The $100,000 First Lady Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream Park on Sunday featured a field of seven older fillies and mares sprinting 6 furlongs on the main track. Stronach Stables homebred Sugar Swirl was sent off as the 11-10 favorite, exiting a 3-length win in the Very Subtle at Churchill Downs in November, after finishing second in the Thoroughbred Club of America (G3) at Keeneland. In to challenge the daughter of Touch Gold were 7-2 second choice Princess Janie, winner of the Mongo Queen at Monmouth before finishing fifth in the Gallant Bloom (G2) at Belmont, and 4-1 third choice Rgirldoesn'tbluff, winner of two straight at Calder, the Ucandoit Handicap and the Sugar'n Spice Stakes, making her first start in graded stakes company.
Rgirldoesn'tbluff was allowed to take the lead exiting the cute and she set a quick pace of 21.76 and 44.54 over the sloppy, sealed main track while as many as 2 lengths clear of the rest of the field. Jockey Javier Castellano kept Sugar Swirl back in sixth early, well off the fast pace. Around the turn, Castellano sent Sugar Swirl out wide to circle the field as she powered to the front, taking over the lead at the 3/16 pole and drawing away late to a commanding 2 1/2 length victory in a time of 1:10.06. It was a long 8 lengths back from Rgirldoesn'tbluff to 26-1 longest shot Bereba in third.
Results chart
Winning jockey Javier Castellano said, "It felt great to win a race for Mr. (owner Frank) Stronach at his track. This filly is very nice. I've been working her. I rode her two years ago and she's come into this race at the best moment. She had a lot of speed. She sat right off the other horses, but I could have done whatever I wanted with her, rate or go with the other horses. I wasn't nervous when (Rgirldoesn'tbluff) went to the lead early. I rode her with patience and a lot of confidence. I waited until the last minute and she had a big kick coming for home."
Winning trainer Brian Lynch said, "I had her as a 2-year-old in Canada when I was an assistant to Bobby (Frankel) when she broke her maiden and won the Princess Elisabeth Stakes. It's been so nice to have her back. We have tried to teach her to settle some early in her races and I think that helped her today with all the speed in there. She's by Touch Gold and they usually handle slop pretty well. We let her down a little bit after the Very Subtle, but she was ready for today. We'll talk it over, but the 7/8 mile (Shirley Jones Handicap-G2 on Mar. 22) would seem like a logical start for her next."
