gonzalez will be back aboard Welcome Back, whom he rode to her victories last year.
Magic Stables LLC and Cairoli Racing’s De Regreso is the horse to beat in the 10-filly field for the Martha Washington. The Antonio Sano trainee is coming off back-to-back victories on turf in an optional claiming allowance and the Honey Ryder. The daughter of Audible will carry 123 pounds, including returning Leonel Reyes, while conceding three and five pounds to her rivals.
D J Stable LLC’s Sleepwalker is among three fillies coming off maiden scores on turf. The daughter of Tapwrit, who began her career with two off-the-board finishes on Tapeta last year at Woodbine, finished a promising third in her turf debut at Gulfstream March 29 before rallying to graduate May 5.
“We went over the nominees, and Antonio’s horse, De Regreso, is extremely tough. There are a couple of horses in there, but all in all, she looks like she could fit in, and if she could get some black type, that would be nice,” Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said.
Orlyana Farm’s Majestic Venezuela will make her stakes debut in the Martha Washington while coming off back-to-back victories on Tapeta and turf. The daughter of Mendelssohn has never finished out of the money in six career starts, all on Tapeta with the exception of her turf debut last time out.
Emisael Jaramillo has the call on the Victor Barboza Jr. trainee.
Trainer Gustavo Delgado, who sent out Miuccia for a win in last Saturday’s Game Face, will be represented Saturday by Ramiro Restrepo, Granpollo Stable, JR Ranch and High Step Racing LLC’s Carrington. The daughter of Twirling Candy romped to a maiden score on Tapeta in her second career start before rallying from well back to finish second in her turf debut.
Miguel Vasquez has the mount on the daughter of Audible.
Leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will be represented by Mathis Stables LLC’s Mojave Desert, who set the pace before finishing sixth in the Honey Ryder, and Gentry Farms’s Candy Gray, who is scheduled to make her turf debut.
BC Racing LLC’s Parallel, Robert Taylor III’s Pure Magic Girl, and Aramis Hernandez’s Lady O’Brien round out the field.
The week of live racing at Gulfstream begins Thursday with a 12:55 p.m. first race post.