Sister Troienne has become the horse to watch at Gulfstream Park this season. Since finishing third on the debut last summer, the Woodslane Racing homebred has reeled off five consecutive victories, including three stakes wins, all by a combined 15 ½ lengths. On Saturday, the horse looks to extend that streak while making a graded-stakes debut in the $200,000 Herecomesthebride (G3), a 1 1/16-mile turf test for 3-year-olds.
The 39th running of the Herecomesthebride is part of a nine-stakes, eight-graded-race card worth over $2 million in total purses, highlighted by the $425,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2), a stepping stone to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1). The first of 14 races begins at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Sister Troienne made the move to grass last fall with a 4 ½-length maiden victory at one mile, quickly following up with a 1 1/16-mile allowance win at Keeneland. The first stakes success came in Gulfstream’s Wait a While, moved off turf to Tapeta due to weather, covering a mile and 70 yards on Thanksgiving Day. This year, the horse opened 2026 with a one-mile victory in the Ginger Brew, followed by a 1 1/16-mile triumph in the Sweetest Chant, both by comfortable margins. Favored in the last four races, expectations remain high for this graded-stakes debut.
“Whenever you’re going for six in a row, you’re always concerned about something,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “But the recent works have been really encouraging. There was a lot of horse in the last exercise, so I feel good going into Saturday.”
Sister Troienne worked four furlongs in 47.35 seconds on the turf at Palm Meadows, the ninth-fastest of 62 horses, and will be ridden by Mario Gutierrez from Post 9. Lynch expressed confidence despite the outside draw: “The horse is tactical enough to get a good position. It’s just been a little better than the rest this winter, and I hope we can do it one more time.”
Lynch also runs William Werner homebred Storm’s Wake, who finished third in the Ginger Brew and fourth in the Sweetest Chant. Breaking from Post 1 with Hall of Famer Joel Rosario up, Storm’s Wake could find a place in graded-stakes honors if pace conditions align.
Other key contenders include Spicy Princess, second in the Sweetest Chant, and Brat Pack, third in the same race. KMN Racing’s Spicy Princess has shown marked improvement over the initial races, while Brat Pack, trained by Graham Motion, continues to progress after a late career debut in November. Completing the field are Spirit Doll, Bossy Candy, Lion Lake, Connect the Stars, Sapphire Beach, and Bert’s Knoty Girl.
The Herecomesthebride carries a rich history, honoring the daughter of Al Hattab trained by Jimmy Cross Jr., who won 12 of 16 career starts including the 1977 Bonnie Miss and Gulfstream’s Columbiana (G3) and Poinciana at Hialeah. This year’s renewal promises another compelling chapter in the event’s legacy.
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