Starship Impulsive Seeks to Double Up in Martha Washington

Thursday’s 20-Cent Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $75,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Starship Impulsive will seek to follow up a recent stakes-debut victory with a win in Saturday’s $75,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Should the Starship Stables’ daughter of Improbable prevail over a well-balanced field of eight other 3-year-old fillies in the 1 1/16-mile turf feature and go on to enjoy a full career of stakes success, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Just look at her mother, K P Wildcat.

Starship Impulsive’s dam won 13 of her 22 starts between October 2015 – January 2019, including nine stakes/handicap victories on the New Mexico circuit, before concluding her career with a runner-up finish in the La Canada (G3) at Santa Anita. Starship Impulsive has won three of six starts thus far.

“She’s just beginning to understand what she’s supposed to do. Once she did, she just keeps getting better and better,” trainer Steve Dwoskin said.

Starship Impulsive graduated at five furlongs on turf in her third career start before finishing off the board in her first race on Tapeta at five furlongs. Back on turf and sent around two turns for the first time, she registered a front-running two-length score in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance April 5 at Gulfstream. She came right back to capture the May 3 Honey Ryder at a mile on turf in front-running fashion.

“She’s got the speed, and she gets there pretty easy. When they start coming at her, she’s got something left to kick in,” Dwoskin said.

Starship Impulsive has produced three strong breezes in preparation for the Martha Washington, including a ‘bullet’ five-furlong workout May 24.

“She’s very easy to train. She does whatever you want her to do,” Dwoskin said. “She’s just a nice horse.”

Leonel Reyes, who has been aboard for her two recent victories, has the return mount on Starship Impulsive.

Starship Stables’ will also be represented by Heather Smullen-trained Starship Melody in the Martha Washington, which will co-headline Saturday’s program with the $75,000 Not Surprising, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds. Starship Melody, a daughter of Vekoma who is coming off an optional claiming allowance win on Tapeta, will be ridden by Luca Panici.

Palm Beach Racing V LLC’s Miss Mary Nell will seek her first stakes success in the Martha Washington after winning three of her last six starts, all on Tapeta. In her most recent start, the daughter of Girvin finished second against males in an open allowance.

“Miss Mary Nell is doing good right now. Her last out against males was a great performance. Hopefully, she can come back to her turf form,” said trainer Carlos David via text.

Miss Mary Nell, who graduated on turf but has only run on grass twice, will be ridden by Edwin Gonzalez for the first time Saturday.

Special Aviators LLC, Span Investments and trainer Rohan Crichton’s Special Aviator, a stakes winner at two, will seek to recapture that form Saturday. In her two most recent starts, she finished second, beaten a head by Miss Mary Nell, in a Tapeta allowance before racing evenly to finish fifth behind Starship Impulsive in the Honey Ryder.

Samuel Camacho Jr. is slated to ride the daughter of Global Campaign for the first time in the Martha Washinton.

Leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will be represented in the field by Corinne and William Heiligbrodt’s Bellavinino, a multiple stakes-placed daughter of Get Stormy, and Lou Donato’s La Cantera, a daughter of Persian King. Edgard Zayas has the call on Bellavinino, while Wilfred Vasquez has the call on La Cantera.

D J Stable LLC’s It’s Witchcraft, fourth in the Honey Ryder, and Richmar Racing Stable LLC’s We Sea You, who soundly defeated weaker in last two, round out the field.

Thursday’s 20-Cent Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $75,000

Thursday’s 20-cent Rainbow2 6 jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $75,000 at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for one racing day following last Saturday’s jackpot hit for $143,445.12.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, capped by a mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up in Race 9. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Catalytic will seek to break a string of four straight runner-up finishes. The 4-year-old son of Catalina Cruiser, who is the 8-5 morning-line favorite, was a distant second behind Fierceness in the 2024 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) before finishing far back in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

In the Rainbow 6, the carryover pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool usually goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.