Langvad Wins for Namesake in $100,000 Carry Back

Kerry’s Kiss Turns Back Indy Bay in Musical Romance

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Sabine Langvad has been a frequent visitor to the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle after stakes as trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.’s longtime trusted assistant, but Saturday’s $100,000 Carry Back carried some extra special meaning.

Steven Friedfertig and Shining Stables’ Langvad, named for the blond-haired native of Norway, jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, shaking off a challenge from One Hundred Kings and going on to a three-length victory in the seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds.

Ridden by Micah Husbands for his third winner of the day, Langvad ($4.60) completed the distance in 1:23.23 over a fast main track to earn his third career win and first in a stakes after placing once in three prior attempts.

“It’s pretty cool. You never know with any horse, but it’s pretty special when you have a namesake that turns out to be good,” Langvad said, flanked by her 4-year-old daughter, Savannah. “We’re so, so proud of him. I’m so happy.”

Langvad broke alertly and outran program favorite Wayne’s Law to the front, quickly joined by One Hundred Kings through an opening quarter-mile in 22.41 seconds as Wayne’s Law settled in fourth behind 17-1 longshot Sonic Surge.

The half went in 45.10 as Wayne’s Law drew up alongside Sonic Surge on the far turn, but Langvad was too much as the Florida-bred son of Awesome Slew – sent off as the 6-5 favorite – opened up once straightened for home to register his second straight win. All three of his victories have come in front-running fashion.

“He broke super sharp today,” Langvad said. “Sometimes he can be a little bit slow away from the gate, but Micah had a lot of confidence in him today.”

One Hundred Kings stayed up for second, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Wayne’s Law, followed by Sonic Surge and Move Jesse Move. Moonstrocity, Ramajay and Demolition were scratched.

Langvad graduated second time out against state-breds last November, then ran third to multiple stakes-winning stablemate and Fountain of Youth (G2) runner-up Solitude Dude in the Inaugural at Tampa Bay Downs. This year, Langvad was sixth in the Swale at Gulfstream and fifth in Tampa’s Sophomore Sprint before beating older horses in his prior start sprinting six furlongs May 23 in a Gulfstream allowance.

Sabine Langvad joined Joseph’s stable as an exercise rider in 2017 and was elevated to assistant trainer in 2019. She spent some time working for trainer Chad Brown before rejoining Joseph in 2022.

“It’s kind of funny,” she said. “[Langvad] has the same birthday as my daughter, which is in May, so he’s a late foal. I mentioned that to Saffie and he said, ‘That makes so much sense.’ Sometimes they improve as they grow up a little bit.”

Kerry’s Kiss Turns Back Indy Bay in Musical Romance

Epic Horses, BAG Racing Stables and The White House Stables’ Kerry’s Kiss, purchased out of her prior start in mid-April, paid immediate dividends for her new connections by holding off favored Grade 2-winning stablemate Indy Bay through the stretch to win Saturday’s $100,000 Musical Romance Handicap for fillies and mares 3 and up.

Kerry’s Kiss ($13.60) ran 6 ½ furlongs over a fast main track in 1:15.21 to give trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. his third win of the day and a sweep of the Gulfstream stakes, following Langvad’s victory in the $100,000 Carry Back. It was the second win of the day for jockey Edwin Gonzalez.

A speedy 4-year-old daughter of Vino Rosso, Kerry’s Kiss was hustled to the lead by Gonzalez and ran a quarter-mile in 22.67 seconds chased by another Joseph-trained stablemate, 12-1 longshot Cooey, with Indy Bay and Braganza dueling in third.

Kerry’s Kiss began to gain separation after going a half in 44.99 when Indy Bay started rolling, but the 2025 Charles Town Oaks (G2) winner ran out of real estate and wound up second, beaten 2 ¾ lengths.

Just a Philly ran third, snapping a two-race win streak, but placed for a sixth straight race. Cooey, Gallop d’Hermes and Braganza completed the order of finish. Luvumorgan was scratched.

“They said break running, see where you are in the first quarter,” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t want to go to the lead and fight with the other horse. I had the position outside. I let her pick up her stride and when we turned for home and I called on her, she showed up.”

Kerry’s Kiss improved her record to 4-6-1 from 16 starts. She was previously based in the Midwest, primarily at Oaklawn Park, where she was a front-running optional claiming winner April 18 for then-trainer and co-owner Burl McBride.