Musical Romance to set things straight at home after a mixed first part of the season
The Eclipse Award-winning sprinter, Musical Romance hasn’t been up to her high standards that were expected of her this season, and the filly’s second place finish to, Groupie Doll, at Churchill Downs in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff, she was nowhere near the winner in the homestretch, when Groupie Doll made it an entirely one horse race.
Pinnacle Racing Stables and Bill Kaplan’s Musical Romance was going into the Humana Distaff at the back of a fourth place finish to winner Groupie Doll in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes over the Keeneland’s poly track on 12 April, 2012.
Bred in Florida by Ocala Stud Farms, Musical Romance, last year won the Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters over a distance of six and a half furlongs at Presque Isle Downs synthetic surface.
She capped off her 2011 season with a brilliant win in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint last fall at Churchill Downs at about seven furlongs, where she defeated Switch in second and Her Smile in third, with the winning time of 1 minute and 23.47 seconds.
That was the race which earned her the Eclipse Award, but the champion female sprinter was expected to start the new campaign brightly, but she fell away in the seasonal debut when she finished fourth in the Sunshine Millions Filly-Mare Sprint at Gulfstream Park.
The 5-year-old Concorde’s Tune mare bounced back in emphatic fashion to win the Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes at Gulfstream Park’s dirt surface defeating Hot Summer in second and Groupie Doll in third with the winning time of 1 minute and 21.88 seconds for seven furlongs.
In her next two starts, Groupie Doll got the best of Musical Romance, and her mixed first half of the season she returned her Calder home barn.
"It's great to have her back home," trainer and co-owner Kaplan said. "Just being around her, to have her in our presence, is an honour. She's the classiest horse I've been around. To make 37 starts and to win on all surfaces at all distances, I call her the 'Iron Horse of the Century' for what she has done."
The plan for Musical Romance is to try her in the Summit of Speed program on 7 July, where she will participate in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Stakes, now that she is back at Calder.
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