2020 Sugar Swirl Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Sound Machine, a stakes-winning daughter of Into Mischief, seeks her first graded-stakes victory in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, December 12.

The Sugar Swirl, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, is one of five stakes (four graded) on Saturday's program that will be headlined by the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale, a key prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Jan. 23.

"She's already a stakes winner. She's a daughter of Into Mischief. She's graded-stakes-placed," trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. "That's the goal - to win a graded stakes. Hopefully, Saturday she can do it."

Sound Machine made a solid attempt for graded-stakes success at Pimlico in the Oct. 3 Miss Preakness (G3), in which she recovered from early bumping to finish a strong-closing third, beaten by 1 ½ lengths. The 3-year-old filly came back to finish second in the Millions Distaff Preview at Gulfstream Park West as the favorite.

"She acted a little [sick] a few days before the [Miss Preakness]. I thought she ran a good race," Joseph said. "She came back the other day in the rain. I don't think I had her tight enough. I think she is going to show up and run her race."

Purchased for $500,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale, Sound Machine won at first asking in July 2019 and became a stakes winner three starts later with a 4 ½-length score in the Glitter Woman.

"She has a very good mind on her and she's very sound, so there's definitely room for improvement," Joseph said.

Jose Ortiz has the call on Sound Machine, who has two wins and two seconds from four starts at Gulfstream.

Lady's Island (Matties Racing Stable LLC and Averill Racing), who earned her first graded-stakes success in last season's Sugar Swirl, is set for a return to action at Gulfstream Park after a pair of out-of-town stakes engagements.

The 6-year-old daughter of Greatness, who won the 2019 Sugar Swirl by 6 ¾ lengths, is coming off a rare off-the-board finish in the Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) at Keeneland. In her prior start she set the pace in the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga before finishing second, three-quarters of a length behind Come Dancing.

Emisael Jaramillo has the call aboard Lady's Island, who has won 16 of 33 starts.

Shooting Star Stable's Cinnabunny is scheduled to make her first start for trainer Brad Cox in the Sugar Swirl after capturing four of six starts at Parx. The 3-year-old daughter of Golden Leaf is coming off back-to-back optional claiming allowance victories.

Irad Ortiz Jr. is named to ride Cinnabunny in her stakes debut Saturday.

Golden Ami steps into graded-stakes company after winning the first two starts of her career. The 4-year-old daughter of Golden Cents is a half-sister to graded-stakes winners Amis Flatter and Amis Gizmo.

The Josie Carroll-trained filly scored a six-length front-running victory at Gulfstream Park in March before going to the sidelines for eight months. She returned to action with a front-running 5 ½-length allowance score over Woodbine's synthetic surface Nov. 14.

Tyler Gaffalione is slated to ride the Ontario-bred filly for the first time in the Sugar Swirl.

Aunt Nadine (Three Diamonds Farms) is scheduled to make her third start for trainer Michael Maker since being claimed for $40,000. The 3-year-old daughter of Munnings won a 5 ½-furlong off-the-turf allowance at Keeneland in her first start for her new connections before losing by a neck in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance on a yielding Aqueduct turf course.

Edgard Zayas has the call on Aunt Nadine, who broke her maiden at Gulfstream at six-furlongs in her second career start in December 2019.

Richard Woll's Bronx Beauty, who finished second in the six-furlong Skipat Oct. 3 at Pimlico, will be looking to rebound from a fourth-place finish in the Pumpkin Pie over a sloppy Belmont track.

Trainer Anthony Margotta Jr. awarded the mount aboard the 5-year-old daughter of Liaison to Luis Saez.

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