Wavell Avenue Looks for Gallant Bloom Rebound
Wavell Avenue wins this year's Shine Again Stakes at Saratoga Skip DicksteinWavell Avenue Looks for Gallant Bloom Rebound
by Frank Angst @BH_FAngst
Last year's TwinSpires.com Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) winner Wavell Avenue will try to bounce back from a sixth-place finish in the Ballerina Stakes (gr. I) when she faces an expected six other fillies and mares in the $300,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap (gr. II) Oct. 1 at Belmont Park.
In the seven-furlong Ballerina, Wavell Avenue appeared to be well-placed for her ususal late rally, but displayed no kick and finished sixth in the Aug. 27 race at Saratoga Race Course. Since that race, the 5-year-old Harlington mare has breezed a half-mile and five furlongs for trainer Chad Brown.
Two starts back Wavell Avenue scored a clear victory in the Shine Again Stakes Aug. 3 at Saratoga. Last year Wavell Avenue finished second in the Gallant Bloom to New York-bred La Verdad, who went on to be named champion female sprinter of 2015.
This year's Gallant Bloom also features a trio of talented New York-breds in grade III winner and grade I-placed Hot City Girl, a 4-year-old daughter of City Zip who enters off a clear win in the restricted Union Avenue Stakes Aug. 18 at Saratoga; multiple graded stakes-placed Wonder Gal, a 4-year-old Tiz Wonderful filly who enters off an 11 1/2-length win in a Saratoga allowance/optional claiming race; and another 4-year-old Tiz Wonderful filly in Quezon, a two-time stakes winner who finished second in the Union Avenue.
Gallant Bloom H. (gr. II)
Belmont Park, Saturday, 10/1, race 7
$300,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 6.5f (dirt), 4:04 PM (local)
| P# PP | Horse, Sire, Age/Sex, Jockey, Owner | Wgt M/L |
|---|---|---|
| 1 1 | Fusaichi Red (KY) Fusaichi Pegasus, 4/f, J–Junior Alvarado, O–Smart Choice Stable | 115 30/1 |
| 2 2 | Quezon (NY) Tiz Wonderful, 4/f, J–Javier Castellano, O–Keller, Marc | 114 10/1 |
| 3 3 | Hot City Girl (NY) City Zip, 4/f, J–Jose L. Ortiz, O–Lady Sheila Stable | 118 5/1 |
| 4 4 | Paulassilverlining (KY) Ghostzapper, 4/f, J–John R. Velazquez, O–Scuderi, Vincent, S. | 120 3/1 |
| 5 5 | Momameamaria (KY) Quality Road, 4/f, J–Manuel Franco, O–Two Tone Farms | 114 15/1 |
| 6 6 | Wavell Avenue (ON) Harlington, 5/m, J–Joel Rosario, O–Dubb, M., Simon, D., Head of Plains Partners LLC and Bethlehem Stables LLC | 121 2/1 |
| 7 7 | Wonder Gal (NY) Tiz Wonderful, 4/f, J–Irad Ortiz, Jr., O–Treadway Racing Stable | 117 5/2 |
Breeders: 1-Jack Anderson; 2-Apache Farm LLC; 3-Eklektikos Stable LLC; 4-Vince Scuderi; 5-White Fox Farm; 6-Eugene Melnyk; 7-Apache Farm LLC
