BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE (EDITED)
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Mythical turned in a dazzling debut Thursday at Gulfstream Park in the first race for 2-year-olds of the Royal Palm Meet, even surpassing the advance notices that had sent the Arindel homebred to post as the 1-2 favorite in a field of 10 fillies.
Mythical broke alertly from the starting gate to wrest instant control of the four-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight test for 2-year-old fillies carded as Race 2 and continued to separate herself from her rivals on her way to an eight-and-a-half-length victory under Emisael Jaramillo. The Jorge Delgado-trained daughter of St Patrick’s Day was timed in :51.37 while finishing under wraps, a few ticks off the track record set by Arindel’s Nacho Mama (:50.83) in 2018.
“She’s a small filly who looks very fast. I knew she had to get away from the gate, and she did so professionally,” Arindel stable manager Brian Cohen said. “We took her down here knowing she was ready to win when there was a race.”
Mythical had trained at Arindel’s farm in Ocala before breezing twice at Gulfstream Park in preparation for her debut.
“I don’t think she’s ever had to chance to extend herself. She’s always been under wraps. She’s a small filly so I don’t think she’s much more than a sprinter, but a good one,” Cohen said.
Arindel’s Drama, a Carlos David-trained daughter of Brethren, chased her stablemate from the start but settled for second under Miguel Vasquez, six lengths in front of trainer Mary Lightner’s Tosca.
“If Mythical wasn’t in the race, she wins by five lengths,” Cohen said. “It was a fast time. Mythical was geared down and was just a couple of ticks off the track record. Finishing second is good this time of year because if you win, there’s nowhere to run this time of year.”
Cohen aid Florida-bred Mythical’s next start could come on turf in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, a five-furlong Royal Ascot qualifier, at Gulfstream May 10 or a race at Saratoga during Belmont week.
Return to the April 17 issue of Wire to Wire
