Stride Rite Racing Stable’s Renaisance Frolic parlayed a dream trip into a victory in the $75,000 Bear’s Den Stakes at Gulfstream Park, becoming the second South Florida stakes winner for her female family in as many weeks.
Last Saturday it was Hidden Brook South graduateAmerican Frolic winning the Miss Gracie Stakes. Both American Frolic and Renaisance are bred and owned by Stride Rite Racing Stable and hail from an extremely prolific female line founded by the wonderful mare Lindsay Frolic. Renaisance Frolic was foaled and raised at Hidden Brook farm in Paris, Kentucky.
Renaisance Frolic, a stakes winner on dirt in the Armed Forces Stakes last September, collected his first stakes victory on turf in the Bear’s Den, a 7 ½-furlong event for 3-year-olds.
“He needed a break. We gave him three months,” said Fawkes, whose gelding breezed four times for jockey Cornelio Velasquez in preparation for his return. “Cornelio worked him last week and I said, ‘What do you think?’ He said, ‘He’s fit.’ I said, ‘OK, we’ll run him.”
While Velasquez is still gearing up for a return to riding, Nik Juarez was aboard the son of Paynter Saturday and took full advantage of the opportunity with a flawless ride. Gemonteer, the 7-5 favorite ridden by Miguel Vasquez, set the pace around the first turn and along the backstretch after being rushed from his outside post position. Meanwhile, Juarez placed Renaisance Frolic in a snug spot along the rail, closely tracking the leader, who was pressed by long shots Big Possible and Royal Holiday past fractions of 24.44 and 48.36 seconds. Gemonteer maintained the lead turning into the stretch as Juarez found room outside the pacesetter and Renaisance Frolic responded when asked. Gemonteer continued on gamely but was unable to hold off the Fawkes trainee, who went on to score by a length.
“I had a perfect trip from the gate. I was sitting behind Miguel Vazquez the whole time. I had plenty of horse pretty much the entire race. If I had a place to get out, I had it,” said Juarez, who had three winners on the card. “He was much the best today.”
Renaisance Frolic ran 7 ½ furlongs on a firm turf in 1:31.14. Gemonteer finished a half-length ahead of Cometin to finish second.
-edited from www.gulfstreampark.com
