Already a stakes winner as a result of her victory in the Cash Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park on New Year’s Day, Gulf Coast added more black-type to her page when finishing second in the Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct on Monday.
Shipped from Florida to New York for the race, Gulf Coast was slated to run against four other fillies on Sunday. However, a winter storm struck New York that day and forced the card to move to Monday. By race day, the field was scratched down to three.
Gulf Coast left the gates as the second choice in the betting, as the favorite—Miss Brazil, coming off a maiden score where she earned a 93 Beyer speed figure—went to the lead. Gulf Coast, a filly that usually comes from behind, was forced to use different tactics in the short field and was urged by jockey Manny Franco to press the pace.
The Union Rags filly made a move around the turn, overcoming Dealing Justice and setting her sights on Miss Brazil. However, the favorite proved best on the day and while Gulf Coast continued to make her run, she crossed the wire second.
The Stablemates filly now boasts a race record of two wins and two second-place finishes from four starts, with three of those starts being in stakes company. Never worse than second, she has earned $93,705 to date.
