By J.N. Campbell
R Harper Rose (Khozan) represented her fellow Florida-breds well in Saturday's GIII Forward Gal S. over the Hallandale strip as she dropped the hammer down the lane to win.
The OBS March grad made her debut a winning one as she streaked to a gate-to-wire finish by 6 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park in early August. Stepping into optional claiming company over the same surface Sept. 22, the filly was equally as potent when she won by 5 3/4 lengths.
On her home floor last fall, the bay took on Florida sire stakes company and won going seven furlongs in the Susan's Girl S. Oct. 21, but ran out of steam at a mile and sixteenth as the runner-up in the My Dear Girl S. Dec. 2.
Cutting back and as the 2-1 second choice here, the 3-year-old was content to allow Fiona's Magic (St Patrick's Day) to show the way up the backstretch. R Harper Rose kept close tabs on the leader and around the far turn she was given her cue. With a fluid, sweeping move, she took control at the quarter pole and ran on professionally to collect her first graded stakes win as the early pacesetter was second.
“She's so fast but she can settle, and back doing what she wants to do going one turn,” said trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
“I'm just proud of her today. Everything went right into this race, and she showed it today. Edgar [Zayas] was very patient. They broke well, [Fiona's Magic] wanted the lead and he didn't force the issue. I think the first three-eighths of the race it worked to our advantage. It wasn't a crazy pace.
“This is it for her, one turn. We're not going to experiment. Last time things didn't go right but we're going to keep her to one turn. There's a lot of races for her at one turn.”
Pedigree Notes:
This is multiple leading Florida sire Khozan's fourth stateside graded stakes winner out of six crops of racing age. The winner's dam registered a foal last year when she produced a filly by Leinster, but True Bliss was not bred for this season. Her half-siblings include MSW Cherokee Triangle (Cherokee Run) and GSW Hierro (Hard Spun), who Stonestreet acquired for $350,000 at the OBS Select 2-Year-Old Sale in 2011.
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
FORWARD GAL S.-GIII, $145,000, Gulfstream, 2-3, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:24.34, ft.
1–R HARPER ROSE, 120, f, 3, by Khozan
1st Dam: True Bliss, by Yes It's True
2nd Dam: Brief Bliss, by Navarone
3rd Dam: Annul, by Conquistador Cielo
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($16,000 Ylg '22 OBSOCT; $60,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). O-Averill Racing LLC and Two Eight Racing LLC; B-Sally J. Andersen (FL); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.; J-Edgard J. Zayas. $86,725. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $344,025. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Fiona's Magic, 120, f, 3, St Patrick's Day–Mollie's Magic, by Factum. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Stonehedge LLC (FL); T-Michael Yates. $30,750.
3–Chi Chi, 120, f, 3, Audible–Simply Confection, by Candy Ride (Arg). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($47,000 RNA Ylg '22 OBSWIN). O-Sam Wilensky; B-France Weiner (FL); T-Herman Wilensky. $16,375.
Margins: 2, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 2.20, 5.30, 24.30.
Also Ran: Scalable, Nikitis, Witwatersrand. Scratched: Kissedbyanangel.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
With her ears up, #FLBred R HARPER ROSE (Khozan) wins the GIII Forward Gal at @GulfstreamPark! 💨 pic.twitter.com/mZnsjB13lG
— TDN (@theTDN) February 3, 2024
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
