Mordi's Miracle scores in Millions Classic Preview

The fact that Mordi's Miracle was making just his third try against stakes

rivals probably contributed to his 10-1 status in Saturday's $150,000

Millions Classic Preview at Gulfstream Park, but that certainly didn't stop

the Zayat Stables colorbearer from running away with the race in the stretch to

record a three-length victory.

Before the field ever even came out of their stalls, though, Breeders' Cup

Classic star Mucho Macho Man paraded in front of the grandstand and walking ring

to the delight of his fans. Stepping out to the Village People's "Macho Man,"

the massive bay five-year-old sported his Classic blanket as he greeted the

public.

Once the Millions Classic Preview got underway, Edgar Prado settled Mordi's

Miracle into a three-wide stalking position in third as Souper Speedy and Sr.

Quisqueyano duked it out on the lead through opening splits of :24 and :47 2/5.

Mordi's Miracle had moved up into second by the time the latter had ticked off

six furlongs in 1:11 1/5, and soon after took control.

The Todd Pletcher trainee easily pulled away to finish 1 1/16 miles on the

fast main track in 1:42 4/5 while paying $22.60 for the victory. Souper Speedy

battled back to stick his neck in front of Sr. Quisqueyano on the wire to take

second, and it was another 7 3/4 lengths back to fourth-placer Cash Rules.

Jackson Bend, Joshua's Comprise and Red Hills completed the order of finish.

Mordi's Miracle is now 13-3-4-1 in his career and improved his earnings to

$263,177 with Saturday's first stakes victory. The four-year-old chestnut son of

Lawyer Ron did well in his other two tries against black-type company, running

second in the March 23 Excelsior at Aqueduct before returning two races later to

be third in the August 3 West Virginia Governor's at Mountaineer Park.

The inaugural Sunshine Millions Preview Day got underway at Gulfstream in the $150,000

Millions Distaff Preview when Miller Racing LLC's My Pal Chrisy made it three stakes wins in a row, and

remained unbeaten since joining trainer Marty Wolfson's shedrow, by three parts of a length under jockey

Jonathan Gonzales.

The bay daughter of Alex's Pal ran 1 1/16 miles on the good dirt in 1:44

after stalking in fourth early and taking command nearing the quarter-pole. She

was sent off the 1-5 favorite and paid $2.60 for the win over early pacesetter

and near 5-2 second choice Awesome Belle.

My Pal Chrisy began her racing career with trainer Padarath Lutchman, scoring

three stakes victories and placing in seven others, including the Princess

Rooney Handicap earlier this year. Following a second in the Nancy's Glitter

Handicap, the five-year-old mare was sent to Wolfson, who proceeded to saddle

her to wins in the Paseana and Musical Romance at Gulfstream.

Now boasting an 11-5-7 mark from 41 career starts, My Pal Chrisy has banked

$711,168 lifetime.

A couple races later, Robert Leibner's Bad Debt took command of the $125,000

Millions Turf Preview rounding the turn with Joel Rosario aboard and never

looked back en route to a drawing-off 6 1/2-length victory. Trained by Michael

Trombetta, the gelded son of Grand Reward stopped the clock for 1 1/16 miles on

the firm turf in 1:45.

This was Bad Debt's third career stakes win, as he also captured back-to-back

editions of the Bonnie Heath Turf Cup Handicap (2011-12). The bay six-year-old

just missed by a head in his past two, the Who's to Pay at Belmont Park on

September 21 and Gulfstream's Armed Forces on Independence Day.

Bad Debt, who returned $3.80 for the win as the 4-5 favorite in the Millions

Turf Preview, was also third in the Red Bank at Monmouth Park earlier this

season and filled that same spot in the 2012 Florida Sunshine Millions Turf,

where he is probably headed following this start. The gelding will take with him

a 46-14-12-10 line and $691,040 in career earnings.

Lone Stable LLC's Parranda wasn't the favorite in the $125,000

Millions Filly & Mare Turf Preview, instead defeating even-money choice

Silsita by 1 3/4 lengths as the 3-1 second pick. The Rodolfo Garcia-trained

four-year-old ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:46 1/5 on the grass, which had been

downgraded to good due to showers moving through the area.

