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Transient Seeks Elusive Stakes Victory in Powder Break
7/13/2023
Multiple Graded Stakes-Placed Mare Headlines Saturday Feature
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Multiple graded stakes-placed during the Championship Meet, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Transient is scheduled to return from a three-month hiatus in Saturday’s $75,000 Powder Break at Gulfstream Park.
The 5-year-old Great Britain-bred mare headlines a field of 10 older fillies and mares in the mile-and-70-yard stakes on Tapeta in search of an elusive stakes victory.
“This spot looks like a good spot to hopefully get a stakes win on her resume,” Joseph said. “She has graded-stakes placings, but getting a stakes win would be good for her.”
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Transient enters the Powder Break off a series of four strong performances in graded stakes. The daughter of Sea The Stars finished second at Saratoga and won at Belmont Park in optional claiming allowance company on turf in her first two starts for Joseph before completing her 2022 campaign with a third-place finish in the Maple Leaf (G3) on Tapeta at Woodbine. She came back to lose a photo finish while finishing second in the Jan. 28 La Prevoyante (G3) and came up a length short while finishing third in the The Very One (G3) on turf during the Championship Meet. Transient set the pace before tiring to finish fourth on turf in the Orchid (G3) on the April 1 Florida Derby (G1) program.
“I think she’ll do fine on Tapeta. She’s probably a little better on grass, but I think she’s good enough on Tapeta,” Joseph said.
Penn National-based Tyler Conner, who finished second aboard Joseph-trained Treasure King in the Not Surprising Stakes and rode Kanthartana to a maiden victory during a brief visit to Gulfstream in June 2022, has been named to ride Transient.
“We’ve called on him a couple times and he’s done well for us,” Joseph said. “I’ve watched him ride, and he caught my attention. I brought him in to ride last year and he won a race for us, and he won a stake for us at Woodbine. He’s a very capable rider.”
Joseph is also scheduled to saddle Mercy Man Racing’s Midnight Bella, a winner of four of her last five starts, for the Powder Break. The 6-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute, who was claimed for $25,000 last August, won back-to-back starter allowances on turf in January and February. After finishing fourth in her next start on turf, Midnight Bella won back-to-back starter allowances on Tapeta in her two most recent starts.
“She’s a hard-trying mare. She goes in there with a good chance again,” Joseph said. “If Transient should stub her toe, she could win the race also.”
Jose Morelos is named to ride Midnight Bella for the first time since capturing the starter allowance out of which she was claimed by Joseph and Mercy Man Racing.
Trainer Rohan Crichton is also scheduled to be represented by a pair of entries in the Powder Break – Dennis Smith and Daniel Walters’ Empress Ellie and Robert Slack’s Thataint Tooshabby.
Empress Ellie is coming off back-to-back romps on Tapeta at the mile-and-70-yard distance. The 4-year-old daughter of American Pharoah scored by 9 ¾ lengths on the drop-down to $35,000 claiming company before registering a front-running four-length victory in an optional claiming allowance June 16.
Thataint Tooshabby, who was claimed for $20,000 out of a mile turf race April 20, won at first asking for her new connections May 27 on turf before finishing second, three-quarters of a length behind Midnight Bella in a June 11 start allowance on Tapeta.
Emisael Jaramillo has the mount aboard Empress Ellie and Edwin Gonzalez has the call on Thataint Tooshabby.
Soldi Stable LLC and Ohana Racing LLC’s Ocean Safari, who captured the Honey Ryder on turf at Gulfstream last year, will seek her first Tapeta stakes score Saturday while coming off a second-place finish behind Empress Ellie last time out.
Miguel Vasquez has the mount aboard the Jose D’Angelo-trained 4-year-old daughter of Temple City.
Trainer Angel Rodriguez will be on a quest to take down the $25,000 FTBOA bonus available to a Florida-bred winner of the Powder Break with a pair of mares – Dave McGinn’s Chick’s Shadow, who finished fourth in the Ginger Punch in her most recent start; and his own Sassy Beast, a multiple stakes-placed daughter of The Big Beast.
Glen Hill Farm’s Free Data, Pinnacle Racing Stable LLC’s Flying Black, Diley Dakin’s Gratia, and Christopher Duncan’s To Thyself B True round out the field.