Captiva Island ($115.000 Purse)
GP- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
Five Furlongs on the Turf
March 15, 2025

The Captiva Island is a smaller ungraded stake for the GP schedule, and this will be the tenth time it is held. It’s a turf sprint for older females and draws a field of seven. Gdp Inc has been very successful in this event, winning four of the previous nine races, including twice with Trippi Sprinkle. He did not field an entry last year, however, and does not this year as well. In 2024, Antares got the win for Smokey Stover, and the still active mare is now trained by Alydar Stables. Let’s take a moment now to meet the field for this year’s race:

1- Sweet T (Spb Racing, ridden by Hector Barrios)- She had done fine on the main track, but she has been excellent since sweet “T’s” have been appearing in her race lines. Her last six starts have been on the grass, winning three, but with a little more luck at the wire, it’s not a stretch to say she could have won them all. An ungraded stake veteran now and will look for revenge on Miss Fury for the Ladies Turf Sprint here last month. Has earned the right to go graded, but that’s not necessary right here to take on the queen of the division.

2- Macka Diamond (Nakamura Stables, ridden by J Bravo)- This one could be considered an underachiever until things began to turn around for her with more consistency in the summer of last year. She’s now won two out of three, including the $100.000 Abundatia here in late December. Fared well when trying to go long last time out but should be happy to be back in a sprint for now.

3- Neon Star (Night Mare Racing, ridden by E Jaramillo)- An inconsistent filly that has gone back and forth between sprints and routes, but seems to be better with shorter distances. Has seen a lot of off tracks, especially when longer distances were tried. At any rate, she does come here off a win in an N1X allowance at FG last month and will try to build on that here. Maybe the rest helped her out, as she had five months of it before that race.

4- Forsythia In White (Avenue Z, ridden by L Dettori)- It will not be her stake debut, but it will be her first time in such a race while running on the turf, the surface in which she has the majority of her overall experience. While with Avenue Z, Forsythia In White has won three of the six turf sprints she has been in and hit the board in all of them. So, it makes sense for her to try this level in what has been her best type of race.

5- Lucky Star (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by L Saez)- Back in August, she placed third in the $1,000.000 KD Ladies Sprint, but just one of her next three races have been on the turf. The two main track races have seen double digit finishes, but the turf sprint, the $200.000 Maddy Stakes at DMR in November, saw her run second. Sure, in the past she has done some great things on the dirt, but right now, these are the conditions where she is best, and she should be a top threat here.

6- Miss Fury (Mb Stables, ridden by D Van Dyke)- When running against fillies in turf sprints, Miss Fury has been very tough to beat. That kind of dominance led to Mb Stables running her against the boys in the BC Turf Sprint, a race that we can throw out. With that being done, she has eight wins in ten races and has never failed to hit the board. She’s won her last two, including the Las Cienegas (Grade 3) at SA and the Ladies Turf Sprint here. Also was second in the $1,000.000 KD Ladies Sprint last summer. Figures to be the one to beat here, but I do think a couple in here will absolutely make her earn it.

7- Tipsy Tipsy (Angelos Stable, ridden by L Salles)- She was predominantly an overnight horse for prior trainer, Smokey Stover, and won four of eight while running for him. Tipsy Tipsy found her way to Angelos Stable in the great Smokey sale and won an optional claimer last month at FG. This would be a great spot to bring her forward, and while she does meet some tough foes here, I like horses that know how to be close at the wire, consistently.

Prediction: 6-5-1-4

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded