From Gulfstream Park Publicity
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. (June 9, 2020) – Given a short freshening after competing in five consecutive graded-stakes dating back to last fall, Kelsey’s Cross got some class relief and rallied to secure her elusive first career stakes victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Ginger Punch for Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park.
Kelsey’s Cross is a Florida-bred by California stallion Anthony’s Cross, who stands at Rancho de los Aviadores.
Ridden by Luca Panici for trainer Patrick Biancone, who co-owns the 4-year-old filly with Sanford Bancon, Kelsey’s Cross ($7.80) completed the distance in 1:42.94 over a turf course rated good as the 5-2 second choice in a field of 11.
Kelsey’s Cross was last seen finishing ninth in the Orchid (G3) March 28 at Gulfstream, three weeks after her third-place effort in the Hillsborough (G2) at Tampa. Also third in the Wonder Again (G3), Martha Washington and Saratoga Oaks last summer, she had been training steadily for her comeback at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.
“It’s awesome,” Biancone’s daughter and assistant, Andie Biancone, said. “We gave her a little bit of a break. We just eased up on her training for a while and she’s really developed from that and grown. We’re thrilled to have her back and ready for a good summer.”
Kelsey’s Cross had not raced shorter than 1 1/8 miles since her last win, a one-mile open allowance triumph over her elders last September at Gulfstream which launched her back in against graded competition.
Panici settled along the rail in eighth as Crown and Sugar was intent on the lead from her outside post, setting fractions of 24.82 and 49.01 seconds tracked by 30-1 long shots Raki and Picara. They remained unhurried through the backstretch before tipping outside on the turn after Crown and Sugar ran six furlongs in 1:13.04, when Panici set Kelsey’s Cross down for a drive through the lane to reel in Crown and Sugar late and draw clear by 2 ½ lengths.
Crown and Sugar stayed up for second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Picara, followed by stakes winner Midnight Soiree, who ran second in last year’s Ginger Punch. Bellera, a Grade 3 winner on dirt trying turf for the first time, finished seventh.
“It was pretty easy, because she’s such a class filly. I just saved ground the first part and by the three-eighths pole I could move the best way for her,” Panici said. “She gave me a lot of help. I do everything easy because she has so much class. She’s so nice. She finished up good. It was perfect.”
Though he had never ridden Kelsey’s Cross in a race, Panici has become familiar with the Florida-bred daughter of Anthony’s Cross in the morning. Biancone said their chemistry proved to be a winning combination.
“I was worried because it’s a small track and she’s so big,” she said. “Sometimes she struggles on that small track, but I think Luca just rode her perfect and set her up real nice. He’s worked her a bunch so he knows her, and it just worked out real well.”
The Ginger Punch honors Stronach Stables’ Florida homebred who won 12 of 22 starts and more than $3 million in purses from 2006-08 and was named the champion older mare of 2007. Nine of her wins came in stakes, eight of them graded, including the Go for Wand (G1), Ruffian (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) in 2007 and Ogden Phipps (G1), Go for Wand and Personal Ensign (G1) in 2008. She raced three times at Gulfstream, kicking off her final season with a victory in the Sunshine Millions Distaff.