Lightstream Adds to Loaded Division

In a 3-year-old filly crop already flush with prime talent, a new contender may have burst onto the scene in Sunday's sixth race at Gulfstream Park. Lightstream (Harlan's Holiday) earned a stunning 103 Beyer Speed Figure for her debut win over the Hallandale Beach oval, one of the highest figures for a debutante ever recorded.

It was an effort that included a sluggish start and a long, professional-looking rally to blow past Godolphin firster Kareena (Medaglia d'Oro), who received a strong figure–98 on the Beyer scale–in her own right.

“It's a serious number, that's for sure,” said Lightstream's trainer, Brian Lynch, from his Palm Meadows base Monday. “I guess there weren't too many dirt races there yesterday and I thought the track was dead, so it was really hard to gauge, but it's an impressive number.”

The Australian-born conditioner says he wasn't surprised when his filly broke a step slowly.

“I'm not a real gate guy who's going to crank them to leave there as hard and fast as they can,” Lynch explained. “It's a learning process with mine. I told Julien [Leparoux], 'If you get left a little bit, don't panic, just sit there, let her find her legs and I'm sure you're going to have horse for you later.'”

Seemingly prophetic in his pre-race instructions, Lynch credits his horse's rapport with Leparoux for their winning effort in spite of trouble. The Eclipse Award-winning jockey got to work Lightstream several times in the mornings after her usual exercise rider, Rafael Hernandez, was injured in a spill Feb. 20.

“When Rafael got hurt,” Lynch recalled, “I said [to Leparoux] 'Listen, we've got one here we've slotted as one we really like. Work her a couple times, see what you think and go from there.' So he's had the benefit of working her and he was very happy with her the couple of times he worked her. We knew everybody was on the same page with her. He fits her to a T.”

Lynch is confident Lightstream has more upside to show–which could be bad news for her 3-year-old filly competitors, even in a stacked division that includes heavy-hitters like champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) and Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss).

“I think she's going to come on a ton from that race,” Lynch said. “Fitness-wise, I just had enough air in the tank for her where I didn't think she'd be short, but the rest of it was all her, because I've never really cranked her out on the works. She never worked quicker than a 1:01, one day we had her roll a bit and she worked :47 and change, but she's always done it so comfortably and there was always lots in the gallop-out. I'd say there's a lot more to her.”

In addition to her obvious raw physical talent, Lynch is bullish on the bay filly because of her mature temperament. She was the picture of professionalism pre-race Sunday.

“It's nice when they personify that sort of class,” Lynch said. “She never turned a hair in the paddock, never turned a hair in the post parade and she went about her business like an old horse.”

Lightstream is out of stakes-winning dam North Beach (Arch) and was purchased for $55,000 as a Keeneland September yearling by Canadian Leonard Zenith in the name of his Uphill Stables.

Looking forward, Lynch declined to specify the next target for his prospect, but made it clear he thinks she checks all the boxes of a Classic contender.

“I love the pedigree,” he said. “I've had a few Harlan's Holidays and never had a real good one yet, always wanted to, and she's out of a lovely Arch dam, so there's no reason why she shouldn't get two turns. There's plenty to like about her. She's a big, strong filly with a great attitude. There are a lot of things available for her the rest of the year and we're hoping on the high end.”