Multiple stakes-winning mare Ms. Bucchero will attempt to carve out a rare chapter in state-bred sprinting when she lines up against seasoned male rivals in Saturday’s Sunshine Sprint at Gulfstream Park. The $75,000 contest, restricted to Florida-breds aged four and up and run over six furlongs on the main track, places a proven mare in the spotlight as she seeks a third consecutive victory and a piece of history.
The Sunshine Sprint has been a proving ground for hardened speedsters since its inauguration in 2003, yet no filly or mare has managed to lift the prize. That is the barrier Ms. Bucchero now confronts, bringing momentum, versatility and a growing reputation into one of the meeting’s headline events.
The race forms part of an 11-race programme that also includes the Sunshine Turf, a $75,000 test over 1 1/16 miles on grass for older Florida-breds. The opening race is scheduled for 12:20 p.m., with a full afternoon of competitive action expected.
Owned and trained by Diane Morici, Ms. Bucchero is a six-year-old chestnut daughter of Bucchero whose career has quietly gathered substance and depth. A multiple stakes winner on both turf and dirt, she has shown an adaptability that has encouraged her connections to take this next step. Saturday will mark her first appearance against males, a challenge Morici believes the mare is ready to embrace.
“She’s a good filly. We’ve got to give her the shot,” Morici said this week. “She loves the track and she’s been training like a monster since we got to Florida. Wherever she runs, she always gives you everything.”
Morici took over the training of Ms. Bucchero in the spring of 2023 after two starts under John Vinson. Since then, the mare has built an admirable record: 10 wins and four seconds from 19 career outings. Her stakes résumé includes victories in the Willa On the Move in 2024 and the What a Summer in 2025 at Laurel Park, before a decisive success in the Sugar Swirl over six furlongs at Gulfstream in December.
That Sugar Swirl win underlined her adaptability. Breaking a step slowly, Ms. Bucchero settled off the pace before producing a sustained run to assert by a length and a half. It was a contrast to her front-running allowance win over the same track and distance in October, where she controlled matters from the outset.
“She’s shown us she doesn’t have to be on the lead,” Morici said. “Things don’t always go to plan in a race, but she’s learned how to handle that. When you walk her over, you know you’re getting a racehorse every time.”
Her Gulfstream form is limited but telling, with both starts on the main track resulting in clear-cut victories. Those performances came against quality opposition, several of whom have since returned to win, adding further substance to the form.
Sunshine Sprint: A Test of Speed and Experience
Standing in her way is the most accomplished runner in the field, Damon’s Mound, a homebred for Cliff and Michele Love trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott. The six-year-old bay, by Girvin, is the defending winner and brings top-level sprint credentials to the Sunshine Sprint, having captured graded events at two and three before returning from a lengthy absence to resume his winning ways.
Damon’s Mound began last season with victory in this very race following more than a year on the sidelines, and he closed it with another stakes success in the Bold Ruler at Aqueduct. Now older and seasoned, he returns to Gulfstream with a series of steady preparations behind him.
“He’s been in some tough spots over the years,” Mott said. “We’re just trying to find races where he fits and can be competitive. This looks like one of those opportunities.”
The inside draw gives Damon’s Mound a familiar starting point, with Junior Alvarado taking the ride. His presence ensures the Sunshine Sprint retains its reputation as a stern examination of speed, resilience and racecraft.
The remainder of the seven-runner field adds depth and variety. Raging Fury brings early pace, Keep On Moving and Nothingsubtle add experience, while Neshume and Big Paradise arrive with consistent records at this level. Collectively, they shape a compact but competitive line-up that leaves little margin for error.
For Ms. Bucchero, the assignment is clear but demanding. Should she succeed, she would not only extend her winning sequence but also become the first mare to conquer the Sunshine Sprint, adding a defining achievement to an already admirable career.
As the gates open on Saturday afternoon, the race promises more than just a sprint for prize money. It offers a genuine sporting narrative: a proven mare stepping beyond familiar boundaries, measured against established male rivals, with history waiting just six furlongs away.
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