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C. Zee posts mild upset in Gulfstream Park Sprint

C. Zee is now a three-time stakes winner over the Gulfstream Park strip (Lauren King/Adam Coglianese Photography) After losing ground around from second around the far turn, C. Zee (Elusive Bluff) re-rallied in the stretch to capture the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3) on Saturday. A half-length behind Happy My Way (Wilko) through a quarter in :22 3/5, C. Zee dropped two lengths back as second choice Mean Season (Henny Hughes) split those two around the turn and hit the half in :45. Happy My Way re-claimed the lead in the stretch, opening up 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong to go. Shifting off the rail, C. Zee wore down that rival late under Edgard Zayas to post the win in time of 1:17 4/5 for 6 1/2 furlongs on a fast track. "We had a bad post position and when they scratched the 1 (Prudhoe Bay [Songandaprayer]) it got even worse," Zayas said. "We decided that we had to get out of the gate fast and try to get a good position. I saved all the ground that I could, but coming into the stretch I saw Happy My Way open up a little bit. I got the opportunity to go outside a little bit and he came on strong. I felt good in the stretch. Once I took him outside, he just started running and running. I knew I was going to get there."

A homebred racing for Jacks or Better Farm, the Stanley Gold-trained C. Zee paid $14.20 as the 6-1 fourth choice in a field of seven.

Happy My Way was a clear second, 3 1 /4 lengths ahead of Speechify (Harlan's Holiday). Puntrooskie (In Summation), 8-5 favorite Weekend Hideaway (Speightstown), City of Weston (Holy Bull), and Mean Season rounded out the order of finish following the scratch of Prudhoe Bay.

This was the third career stakes win for C. Zee, who also landed the $75,000 Sir Bear last May and the $75,000 Cherokee Run last July, both at Gulfstream. He's placed in five other stakes, including the Amsterdam (G2), Phoenix (G3) and Hutcheson (G3). He preceded this win with a second against allowance foes on February 8. His record now stands at 14-4-5-3, $363,902.

The Florida-bred C. Zee was produced by the stakes-placed Diamondaire (Distorted Humor), who has also reared the stakes-placed Awesome Ice (Awesome of Course). This is the female family of two-time sprint champion Housebuster (Mt. Livermore) and Grade 2 winners Quero Quero (Royal Academy), Harvard Avenue (You and I), and Be Gentle (Tale of the Cat).

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