Starship Impulsive will look to build on her impressive stakes debut win as she returns to Gulfstream Park for Saturday’s $75,000 Martha Washington Stakes. The 3-year-old filly is out to prove that her last victory was no fluke, taking on a competitive field of eight rivals in this 1 1/16-mile turf test. With a pedigree that hints at greatness—being the daughter of multiple stakes winner K P Wildcat—Starship Impulsive has already won three of her six starts and is only just beginning to show her potential.
Trainer Steve Dwoskin believes she’s turning into a more complete racehorse with each run. Her early performances showed promise, but it was her two-turn effort in April and a follow-up win in May’s Honey Ryder Stakes that marked her evolution. She’s a natural front-runner with the ability to fend off late challengers, and her latest workouts, including a standout five-furlong bullet on May 24, suggest she’s in peak form heading into the weekend.
Jockey Leonel Reyes retains the ride, having guided her to her last two wins. Starship Stables will also send out Starship Melody, a promising Vekoma filly trained by Heather Smullen. She enters off a solid Tapeta win and gets Luca Panici in the irons. Together, the Starship fillies could make a major impact on Saturday’s card, which also features the $75,000 Not Surprising Stakes.
Miss Mary Nell, trained by Carlos David, offers a compelling challenge. A filly who’s been consistently competitive on Tapeta, she’ll try to carry that form back to turf, where she originally broke her maiden. Her last outing saw her finish second against males, and she will have the services of jockey Edwin Gonzalez for the first time.
Another contender to watch is Special Aviator, who is looking to rediscover her stakes-winning juvenile form. Although beaten by Miss Mary Nell recently and outpaced by Starship Impulsive in the Honey Ryder, she remains capable on her best day. Samuel Camacho Jr. picks up the mount.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. fields two runners—Bellavinino, a multiple stakes-placed filly with proven class, and La Cantera, a Persian King daughter with something to prove. Edgard Zayas rides Bellavinino, while Wilfred Vasquez partners with La Cantera. Rounding out the field are It’s Witchcraft, who finished fourth in the Honey Ryder, and We Sea You, a filly who steps up in class after back-to-back wins.
Meanwhile, Thursday’s action at Gulfstream Park also brings excitement with an estimated $75,000 Rainbow 6 jackpot pool. After last Saturday’s big payout, anticipation is building as bettors eye the six-race sequence, which runs from Races 4 through 9. The final leg features an intriguing mile optional claimer headlined by Catalytic. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., the colt looks to break a frustrating streak of runner-up finishes after facing stiff competition in both the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby.
The Rainbow 6 payout structure ensures excitement daily, with a jackpot reserved for a single-ticket winner. If no unique ticket emerges, the prize pool rolls over, adding even more intrigue for fans and punters alike.
