2023 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes Preview & FREE Picks | She Has Class 1 Of 4 Florida-Bred Entries

Vinny from Real Dynasty Picks previews the 2023 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes from Gulfstream Park, then gives his top picks & long shots from this “Win & You’re In” for 1 of 6 races at the Royal Ascot meet. Debut winner She Has Class is 1 of 4 Florida-bred entries hoping to pick up the big victory against the heavy favorite Ocean Mermaid, debuting for trainer Wesley Ward. Which filly will prove to be the fiercest? Tell us YOUR thoughts in the Comments section!

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The track press release:

Trainer Wesley Ward, who has saddled 12 winners at Royal Ascot during his remarkable career, will be well represented at Gulfstream Park May 13 when he sends out Steve Cauthen’s Holding the Line for a start in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile and Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Ocean Maid for a run in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies.

The Royal Palm Juvenile, a five furlongs turf stakes for 2-year-olds, and the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, a five furlong turf stakes for 2-year-old fillies, will each provide its winner with an automatic berth into one of six stakes during the June 20-24 Royal Ascot meeting, as well as a $25,000 equine travel stipend for shipping from the U.S. to England. The FTBOA will offer a $25,000 bonus, above and beyond purse money won, to a Florida-bred winner in addition to the winner’s share of the purse.

Ocean Mermaid, a daughter of Kingman, will face 11 other fillies entered for the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies.

Ward had been waiting patiently for Ocean Mermaid to make her debut before entering the Great Britain-bred filly in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies.

“She’s a turf filly. She was purchased at Tattersalls. Unfortunately, there has been only one turf race in America, that being a colt race. The filly race at Keeneland here was rained off the turf,” Ward said. “Looking for a race with this race in mind from the onset, we sent her down there and had a nice breeze at Payson at my barn there. She’s ready to go.”

Ocean Mermaid breezed on turf at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, before putting in four workouts at Keeneland. She breezed three-furlongs in 37.80 at Payson Park Saturday morning.

The daughter of Kingman was bought by Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables LLC for $252,546 at the Tattersalls October yearling sale.

“She was purchased to go to Royal Ascot. That was the whole reason for the purchase, as Barbara does each and every year. Bloodstock agent Ben McElroy goes over every year and picks out a few horses that look like Royal Ascot candidates,” Ward said.

Velazquez has the call on Ocean Mermaid.

Dew Sweepers LLC’s Crimson Advocate goes into the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies off a promising debut at Keeneland April 26. The George Weaver-trained daughter of Nyquist raced wide and in traffic before finishing third behind Brightwork in a five-furlong maiden special weight race on dirt.

Edwin Gonzalez has the call on Crimson Advocate.

Christian Cruz’s She Has Class is the long entrant to have visited the winner’s circle. The Javier Gonzalez-trained daughter of Khozan closed from off the pace to capture her debut in a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight race on Gulfstream’s main track April 10.   

She Has Class is one of four Florida-bred fillies eligible for the FTBOA bonus.

Gary Barber and D. J. Stable LLC’s The Myth, an unraced daughter of The Factor trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse; Robin Kaiser’s Bucchera, an unraced daughter of Bucchero trained by Laura Cazares; and Cornejo Racing LLC’s Girvin Girl, an unraced daughter of Girvin trained by Carlos David; are the other Florida-bred entrants.

D. J. Stables LLC is also represented in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies by Fumblerooski, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Liam’s Map trained by Joe Orseno.

Double D. Racing’s Turf Rocket, a daughter of More Than Ready, is scheduled to debut for trainer Jeremiah O’Dwyer, who enjoyed international success this season after saddling Sibelius for a victory in the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

Arindel’s Kiss, Jeffrey Crooks’ My Sweetheart Dani and Starry Night Racing’s Scootaloo round out the field.