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Jacaranda puts perfect mark on line in Davona Dale; Main Sequence returns

Unbeaten Tempted winner Jacaranda tries two turns for the first time in the Davona Dale (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Saturday's $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park is a scoring race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks (G1), worth 50 points to the winner, but the one-mile contest has lured two fillies who are nominated to the Triple Crown -- unbeaten Jacaranda (Congrats) and Puca (Big Brown). Jacaranda, a half-sister to last year's Florida Derby (G1) and recent Donn H. (G1) star Constitution (Tapit), has won both of her starts in New York by a combined margin of 8 1/2 lengths. The Mike Hushion filly was last seen landing the November 2 Tempted (G3), held over a similar one-turn mile at Aqueduct, and she has been training forwardly at Palm Meadows for her Florida premiere. Jose Ortiz retains the mount on the pace factor, who has drawn an inside spot in post 3. Puca has yet to win a stakes for Hall of Famer Bill Mott, but she turned heads with a 16-length maiden conquest at Belmont last fall. Shipped to Santa Anita for the November 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Puca ran into a traffic snarl en route to a frustrating sixth. A half-sister to turf marathoner Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt), Puca figures to excel as the distances increase, so whatever she accomplishes in this reappearance is a bonus.

Cavorting (Bernardini), shelved following a disappointing seventh in the October 4 Frizette (G1) in the Belmont slop, aims to regain the winning thread. A Stonestreet homebred trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Cavorting had been a rising star last summer when romping in a Belmont maiden and capturing the Adirondack (G2) at Saratoga. Anything resembling her best would put her right in the mix, if she can overcome post 12.

The ubiquitous Todd Pletcher has no fewer than three entrants – Eskenformoney (Eskendereya), who has dominated both of her Gulfstream starts and looks primed for her class hike into stakes company; Enchantress (Malibu Moon), well beaten in her two previous stakes tries; and Genre (Bernardini), fourth to Eskenformoney last out.

Others with good form at the meet include the respective top two from the January 24 Forward Gal (G2) at seven furlongs, Birdatthewire (Summer Bird) and Lassofthemohicans (Indian Charlie). Fourth-placer Ekati's Phaeton (Tale of Ekati), who had previously taken the six-furlong Old Hat (G3), faces a distance question here. Skipalute (Midnight Lute) was eased in the Forward Gal, but her earlier seconds in the Matron (G2) and Delta Downs Princess (G3) give her a chance. Money'soncharlotte (Mizzen Mast), a distant third in the Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds, is intriguing on the cutback for Kelly Breen but must gun it early from post 14.

Star quality abounds elsewhere on the card, especially thanks to newly minted champion turf and older male Main Sequence (Aldebaran), who returns to action in the $200,000 Mac Diarmida (G2). Four-for-four last season with scores in the United Nations (G1), Sword Dancer Invitational (G1), Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (G1) and Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), the Graham Motion trainee also ranked as a Horse of the Year finalist. Main Sequence is using this 1 3/8-mile turf event as his springboard to the March 28 Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1).

Four-for-four in the U.S., Main Sequence is tuning up for the Dubai Sheema Classic (Carl Sari/Equi-Photo) Familiar foe Twilight Eclipse (Purim) garnered minor awards behind Main Sequence in that same quartet of 2014 races. His main hope of revenge lies in his expertise over the Gulfstream course. The world record-setter for 1 1/2 miles here in the 2013 Pan American (G2), Twilight Eclipse is also the defending champion of the Mac Diarmida. The only other plausible upset candidate is Pletcher's lightly-raced four-year-old Divine Oath (Broken Vow), who beat older horses in the December 27 W.L. McKnight (G3). The $150,000 Canadian Turf (G3), in contrast, came up far more evenly matched on paper. Top contenders in the mile event include Tampa Bay Derby (G2), Saranac (G3) and Hill Prince (G3) victor Ring Weekend (Tapit) from the Motion barn; Mott's Twilight Derby (G2) scorer Long on Value (Value Plus); Pletcher's capable Jack Milton (War Front), freshened since his ninth in the September 14 Woodbine Mile (Can-G1); French import Mutin (Kentucky Dynamite); Grand Tito (Candy Ride), who has been chasing the high-class Mshawish (Medaglia d'Oro) in his last two; Excaper (Exchange Rate), most recently second to Mshawish in the December 13 El Prado; last year's Canadian Turf near-misser Mr. Online (Silent Name); and elder statesman Guys Reward (Grand Reward).

Riposte (Dansili), who was sidelined after victories in last year's Sheepshead Bay (G2) and New York S. (G2), resurfaces from a nearly eight-month layoff in the $100,000 The Very One S. (G3) over 1 3/8 grassy miles. Trained by Mott for Juddmonte Farms, the homebred mare will clash with two from the Christophe Clement barn – former Canadian champion Irish Mission (Giant's Causeway) and Tabreed (Sakhee), the one-two from the December 27 La Prevoyante (G3) over the course. Motion sends out Kitten's Point (Kitten's Joy), a last-to-first winner of the January 18 Astra at Santa Anita, while Caroline Thomas (Giant's Causeway) just missed in Keeneland's October 19 Dowager for Barclay Tagg.

Speechify (Harlan's Holiday) bids for his third straight win in the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs. The Team Valor International runner, who subsists on a special diet of soup, has bowled his foes over in the November 16 Kenny Noe Jr. at Gulfstream Park West and the December 27 Mr. Prospector (G3) at this venue. Also exiting a convincing local win is Weekend Hideaway (Speightstown), four lengths the best in the January 17 Florida Sunshine Millions Sprint. Undefeated Mean Season (Henny Hughes) hopes to stay perfect off a nearly year-long layoff for Mott, and Happy My Way (Wilko) C. Zee (Elusive Bluff) and Prudhoe Bay (Songandaprayer) add further depth to the competitive group.

The $100,000 Rampart (G3) for distaffers around a one-turn mile has attracted House Rules (Distorted Humor), who crushed the January 2 Bal Harbour H. at this track and trip; recent Miami Shores winner Wedding Toast (Street Sense); Thank You Marylou (Birdstone), third in both the November 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) and December 26 La Brea (G1) in her last pair; Got Lucky (A.P. Indy), two-for-two at Gulfstream; and the respective second and third from the January 17 Florida Sunshine Millions Distaff, Sheer Drama (Burning Roma) and Flutterby (Congrats).

The only non-graded stakes on the program is the $75,000 Ladies Turf Sprint, a five-furlong dash highlighted by the streaking Fascinante (Medaglia d'Oro); last-out Lightning City S. heroine Double Secret (Double Honor) and Pan Zareta queen Good Deed (Broken Vow); the consistent Jewel of a Cat (Wildcat Heir); Wildcat Lily (D'wildcat), who tries to transfer her game from dirt; and horse-for-the-course stakes debutante Catching Fireflies (Value Plus).

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