Undefeated champion 2-year-old filly Just F Y I has been entered to make her 3-year-old debut in the $200,000 Davona Dale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park March 2.
The one-mile Davona Dale drew a good field of eight sophomore fillies. Just F Y I, a George Krikorian homebred by Justify , has won her three starts. She has been working at Payson Park Training Center for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
“We’re hoping that she’s got enough in her to get started. You have to start somewhere,” Mott said. “She’s done well. Some that look at her think that she’s probably grown a little bit. I see her every day so I don’t see it as much, but she seems to be doing well. Her works have been quite good.”
Mott was especially pleased with Just F Y I’s most recent move, a five-furlong breeze in 1:02 1/5 Feb. 24.
“The time was very good for Payson,” Mott said. “She finished with lots of energy.”
The Davona Dale drew a pair of undefeated Into Mischief fillies who are stepping up in class. Whisper Hill Farm’s Leslie’s Rose enters graded company after winning her first two starts for Todd Pletcher. Ian Wilkes trainee Into Champagne won a maiden last year at Ellis Park and the Glitter Woman Stakes at Gulfstream Jan. 7.
The competition also includes Courtlandt Farms’ Whocouldaskformo , who enters off a second-place finish in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 10. Florida-bred Fiona’s Magic set a solid pace before finishing second in the seven-furlong Forward Gal Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Feb. 3.
Just F Y I broke her maiden at Saratoga Race Course, then won the Frizette Stakes (G1) in the slop at Aqueduct Racetrack by 3 3/4 lengths.
She broke from the outside post in a field of 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita Park. After pressing heavily favored Tamara through fast fractions, she dispatched that rival and hung on to win by a neck.
The Davona Dale offers qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) to the tune of 50-25-15-10-5 for the top five finishers. Mott hopes to use South Florida as a springboard to the May 3 race.
“We gave her some time off. What happens is you give them some time off and all of a sudden you look at the calendar and you say, ‘Geez, I better get going,'” Mott said. “We had her started back breezing and then I lost a week or 10 days. She had a little skin issue which some of them get down here, so I missed a work with her. But we’ve been back and had four works since then.
“I’ve gone back and forth just deciding should I have two races or one. If I put two races in here, they’re going to have to be a month apart,” Mott said. “The clock starts ticking and before you know it, these races are right on top of you.”
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