So Icy made an encouraging start to a racing career at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, producing a composed performance to win a six-furlong maiden special weight for two-year-old fillies. The daughter of Yaupon showed early speed, settled comfortably behind the pace and finished strongly to secure a convincing debut victory on a muddy track.
Racing for Morplay Racing LLC, Sonata Stable, Denali Stud, Marquee Bloodstock and KAS Ultimate Racing, So Icy broke sharply in Race 8 before settling into a stalking position behind Practical Bling. The opening quarter-mile was covered in 22.09 seconds as the field travelled down the backstretch and approached the far turn.
Jockey Leonel Reyes gradually brought So Icy into contention around the bend. After the half-mile mark was reached in 45.83 seconds, the filly advanced to the front at the top of the homestretch and began to establish a clear advantage.
With only mild urging from Reyes, So Icy pulled away in the closing stages to defeat runner-up Street Queen by a comfortable length. She completed the six furlongs in 1:11.44, negotiating conditions made testing by heavy showers.
So Icy Shows Promise on Gulfstream Park Debut
The performance offered an encouraging glimpse of So Icy’s ability, with the filly demonstrating both early pace and the composure to settle before making her move. Her response when asked to quicken in the straight was particularly encouraging on a surface affected by the weather.
Bred in Kentucky, So Icy is out of Tempered, an unraced mare by Candy Ride, and was purchased at the OBS March two-year-olds-in-training sale for $700,000. Her preparation for the debut included seven workouts at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, beginning in early August.
Trainer Jose D’Angelo acknowledged that the filly had shown some uncertainty when first introduced to the track and was briefly reluctant to enter the starting gate. However, once loaded, she broke cleanly and reproduced the behaviour displayed during her training sessions at Palm Meadows.
D’Angelo described So Icy as a smart filly and indicated that her development would determine the next step in her campaign. No immediate target has been identified, with the connections prepared to allow the promising youngster time to progress following her first appearance.
For So Icy, the Gulfstream Park victory provided a positive foundation. Her ability to settle behind the pace, move forward on the turn and finish with authority suggests there could be more to come as her racing experience grows.
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