Kerry’s Kiss Upsets Simply Joking in $225,000 Princess Rooney

Provides Saffie Joseph Jr. with 4th Princess Rooney Win in a Row
Earns Fees-Paid Berth in G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Epic’s Horses LLC, BAG Racing Stables LLC and the White House Stables LLC’s Kerry’s Kiss broke on top and was never threatened thereafter in Saturday’s $225,000 Princess Rooney (G3) at Gulfstream Park while providing trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. with his fourth consecutive victory in the seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares.

While prevailing over 6-5 favorite Simply Joking by a comfortable 1 1/2 lengths in the “Win and You’re In’ Breeders’ Cup Challenge Race for fillies and mares, Kerry’s Kiss also earned a fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

In addition to extending her trainer’s Princess Rooney streak to four in a row, Kerry’s Kiss won her fourth consecutive race to follow in the hoofprints of Three Witches (2023), Soul of an Angel (2024) and Haulin Ice (2025).

“It’s amazing. When we won the first one with Three Witches, it was great to win the first one. To come back and win with Soul of an Angel, who won the Breeders’ Cup, and then when you win three, you’re really grateful,” said Joseph, who watched the Princess Rooney in a hotel room in Lexington, Ky. “When you have a competitive nature, you want to keep the streak going. To win the fourth one, we’re obviously grateful and thankful to be able to have these horses. To have the opportunity is a blessing.”

Kerry’s Kiss ($6.40) was coming off front-running victories in the 6 1/2-furlong Musical Drama and seven-furlong Sheer Drama at Gulfstream that came after being privately purchased following an allowance win at Oaklawn Park.

“We bought her off a two-turn race and we bought her with one-turn races in mind the whole time,” said partner Mark Cornett, who negotiated the private sale. “We couldn’t get the one-turn mile to go, so Saffie and I discussed it and we said, ‘Let’s cut her back to 6 ½ or seven [furlongs].’ The main thing is one turn, that’s what we wanted. And we were right. She’s a different filly going one turn. She can carry her speed going one turn.

“They kept running her a mile and a sixteenth at Oaklawn and she was showing speed and getting tired the last sixteenth of a mile,” he added. “That’s one of the biggest things I look for is a speed horse cutting back to one turn, and it’s all worked out.”

Kerry’s Kiss was under complete control for jockey Edwin Gonzalez throughout the race that was run in a driving rain that began shortly before post time. The 4-year-old daughter of Vino Rosso showed the way while setting fractions of 22.12 (seconds) for the first quarter of a mile and 44.71 for a half mile over a track rated ‘good.’

Simply Joking and jockey Juan Hernandez were well within striking range while chasing Kerry’s Kiss along the backstretch and on the far turn. However, the pacesetter continued to travel smoothly on the turn into the homestretch as the favorite was being asked for her run without making progress. Kerry’s Kiss drew off to score a decisive victory over Simply Joking, who held second, a length ahead of late running Just Philly.

Kerry’s Kiss ran the seven furlongs in 1:25.33 to win the 40th running of the Princess Rooney that headlined a 10-race program that also featured the $100,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint and the $100,000 Ginger Punch Handicap.

“Mark just told me to break and get your position if somebody wants to go. But I know my filly is doing so good. I didn’t want to go with anybody, and my filly can sit behind the pace, but she dragged me to the lead,” Gonzalez said. “I gave her a little breather and waited until turning for home to ask her. I let her run and she kept running. She’s doing so good, this filly.”

Kerry’s Kiss was one of three Joseph-trained starters in the six-horse field. Anakarina attended the pace along the backstretch and finished fourth. Indy Bay was never a factor while finishing fifth.

The Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint is definitely on the radar for Cornett and Joseph, who visited the Del Mar winner’s circle with Soul of An Angel following her victory in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

“I think she earned the shot. It’s a different level of race, but she’s fast and if everything continues to go good we’ll talk it over,” Joseph said. “I think it’s a strong possibility that it’s going to happen.”

Michael McCarthy-trained Simply Joking was seeking to follow in the footsteps of Ce Ce, who won back-to-back runnings of the Princess Rooney in 2021 and 2022 for McCarthy, who saddled her for a triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in 2021 at Del Mar.