Defending three-time Championship Meet training champion Saffie Joseph Jr. will have a strong hand in Friday’s $125,000 Rampart Stakes, saddling three of the nine fillies and mares set to contest the one-turn mile. Dazzling Move, Claret Beret, and Luvumorgan will carry the Joseph and Miller Racing LLC colors, each bringing a unique profile to the stakes challenge.
Dazzling Move returns from a nearly three-month layoff, having competed in graded stakes in seven of her eight starts since joining Joseph’s barn. The 4-year-old daughter of Not This Time captured the 1 1/16-mile Royal Delta at Gulfstream in her first outing for her new connections and went on to place in the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Saratoga. She also finished second in the Shuvee (G2) before her recent off-the-board third in the Delaware Handicap (G3), a 1 1/8-mile affair.
Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride Dazzling Move for the first time in the Rampart, where she is rated fourth on the morning line. “One-turn mile is probably best for her,” Joseph noted, acknowledging the layoff. “She’s giving up fitness, but at her best, she could win.”
Claret Beret, another 4-year-old daughter of Not This Time, made a striking impression when winning the Mo Green Handicap at Gulfstream Park by nearly 20 lengths in her first start for Miller Racing and Joseph. Though recent outings in the Ballerina (G1) and Princess Rooney (G3) failed to meet expectations, Joseph believes the one-turn mile suits her. Micah Husbands picks up the mount on Claret Beret, rated third on the morning line.
Luvumorgan, the least experienced of the Joseph trio, is a 3-year-old daughter of Union Rags who captured stakes honors in the 6 ½-furlong Game Face at Gulfstream. She comes off a break following off-the-board finishes in the Azalea and Charles Town Oaks (G2). “We’re just giving her a chance,” Joseph said. Edgard Zayas will ride.
Challenging the Joseph contingent is John Gallegos’ One Magic Philly, a 4-year-old daughter of Good Magic. She enters off a second-place finish in the Nov. 15 Chilukki (G3) and a Keeneland optional claiming allowance win in her first start for trainer Brendan Walsh. Tyler Gaffalione returns aboard the morning-line favorite.
Other key runners include Grand Job, trained by Bill Mott, who seeks to rebound from an eighth-place finish in a recent allowance at Churchill Downs; Necessity, a 3-year-old Constitution filly making her first start for Riley Mott; and Sterling Silver, transitioning to trainer Anthony Margotta after a stakes win at Aqueduct. Hall of Famers Javier Castellano and Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Sterling Silver and Necessity, respectively. Gullfaxi and Riding Pretty round out the field.
Friday’s Rampart Stakes promises a blend of speed, experience, and potential, with Joseph’s trio drawing the spotlight but facing stiff competition from well-credentialed rivals. Fans will be watching closely to see which filly emerges from the mile-long battle as the standout.
Friday’s action is set to be thrilling, with the Gulfstream Park Race Cards 26 December featuring a strong field of fillies and mares ready to contest the one-turn mile Rampart Stakes.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to Racebuzz.