Pennsylvania-bred Bronx Beauty will return to Gulfstream Park Jan. 23 in an attempt to do two things: redeem herself from last year's off-the-board finish in the $200,000 Inside Information Stakes (G2) and to finally bring home her first graded victory.
Trained by Anthony Margotta Jr. for 2W Stables, 6-year-old Bronx Beauty has banked eight stakes wins in her 25-start career. The daughter of Liaison came close to achieving her goal in December at Gulfstream in the Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3) but came up just a head short of the win after a hard-fought stretch duel.
In all, 22 of Bronx Beauty's starts have come in stakes, six of them graded.
"We bought her to take advantage of the Pennsylvania-bred program because we're right across the road in New Jersey. She really turned out to be a very, very hard-knocker," Margotta said. "We didn't pay much for her, but she's earned more than $600,000, and she just got the elusive grade 3 placing. It was almost a grade 3 win. We almost got it by default.
"She's been a very productive, very sound filly. You look at her record. Fortunately we've been able to manage her along nicely," he added. "She won the MATCH series the year before last when that came back into play, which was a great thing for everybody. She's just really been a pleasure to have around."
Bronx Beauty turned in a three-furlong breeze from the gate in :37.87 Jan. 16 at Gulfstream Park. While she is one of only two 6-year-olds in Saturday's field, Margotta said the mare has shown no signs of slowing down. With graded stakes glory still on the table, it would appear that neither Bronx Beauty nor her owners are keen to bow out of the racing game just yet.
"Sometimes that will happen, and she's shown no signs of that," said Margotta. "And on the flipside of that coin, you will see some older fillies and mares that really light up the board later in their careers at 4 or 5. Quite frankly, we had offers to sell her as a broodmare but (the owner) is in the game to race. He loves the game. We're blessed to have her in the barn.
"We're going to give her another year. The people that own the horse are longtime clients and sportsmen, and they don't jump right into the breeding shed. They like to race," he added. "We're going to see how we do here. Obviously, a grade 2 on her resume, if she hits the board, would be great. If she wins, we're over the moon. She's a valuable broodmare no matter what happens."
The other Pennsylvania-bred in the field is 4-year-old Cinnabunny (by Golden Lad ), a troubled third in the Sugar Swirl. Trained by Brad Cox for the partnership of Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Michael Anspach, and Bethlehem Stables, the Inside Information will be only the second graded start for the filly.
Hoping to get back to graded stakes-winning form is CJ Thoroughbreds, Left Turn Racing, and Casner Racing's Sally's Curlin. Trained by Dale Romans, the late-running 5-year-old daughter of Curlin is a two-time grade 3 winner but has failed to challenge in her last two starts. One of her stakes wins came locally in last year's Hurricane Bertie Stakes (G3) at seven furlongs.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 23, 2021, Race 9Entries: Inside Information S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Dream Marie (KY) Leonel Reyes 118 Matthew J. Williams 5/1 2 2Cinnabunny (PA) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Brad H. Cox 3/1 3 3Bronx Beauty (PA) Luis Saez 120 Anthony R. Margotta, Jr. 8/1 4 4Thissmytime (FL) Edgard J. Zayas 120 Kathleen O'Connell 7/2 5 5Piedi Bianchi (IN) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Steve Klesaris 12/1 6 6Pacific Gale (KY) John R. Velazquez 118 John C. Kimmel 6/1 7 7Sally's Curlin (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 120 Dale L. Romans 9/2 8 8Sound Machine (FL) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 8/1
