2020 Honey Ryder Stakes Entries & Odds at Gulfstream Park

Trainer Michael Stidham has a lot of talented Thoroughbreds in his barn, but Godolphin LLC’s Micheline isn’t one of them … technically.

The 3-year-old daughter of Bernardini, who is entered in Saturday’s $75,000 Honey Ryder Stakes at Gulfstream Park, has actually demonstrated considerable ability during a seven-race career that includes a stakes victory and a graded-stakes placing. It’s just that she isn’t physically stabled inside Stidham’s barn at Tampa Bay Downs.

“She’s kind of a quirky filly. She gets very, very nervous if you try to put her in a stall inside a barn. We’ve had to actually have a portable stall that travels with her. It has a roof on it, but it’s a portable stall that we put her in outside. That’s where she lives,” Stidham said. “We don’t put her in the barn. If you try to put her in a stall in the barn, she gets very nervous and runs around the stall and will not relax. She’s a little bit of a project, but she’s well worth the efforts.”

Fortunately, Micheline doesn’t have any quirks about shipping in a van for stakes engagements, such as the Honey Ryder, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies that drew a full field of 12, a main-track-only entrant and two also-eligibles.

“She ships OK in a van, but even when we comes down to Gulfstream, they set up an outside stall for her and it’s worked out well,” Stidham said. “She’s claustrophobic inside the barn.”

The stabling arrangement worked out fine two starts back, when Micheline shipped to Gulfstream to run in the Feb. 1 Sweetest Chant (G3), in which she closed from seventh at the top of the stretch with a rush to finish second, less the a length behind pacesetter Cheermeister, who came right back to win the Herecomesthebride (G3) in front-running title.

“We felt like her best races were when she settled back and made one run. When she’s won, that’s the way she’s run,” Stidham said. “That day, there was quite a bit of pace. She sat back there and came flying at the end.”

Micheline lacked a closing kick while finishing seventh in the Florida Oaks (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs, where she broke from the No. 12 post position and raced wide.

“She lost ground. In that race there wasn’t that much pace and she lay a little closer. I think that took away from the big kick that she has,” Stidham said.

Micheline closed to finish third in her Aug. 11 career debut at Saratoga before graduating in the Sept. 1 Sorority at Monmouth Park. The homebred filly was never a factor while trying dirt for the first time in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland and lacked a late kick in her return to turf to finish off the board in the Chelsey Flower at Aqueduct. She bounced back to win a Dec. 20 optional claiming allowance prior to her impressive performance in the Sweetest Chant.

Joe Bravo is scheduled to ride Micheline for the first time Saturday.

Walking L Thoroughbreds LLC and Three Chimneys Farm’s Envoutante will return to turf Saturday after breaking her maiden by 6 ½-lengths over Gulfstream’s main track April 1.

“My preference would be to run her on dirt, but that option is not available. But she’s obviously a good filly on whatever surface,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “There’s black type available in this race, and we’re going to try to get some of it.”

Envoutante debuted on turf Feb. 2 at Gulfstream, closing from off the pace to finish third at a mile, before moving to dirt to finish second at a one-turn mile March 8, beaten by a length after stumbling at the start. Sent around two turns for the first time on dirt, the daughter of Uncle Mo set a pressured pace before drawing away to a commanding victory to graduate.

“We’ve been really fond of her from the beginning. It was just a matter of getting her two turns,” McPeek said. “Things are coming together for her.”

Dylan Davis has the return call on Envoutante.

Steadfast Stable’s Highland Glory will seek to keep her record on turn unblemished in the Honey Ryder. The daughter of Sky Mesa graduated on turf Jan. 17 in her third career start. The Barclay Tagg-trained filly came right back to capture the Sanibel Island on the Florida Derby (G1) undercard March 28, defeating Cheermeister coming off back-to-back graded-stakes wins.

Luis Saez is scheduled to ride Highland Glory for the first time Saturday.

Michael and Reiko Baum’s Ivyetsu, who was narrowly beaten for second in the Sweetest Chant by Micheline, third in the Sweetest Chant, will clash with the Stidham trainee for the third straight race Saturday. The Rusty Arnold-trained daughter of Tapit closed from 12th to fifth in the Florida Oaks, finishing 1 ½ lengths ahead of Micheline.

Chris Landeros is set to ride Ivyetsu for the first time in the Honey Ryder.

Castleton Lyons’ Diamonds Are A will seek to rebound from a fifth-place finish in the Nov. 30 Wait A While at Gulfstream Park after winning back-to-back turf starts. The Ben Colebrook-trained daughter of Street Sense broke her maiden at Indiana Grand in her turf debut in her third career start before winning a Sept.28 allowance at Churchill Downs.

Nik Juarez has the call aboard Diamonds Are A.

Arindel’s Onyx will also be seeking a rebound in the Honey Ryder. The daughter of Dialed In finished far back in the Sanibel Island while coming off a six-month layoff after winning three in a row in her first three starts on turf, including the Sharp Susan and My Dear Peggy Stakes at Gulfstream.

Miguel Vasquez has the mount aboard the Arindel homebred.

Paradise Farms Corp. and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ Stunning Sky, Grupo 7C Racing Stable’s Mimina’s Team, Super Super Stable’s La Rusia, Peter Callahan’s Astoria Kitten, Robert Stack and Daniel Walters’ Bajan Girl and Cheyenne Stables LLC’s Seducer round out the main field. Cherry Knoll Farm’s Ginger Kitten is also eligible. Miracle’s International Trading Inc.’s Dream Marie and Charles Fipke’s Pleasant Orb are main-track-only entrants.