HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Klaravich Stables’ Feedback made a big return to the track on Saturday, showing zero signs of rust while gamely fighting to defeat her eight foes in the Grade 3, $150,000 Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Breaking sharply from post 4 as the 1/2 favorite under Irad Ortiz, Jr., Feedback soon found herself sitting in second, just off the right hip of early leader Fashion Faux Pas through an opening 1/4-mile in :22.20 before cruising past and taking command midway through the far turn. Still in hand as she rounded the turn onto the front stretch, Feedback was soon met with a challenge from Bye Bye J to her outside. Ortiz, Jr., waited until she hit the top of the stretch before giving her the cue, and from there, the Chad Brown trainee fought valiantly to shrug off her foe before crossing with a 1/2-length advantage in a final time of 1:23.51 for the 7-furlong sprint over the fast main track.
“I got a good trip, she broke well and put me in a good position,” said Ortiz, Jr. “She just waited for me to ask her to run and responded great.”
Champagne Anyone came running late along the rail to get third, missing second by only a neck. The remaining runners, however, were not nearly as close. Jeltrin took fourth ahead of Horologist, while Hollywood Glory necked out Brunette Princess for sixth. Frond and a spent Fashion Faux Pas completed the order of finish.
The Forward Gal is part of the Road to the 2019 Kentucky Oaks prep race season. Feedback earned 10 points for the win, with Bye Bye J receiving 4 for second, Champagne Anyone 2 for third, and Jeltrin 1 for fourth.
Feedback’s win was her second in as many starts, but was her first since breaking her maiden at Saratoga on August 12. The 3-year-old daughter of Violence, purchased for $80,000 as a weanling, has now earned $136,030 to date and will likely make her next start in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes here in March.
“I’m happy and relieved, because this horse I really didn’t have quite enough works into her where I really wanted to run her quite yet,” Brown said. “But looking at the schedule and trying to hopefully get her on the Oaks trail, I figured if we don’t get her started this weekend, it was going to be hard to get there. We were a little short on works, but she showed her class and her ability to overcome it.”
Feedback returned $3 to win, $2.20 to place, and $2.10 to show. Bye Bye J brought back $3.60 to place and $2.80 to show, while Champagne Anyone paid $3.80 to show.
