Rich Mommy upsets Sugar Swirl

Winds of Change Racing Stable Corp.’s Rich Mommy was sent off at 12-1 in Saturday’s $100,000 Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, but ran like a favorite to score a two-length victory under jockey Luis Saez.

The chestnut filly settled in midpack outside of Stella Performance as 1-2 favorite Dearest raced ahead to set the pace through splits of :22.57 and :45.51 while pressed by True Romance. Entering the turn, Bodacious Babe drew even with and passed Rich Mommy to join the two front runners rounding the bend. Saez swung Rich Mommy wide entering the lane, and the sophomore miss easily ran down her rivals to complete six furlongs in 1:10.44 over the fast main track and return $27.20 for the victory.

Bodacious Babe proved best of the rest, 1 1/4 lengths in front of More Than a Party on the wire. Dearest followed another 2 1/4 lengths behind in fourth, just holding that spot by a neck over True Romance, who in turn had a head in front of Pretty Perfect on the line. It was another head farther back to Stella Performance, who was followed under the wire by Miss Hollywood.

Rich Mommy posted her third straight score and her fourth victory from her past five starts. The Victor Barboza Jr.-trained sophomore was making her stakes bow in this spot, and now boasts a 10-5-3-1 career mark to go along with $162,810 in lifetime earnings.

Bred in Kentucky by Lantern Hill Farm LLC, Rich Mommy was a bargain $6,500 OBS June two-year-old purchase for her owners after selling for only $7,000 in 2015 as a Keeneland September yearling. She is the first registered stakes winner out of the Honour and Glory mare Woodford Girl, who is a half-sister to Grade 3 victor Motor City and multiple stakes heroine Winter Book.

Rich Mommy’s third dam is the stakes-scoring *Young Emperor mare Star Empress, who produced dual Group 3 winner and multiple classic-placed Star of Gdansk. This female family includes Grade 1 winner and Preakness Stakes (G1)-third Eternal Prince as well as multiple Grade 2 hero and successful sire Mt. Livermore.