2017 Sugar Swirl Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida will be the scene of the G3 Sugar Swirl Stakes on Saturday, December 16. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will take to Gulfstream's dirt track and dash six furlongs for the winner's share of the $100,000 purse.

A filed of nine have been confirmed for the Sugar Swirl Stakes - race 7 on Gulfstream's stacked Saturday card. Post time is 3:05 PM. Here is a brief glance into the past performances of all nine entries for this G3 stakes.

2017 Sugar Swirl Stakes Entries at Gulfstream Park

Dearest 6-5

Defending Champion in this race - impressive Edgard Zerpa trained filly has five wins, a second and two third place finishes in her nine career starts. She enters off a disappointing fourth in the G2 Princess Rooney Stakes here July 1 which followed a third in the G2 Inside Information Stakes on this track March 18 and a career-best effort - a win in the 2016 Sugar Swirl Stakes here December 17.

Before that was a respectable second in the G2 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga September 4, 2016 and a nice two race win streak - the minor Azalea Stakes last July 2 and the minor Royal Palm Stakes June 4, 2016 - both on this track. Dearest had been a factor in every career start before a hiccup last time out, has won four of seven races on this track and hopes to continue her role from the rail Saturday. Edgard Zayas will be in the irons of the morning line favorite.

Pretty Perfection 9-2

Kelly Breen trained mare has eight wins, a second and three third-place finishes in 21 career starts. She made her graded stakes debut three starts back and finished an OK fourth in the G2 Presque Isle Downs Masters and has since posted consecutive wins in Allowance races - one at Churchill Downs November 19 and the other at Parx October 23.

She failed to place in four of her prior five starts - an eighth in the listed Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga August 27 followed a sixth in the minor Caress Stakes on that track July 24, a decent second in the listed Satin and Lace Stakes on this track June 18 and two straight off-the-board finishes in listed stakes races. She did post three straight wins to start 2017 however - the minor Captiva Island Stakes March 11, the minor Ladies' Turf Sprint Stakes January 28 and an Allowance Optional Claiming January 4 - all on this track. Pretty Perfection has been up and down in her career but seems to be on one of her up-ticks ahead of this weekend. Nik Juarez rides the second betting choice from post 7.

True Romance 5-1

Timothy Hills trained mare has 26 career starts with four wins, nine seconds and four third-place finishes. She enters off a fourth in the minor Pumpkin Pie Stakes at Aqueduct November 5 which followed a third in her only graded stakes action to date - the G2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland October 7 and a win and a second respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races in the summer.

True Romance has placed in three of her last four starts and hopes for a first ever stakes score from post 5. Paco Lopez has the mount.

Miss Hollywood 6-1

Mark Casse trained mare has placed in eight of nine career starts - three wins, two seconds and three third-place finishes. She makes her graded stakes debut Saturday off an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Belmont Park September 22, a sixth in the listed Interborough Stakes at Aqueduct in January, a third in the minor Added Elegance Stakes in August, 2016 and a win in the minor Monroe Stakes July 31 - both in this track.

Miss Hollywood has been competitive but shoots for a first stakes win in 16 months Saturday - from gate 2 with John Velazquez aboard.

Rich Mommy 12-1

Victor Barboza trained filly has placed in eight of nine career starts - four wins, three seconds and a third-place finish. She makes her stakes debut Saturday on a two- race win streak - both Allowance Optional Claiming with the last coming at Gulfstream Park West November 12 and the other coming on this track September 22. Before that was a second in a similar race October 10 and a Starter Optional Claiming score here in June.

Rich Mommy steps up in good form and will depart from gate 8 Saturday with Luis Saez in the saddle.

Bodacious Babe 15-1

Jane Cibelli trained filly has 15 career starts with three wins, two seconds and five third-place finishes. Last time out was a third in the minor Dashing Beauty Stakes at Delaware Park July 8 after a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Monmouth May 28, a sixth in the minor Primonetta Stakes at Laurel Park April 2 and a third in the minor White Pearl Stakes on this track in February. Before that was a fourth in her only graded stakes action to date - the G3 Hurricane Bertie Stakes here January 21 and a good win in the minor Margate Stakes on this track last December 26.

Bodacious Babe has been OK but has yet to post a stakes win in her career. Jockey Irad Ortiz will try to change all of that from the outside post 9.

More Than a Party 15-1

Has 24 career starts for trainer Edwin Broome with eight wins, four seconds and two third place finishes. She arrives off a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Gulfstream Park West November 12, a sixth in the minor Added Elegance Handicap here July 29 and a tenth in the G2 Princess Rooney Stakes on this track July 1.

Before that was a fourth in the minor Ana T. Handicap here June 2, an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track May 11 and a third and a tenth respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races to start her 2017 campaign. Her only other graded stakes action came in February, 2015 when she finished a good second in the G3 Hurricane Bertie Stakes on this track.

More Than a Party has been OK in her career but has yet to record a stakes win. Jockey Albin Jiminez hopes to change all of that from post 3.

Girls Know Best 15-1

Has six wins in her 10 career starts to go along with a third-place finish. She makes her graded stakes debut Saturday on the heels of a three-race win streak - two Claiming races (one at Churchill Downs November 10 and the other at Keeneland October 15) and an Allowance at Remington Park September 14. Her only stakes action to date resulted in a fifth in the minor EL Gaylord Memorial Stakes in October, 2016.

Girls Know Best steps up in career-best form and will leave from gate 6 with Javier Castellano guiding her.

Stella Performance 20-1

Eric Guillot trained filly has placed in five of seven career starts - two wins, a second and two third-place finishes. She makes her stakes debut Saturday off an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Gulfstream Park West November 25 and a third and a second in a pair of similar races this past fall. She has been trending upward ahead of this major step up and will leave from gate 4 with Jose Batista in the reins.

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