Mystic Lake Set for Title Defense in Sugar Swirl

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – C2 Racing Stable LLC and Stefania Farms LLC’s Mystic Lake will seek her fifth stakes victory in a row Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the 4-year-old daughter of Mo Town is scheduled to make a title defense in the $125,000 Sugar Swirl.

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained filly has been installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in a field of seven fillies and mares assembled for the six-furlong sprint, one of five stakes to be contested on Saturday’s 11-race program that will be co-headlined by the $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3), a 1 1/16-mile prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 24, and the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G3), a 1 1/8-mile turf prep for $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

Mystic Lake won last year’s Sugar Swirl from just off the pace before going on to win the Inside Information (G2) at Gulfstream in her next outing. After finishing off the board against Grade 1 company at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, the 4-year-old Florida-bred filly went on to win four straight stakes at four different racetracks, capturing the Memorial Day Sprint at Lone Star, the Dashing Beauty at Delaware, the Pink Ribbon at Charles Town and the Liberty Bell at Parx.

“We’ve given her a little break after her last race because we want her to hopefully have a good campaign next year,” said Joseph, whose morning-line favorite last ran on Sept. 23. “This is the starting point. We feel like she’s fit enough to be competitive in this race. Hopefully, she’s fit enough to get the job done and then we can move forward toward next year.”

Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard for Mystic Lake’s two most recent starts, has the return mount.

Joseph will also be represented in the Sugar Swirl by Averill Racing LLC’s R Morning Brew, who showed enormous potential while winning the Florida Sire Stakes Desert Vixen following a winning debut in 2024. The 3-year-old daughter of Curlin’s Honor went winless in her four subsequent starts before returning from a layoff of nearly six mounts to win a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance Sept. 20 at Gulfstream, where she most recently finished third after pressing the pace in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance.

“She started promising. Then her form went south. When they go south like that, they give you two or three in a row. She gave us two or three races we thought were not her,” Joseph said. “We gave her some time off and she’s come back after the time off improved. They normally show that improvement from 2 to 3 just naturally and I feel like she’s shown that improvement her first races back.”

Edgard Zayas has the return mount on R Morning Brew, who is rated fourth at 4-1 on the morning line.

Stephen Rousseau’s Nic’s Style, who is rated second on the morning line at 9-5, will seek her fourth victory at Gulfstream Park without defeat. The 5-year-old daughter of Uncaptured broke her maiden on debut at Gulfstream by 6 ½ lengths May 5, 2022 before returning from a subsequent 15-month layoff to capture a state-bred allowance by 10 ¼ lengths for former trainer Ralph Nicks.

Transferred to Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Nic’s Style won five of her next six starts, including the Hurricane Bertie (G3) at Gulfstream March 8, before going to the sidelines for seven months. The Florida-bred mare finished an even fourth in the Nov. 8 Pumpkin Pie at Aqueduct in her most recent start.

Junior Alvarado, who has been aboard for Nic’s Style’s nine career races, has the return call Saturday.

Owner/trainer Diane Morici’s Ms. Bucchero, a hard-hitting 5-year-old daughter of Bucchero who is rated third on the morning-line at 7-2, will seek her 10th career victory in the Sugar Swirl. The Florida-bred multiple-stakes winner made her Gulfstream debut a winning one last time out with a front-running score in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Ms. Bucchero for the first time Saturday.

Troy Johnson, Wendell Yates and Maritza Westin’s Win N Your In, owner/trainer Michael Lerman’s Secret Revenge and St. Elias Stable’s Kiss Me Slow round out the field.