BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Sweet Dani Girl will look to win the $100,000 Pleasant Acres Distaff Turf for the second consecutive year when she goes to the post in the mile-and-one-sixteenth event for registered Florida-bred fillies and mares, 4-years-old and older at Tampa Bay Downs Sunday. The Distaff Turf has attracted a field of eight plus Dream Concert has been entered under main track only conditions.
The Distaff Turf also offers a $10,000 win bonus for Florida Sire Stakes eligible runners presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Sweet Dani Girl has been installed as the 3-2 morning line favorite as the 5-year-old daughter of Jess’s Dream tries to extend her current win streak to three.
Trained by Christophe Clement for Michael Dubb, Steven Bouchey, New Phoenix Stable and America’s Pasttime Stables LLC, Sweet Dani Girl comes into the Distaff Turf off victories in the $89,000 Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf going a mile at Gulfstream on Jan. 14 and against upper level, $62,500 optional claiming fillies and mares going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass at Gulfstream on Feb. 24.
Sweet Dani Girl is out of My Sweet Dani Girl, by Scat Daddy and was bred in Florida by J&J Stables LLC and Carlo Vaccarezza. She has won six with two seconds and two thirds from 15 career starts with earnings of $494,610.
Javier Castellano will ride Sweet Dani Girl from the inside post one.
Others contenders include the Kelsey Danner-trained Mohawk Trail, a winner of the $100,000 Alywow and Grade 3 Ontario Colleen on the Woodbine Turf in June and July respectively; and Time Passage for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr.
Last year at Gulfstream Park, Time Passage won four straight including the $100,000 Miss Gracie and $90,000 Cellars Shiraz, both around two turns on the synthetic course.
Mohawk Trail is 3-1 on the morning line and will break from post seven with Adam Beschizza aboard while Time Passage is 8-1 in the program and will depart post five with Edgard Zayas.
Others set for the Distaff Turf include Charlie’s Wish with jockey Paco Lopez, Baby Steps and rider Daniel Centeno, no rider has been named on Dream Concert, Prettykeen has Samuel Marin up, Frosty O Toole and jockey Antonio Gallardo and Samy Camacho has the mount on Alexa’s Dream.
