Joseph Seeks Fourth G3 Princess Rooney Win in a Row Saturday

Represented by Three in Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ Qualifier
Princess Rooney ‘Nice Race at Right Time of Year’ for Simply Joking

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will have three shots to win Saturday’s $225,000 Princess Rooney (G3) at Gulfstream Park, where he will be on a quest to secure his fourth consecutive victory in the seven-furlong ‘Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In’ stakes for fillies and mares.

Epic Horses LLC, BAG Racing Stables LLC and The White House Stables LLC’s Kerry’s Kiss, Agave Racing Stable and Miller Racing LLC’s Indy Bay, and Miller Racing LLC’s Anakarina will seek to follow Three Witches (2023), Soul of an Angel (2024) and Haulin Ice (2025) into the Princess Rooney winner’s circle and earn a fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Soul of an Angel followed up her 2024 Princess Rooney triumph with a Breeders’ Cup victory and an Eclipse Award championship.

While looking to provide her trainer with win four in Saturday’s 40th running of the Princess Rooney, which will headline a 10-race program also featuring the $100,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint and $100,000 Ginger Punch Handicap, Kerry’s Kiss will be seeking a fourth consecutive victory of her own.

The 4-year-old daughter of Vino Rosso won a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance April 18 at Oaklawn Park before joining Joseph’s stable at Gulfstream to win back-to-back stakes, the 6 1/2-furlong Musical Romance by 2 3/4 lengths June 22 and the seven-furlong Sheer Drama by 1 1/2 lengths Aug. 15 with the addition of blinkers.

“Mark Cornett bought her for the ownership group. We wanted to cut her back to a one-turn mile. The race never went so we ran her a bit shorter,” Joseph said. “It turned out one turn is the right thing. She handled the 6 1/2 and 7 (furlongs) very good. I think cutting her back and putting on the blinkers has helped her.”

Kerry’s Kiss, who is rated second at 5-2 on the morning line, has trained forwardly for the Princess Rooney.

“She’s in good form. She’s going to need to run one of her good races again to get the job done,” Joseph said. “She seems like she’s trained well enough to be able to win back.”

Edwin Gonzalez, who was aboard for Kerry’s Kiss’ Musical Romance and Sheer Drama victories, has the return mount.

Indy Bay, a 4-year-old daughter of Take Charge Indy who captured the seven-furlong Charles Town Oaks (G2) last year, is coming off runner-up finishes behind Kerry’s Kiss in the Musical Romance and Sheer Drama.

“The first time they met Indy gave her five pounds. The second time they met it got closer in the weights but Kerry’s Kiss still beat her quite decisively. If you want to give Indy an excuse that day, a couple horses scratched and Kerry’s Kiss was lone speed. This race looks like it has much more speed, so that would help Indy Bay,” Joseph said. “On the right day, Indy Bay could turn the tables.”

Micah Husbands has been given the return call on Indy Bay, who is rated third on the morning line at 3-1.

Anakarina, a 4-year-old daughter of Vekoma, is coming off a front-running victory in the six-furlong Love Sign Stakes at Colonial Downs.

“For Anakarina this is a big question mark for her. Does she really want to go seven (furlongs)? She’s speed and her stamina can be a question mark,” Joseph said. “We’re gong to give it a shot. Hopefully, her speed carries.”

Rasheed Hughes will ride Anakarina, who is priced at 9-2 on the morning line for the Princess Rooney.

Joseph is not the only Princess Rooney trainer with multiple victories in the stakes named in honor of the Hall of Famer who began her career in South Florida. Michael McCarthy, who trains Saturday’s 8-5 morning-line favorite Simply Joking, saddled Ce Ce for back-to-back Princess Rooney victories in 2021 and 2022, as well as a triumph in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar.

Simply Joking, owned by Berkels0813 LLC, CMNWLTH LLC, Grantley Acres and Ryan Connor, has been highly competitive around two turns in her three most recent starts in Southern California. After registering a front-running 6 3/4-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria (G3) at Santa Anita April 19, the multiple graded stakes-winning 4-year-old daughter of Practical Joke finished second in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita (G2) May 30 at Santa Anita after showing the way into the stretch. In her most recent start Aug. 1 at Del Mar, Simply Joking finished third in the 1 1/16-mile Clement L. Hirsch (G1) Aug. 1 at Del Mar after setting a pressured pace into the stretch.

“This is a nice race at the right time of year for her. I like the spacing. Hopefully, she runs to her training:” McCarthy said. “Maybe this will find her in a race like the Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland.”

The Pennsylvania-bred filly has also earned a Grade 1 placing around one turn, having finished third in the seven-furlong La Brea (G1) at Santa Anita in her 2025 finale.

Juan Hernandez is slated to ride Simply Joking for the first time in the Princess Rooney.

“There looks like there’s some speed inside of us so I’ll tell Juan Hernandez, ‘Bound out of there and see what unfolds inside of you and also take nothing away from her if it comes easily,’” McCarthy said.

Thiele Thoroughbreds LLC’s No Bad Beats is scheduled to make her first start for Southern California-based trainer Leonard Powell after being claimed for $50,000 out of a 3 3/4-length victory in a 6 1/2-furlong optional claiming allowance at Del Mar Aug. 9. Previously trained by Doug O’Neill, the 4-year-old daughter of Midnight Storm had finished a distant sixth in the seven-furlong D. Wayne Lukas (G2) Feb. 7 at Santa Anita in her prior start. She had gained graded stakes-placed status with a second-place finish in the Las Flores (G3) Jan. 11 at Santa Anita.

Diego Herrera, who captured Gulfstream’s Royal Palm Meet riding title after venturing from Southern California in March, has the call on No Bad Beats, who is rated at 12-1 on the Princess Rooney morning line.

Patricio Zaldviar’s Bombacha Veloz, a multiple-Group 1 winner in Chile, is rated at 10-1 on the morning line for her U.S. debut in the Princess Rooney. Rajiv Maragh has the call on the Amador Sanchez-trained 4-year-old Chilean-bred filly.

Mark Knight’s Just a Philly, who finished third in the Musical Romance and Sheer Drama, rounds out the field. The Herbert Miller-trained 4-year-old daughter of Girvin, who is rated at 20-1 on the morning line, will be ridden by Samy Camacho.