Lion Lake Upsets Sister Troienne in Herecomesthebride (G3)

Lush Lips Opens Season with $175,000 Honey Fox (G3) Win

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Emcee Stable’s Irish-bred Lion Lake, exiting a maiden win over the course four weeks ago, came with a determined run along the inside to catch Sister Troienne in the shadow of the wire and snap the favorite’s five-race win streak in in Saturday’s $200,000 Canadian Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 41st running of the Honey Fox for older fillies and mares going a two-turn mile on the grass was the seventh of nine stakes, eight graded, worth $2.025 million in purses on a blockbuster program anchored by the $425,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds on the road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Lion Lake ($24.20) was the second stakes win of the day for trainer Brendan Walsh following another last-out Irish-bred graduate, Vasy, in the $200,000 Colonel Liam for 3-year-olds on the turf. The winning time was 1:32.80 over a firm course.

Sister Troienne, favored at 3-5 off five straight wins including stakes in each of her three prior starts at the Championship Meet, broke alertly from outside Post 9 and settled in second behind pacesetter Sapphire Beach through a quarter-mile in 23.58 seconds and a half in 47.33. Gaffalione positioned Lion Lake saving ground inside in third.

Turning for home Sister Troienne wrested the lead away from Sapphire Beach and was set down for a drive by regular rider Mario Gutierrez. After tipping Lion Lake to the outside leaving the far turn, Gaffalione swung back inside midway down the stretch and continued to gain ground relentlessly until surging past in the final jump to win by a head.

“The filly in front, she’s a tough one to run down. She’s very talented,” Gaffalione said. “But my filly was giving me everything she had. She just keeps improving and today she put it all together. I’m very proud of her effort, and a great job by Brendan and his team. When she made her move into the stretch I kind of let my filly follow her and she wasn’t really getting away from me and we were able to reel her in.”

Sister Troienne held second, with stablemate and 24-1 longshot Storm’s Wake making a late run for third. They were followed by Spirit Doll, Sapphire Beach, Spicy Princess, Connect the Stars and Brat Pack.

Lion Lake was making her third start of the Championship Meet, Prior to her three-quarter-length triumph going 7 ½ furlongs Jan. 30, she came from last to run third by a half length in a similar 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight spot Dec. 24.

Next up for 3-year-old fillies on the turf is the $175,000 Sanibel Island going 7 ½ furlongs March 28 on the undercard of the Curlin Florida Derby.

“She likes the track down here and hopefully she’ll go on to bigger and better things,” Walsh said. “Maybe we’ll bring her back here on Florida Derby Day as well.”

The Herecomesthebride honors the daughter of Al Hattab, trained by Jimmy Cross Jr., that wo 12 of 16 starts including Gulfstream’s 1977 Bonnie Miss and the Columbiana (G3) and Poinciana at Hialeah.

Lush Lips Opens Season with $175,000 Honey Fox (G3) Win

Dixiana Farms’ British-bred Grade 1 winner Lush Lips became millionaire in dramatic fashion Saturday at Gulfstream Park, coming with a steady late run to edge stubborn pacesetter Classic Q in the $175,000 Honey Fox (G3) for older fillies and mares on the grass.

The 41st running of the Honey Fox going a two-turn mile was the third stakes win of the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) Day program for trainer Brendan Walsh, following Irish-breds Vasy in the $200,000 Colonel Liam and Lion Lake in the $200,000 Herecomesthebride (G3), the latter also with jockey Tyler Gaffalione.

Making her 4-year-old debut, Lush Lips ($5.40) won her third consecutive race, all in graded-stakes, after capturing the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) and Mrs. Revere (G2) to cap her sophomore season. Walsh also won last year’s Honey Fox with Special Wan.

“A lot of it comes down to them. The good ones [develop] themselves,” Walsh said. “You be nice to them and treat them well, but she does that herself. She’s just a class act and hopefully there will be plenty more in front of her.”

Lush Lips settled in the clear in fifth as Classic Q, third by less than a length to Lush Lips in the Mrs. Revere, took the early initiative and ran an unchallenged first quarter-mile in 23.79 seconds. Silver Moonlight and Souper Zonda raced together just behind with Movin’ On Up also in contention.

Classic Q maintained her advantage around the far turn and into the stretch, and began to edge away from her rivals after going six furlongs in 1:11.12 but Lush Lips was just getting herself going, revving up on the far outside with an eye-catching late run to get up by three-quarters of a length.

“She’s really come into this year in great form,” Gaffalione said. “She’s learned how to relax. She’s put it all together.”

Classic Q held second by a neck over Silver Moonlight. Crevalle d’Oro, Movin’ On Up, Public Defender and Souper Zonda completed the order of finish. Fantastic Flame, Gata Brazil and Queens Command were scratched.

Lush Lips earned $91,140 for the victory, pushing her career bankroll to $1,007,900. She had four wins and three seconds in seven starts last year, kicked off by an optional claiming allowance victory last January at Gulfstream, where she is 3-0 with other wins on the turf and all-weather Tapeta.

“I think she gets better and better,” Walsh said. “I thought she was very good today considering we hadn’t cranked on her. We just gave her a little break for about a month, six weeks, and then brought her back with the plan for today and then possibly to go to Keeneland after here.”

A Florida-bred daughter of Minnesota Mac, Honey Fox won five consecutive starts in 1980-81 including Gulfstream’s Suwannee River and Orchid (G3). Among her 13 lifetime wins were the 1982 Black Helen (G2) and Columbiana at Hialeah.