Parranda and jockey Jose Lezcano rated in midpack before making their winning

run, which rewarded the English Channel filly's backers with $8. She earned her

second straight stakes score following a 2 1/4-length triumph in the Our Dear

Peggy over the course in late September. The chestnut filly also just missed by

a head in the Omnibus and was fifth by only 2 1/2 lengths in the Matchmaker,

both at Monmouth Park, this season.

Parranda now shows a 17-6-2-2 record to go along with $263,955 in lifetime

earnings.

Wildcat Red proved best in the $125,000

Juvenile Sprint, but saw the win taken away by the stewards and awarded to

GZS Stable LLC's Bolita Boyz, who finished 1 1/4 lengths behind in second.

Bolita Boyz was closing fast on Wildcat Red in the lane, but was forced to

check and go to that bay colt's inside when he bore out under left-handed

encouragement from jockey Edgard Zayas. Wildcat Red went on to finish 6 1/2

furlongs on the fast dirt in 1:17 4/5, but the inquiry sign was immediately

posted by the stewards, who took some time to deliberate before making the

disqualification official.

That gave Paco Lopez and trainer Bill White the win in the Juvenile Sprint,

and improved Bolita Boyz's record to read 5-3-0-1, $111,790. The Act of Duty

colt was making his stakes bow in the race, having broken his maiden two back

prior to an 8 1/4-length allowance victory last out on October 13, both at

Calder. He was worth $15.60 for the win as the near 7-1 fourth choice.

In the sister race to the Juvenile Sprint, Puddifoot lived up to her 3-2

favoritism against 13 rivals when drawing off for a six-length victory in the

$125,000

Juvenile Filly Sprint with Lopez in the irons. The Ed Plesa Jr. trainee, who

is campaigned by Trilogy Stable, EICO Stables and Laurie Plesa, paid $5 for

moving her record to a perfect two-for-two.

Puddifoot tracked the early pace on the backstretch before being forced to

steady rounding the turn when looking for running room. The gray daughter of Red

Giant took off and pulled away to complete 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track in

1:17 2/5. In the process, Puddifoot increased her career earnings to $96,600

having taken her maiden debut by 4 3/4 lengths at Monmouth Park on September 28.

In the $100,000

Juvenile Filly Turf, Ramona S. Bass LLC's Courtesan ran down 5-2 second

choice and pacesetter Lemon Point to score by three parts of a length on the

wire. Joe Bravo was aboard as the Christophe Clement pupil crossed under the

wire in a final time of 1:39 4/5 for a mile on the good turf.

Courtesan was the 5-2 second choice in this spot and gave back $7.20 for the

win over Lemon Point, the 5-2 third pick who was clear by 3 1/2 lengths in the

stretch after setting fractions of :24, :49 3/5, 1:14 2/5 and 1:26 4/5. The

winner just got up in the final strides to improve her record to 4-2-0-2,

$134,500.

Courtesan has now either won or finished third in her four career starts.

After filling the show spot in an August 9 Saratoga maiden special weight, the

bay daughter of Street Sense returned a month later at the Spa to take her

initial win by a half-length. She tried stakes rivals next out at Keeneland,

finishing third in the Jessamine in early October, before traveling south for

this contest.

The $100,000

Juvenile Turf wrapped up the stakes action at Gulfstream on Saturday as

Notyouraveragejoe just held off 4-5 favorite Here's Johnny to score by a

half-length on the wire. The win, which paid $68 by the 33-1 longshot winner,

gave Lopez his third black-type win on the day as his mount stopped the

teletimer in 1:39 3/5 for a mile on the good grass.

Notyouraveragejoe was making his stakes and turf bow in this spot for trainer

Stephen DiMauro, who sent the bay son of Discreet Cat to break his maiden by a

neck on September 15 in an off-the-turf contest at Gulfstream. The juvenile colt

now shows $93,240 in earnings to go along with his 5-2-1-0 career line.

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