By Molly Rollins
Matalona Thoroughbreds's Stormy Embrace (Circular Quay) seeks to defend her title and earn a berth back to the Breeders' Cup in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GII Princess Rooney S. at Gulfstream Park. In last year's Princess Rooney, the Kathleen O'Connell pupil blitzed the field by six lengths. The chestnut failed to hit the board in the GI Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Nov. 3, and after two subsequent graded stakes placings, including a third-place finish in the GIII Fasig-Tipton Hurricane Bertie S., she beat up on her rivals by double- digit lengths for a repeat victory versus Florida-breds in the May 19 Musical Romance S.
“She's a very, very nice horse,” trainer Kathleen O'Connell told the Gulfstream Park notes team. “She's just as good this year as she was last year. She's a model of consistency. She doesn't have to be anywhere. She just has to have things unfold. In the Breeders' Cup, they unfolded terrible and I just throw that one out, but she's been a model of consistency otherwise.”
Michael Stidham-trained Saguaro Row (Union Rags) enters in sharp form on the heels of back-to-back wins, most recently capturing a $62,500 optional claimer May 12 at Belmont. Owned by Newtown Anner Stud and Mark D. Breen, she breezed a bullet :47 4/5 (1/4) at Fair Hill Training Center June 23.
Three-year-old filly Trenchtown Cat (Discreet Cat) looks to defeat her elders again following a decisive score in the May 25 Ana T. S. here in what was her dirt debut after boasting a two- for-four record on the turf.
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