Notes - Feb 3

- Tough triple to come up with in Friday's 5th at Gulfstream, with three moderately bet first-timers sweeping the top spots and returning $1,226.20 for a $2 bet. Fee Fi Fo Fum, 6-1 in the morning line and at post time, hugged the rail every single step of the way with Javier Castellano,and trainer Jimmy Jerkins. This three-year old daughter of Giant's Causeway sold for $60,000, far less than his sire's stud fee, which is private now, but, if I recall correctly, was $125,000. Fee Fi Fo Fum is out of Pleasant Music, a stakes winning Pleasant Tap mare.

Bill Mott's Comedy set the pace and faded for third. She's by Theatrical, out of Don't Be Silly, a graded stakes winner on the grass; but she went off at 8-1, twice her morning line odds.

The best of the three was the runner-up Bishop Estates, 11-1 for trainer Marty Wolfson. Dead last going into the first turn, the daughter of Pulpit came flying home, gobbling up ground with every stride to get second. She's out of a Strawberry Road mare, and she's a half-sister to Fistfite, winner of the 2001 Cowdin.

Wolfson also had a winner on the day in the third race, and a second with his prior runner, Electric Light, who ran a game second to Tiganello on Wedensday at 9-1. He'll saddle Miesque's Approval in today's Canadian Turf Handicap, and the BC Mile winner would seem to have this field up against it on class, even if the race is slightly beyond his favorite mile distance.

Wolfson also has two runners in the Suwannee River, including Brazilian, a lightly raced five year old daughter of Stravinsky. He recently took over the training duties from Pletcher, who had her last spring, and as we know, he hasn't done too badly since getting Miesque's Approval from Mott. Brazilian would seem to have a lot more upside than the turf champion did when he first arrived. In six turf starts, she has four wins and a second, including a win in the Lemhi Gold stakes at Calder in her last, her first for Wolfson. It was also her first race since the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland last spring, her only graded stakes try. In that race, John Velazquez had her in an unfamiliar position, vying for the lead from the rail, and she backed up badly. But Eddie Castro had her back to her stalking tactics in the Lemhi Gold, and rides back today.

Brazilian's dam, Golden Pond, by Irish champion Don't Forget Me, won this very race, as well as the Grade 2 Orchid.