'Honest And Solid' Surprisingly Gets Added Distance In Saturday's Orchid

Repole Stable’s Surprisingly, beaten a neck when second in the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2) in January, will get some added distance as she chases a second career graded-stakes triumph in Saturday’s $150,000 Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 60^th running of the 1 ½-mile Orchid for fillies and mares 4 and up on the grass is the third of five graded-stakes and sixth of 10 stakes worth $2.425 million in purses on a blockbuster 14-race program anchored by the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa, one of the country’s premier Triple Crown preps. First-race post time is 11:30 a.m.

Carded as Race 10, the Orchid has a scheduled post time of 4:06 p.m.

Contested at 1 1/16 miles, the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf saw Surprisingly get bumped at the start breaking from outside each of her 10 rivals and track far back on the inside in the early going before launching her rally, nearly catching winner Didia at odds of 26-1.

“She ran terrific to just miss in the Pegasus,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “She got jostled around at the start a little bit and was able to work out a good trip after that. She was closing resolutely but just couldn’t quite get there. She’s a very honest and solid filly.”

Surprisingly’s run in the Pegasus was her first race in 157 days after finishing seventh, beaten just 1 ½ lengths, in the 1 1/16-mile Ballston Spa (G2) at Saratoga. She was purchased for $1 million at Keeneland’s November Horses of All Ages sale and moved to Pletcher from fellow Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey.

In 13 career starts Surprisingly has been third or better 10 times with four wins, topped by the 1 1/16-mile Endeavour (G3) last winter at Tampa Bay Downs. She has placed in five other stakes, four of them graded, finishing ahead of such horses as Marketsegmentation, Ruby Nell and Personal Best, all graded-stakes winners. Grade 1 winner Marketsegmentation is entered to return from an eight-month layoff in the $150,000 Sand Springs on the Florida Derby undercard.

Jose Ortiz has the call from Post 4 in a field of eight on Surprisingly, who has twice raced as far as 1 1/8 miles including a runner-up finish in the Matchmaker (G3) last summer at Monmouth Park.

“We’re kind of interested to see how she’ll handle the stretch-out in distance. The furthest that she’s run is nine furlongs,” Pletcher said. “She’s a kind filly that’s very tractable and ratable, so it will be interesting to see how she handles a mile and a half.”

Three Orchid horses own wins at 1 ½ miles – R Calli Kim, McKulick and La Mehana. LSU Stables’ La Mehana is entered to make her North American debut after winning five of 12 starts in her native France and finishing third in the Qatar Prix de Royallieu (G1) Sept. 30 in her most recent start.

Klaravich Stables Inc.’s McKulick will be racing for the first time since running last of 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) Nov. 4. The 5-year-old millionaire daughter of Frankel won the 1 ½-mile Glens Falls (G3) last summer at Saratoga and also owns graded wins in the 2023 Waya (G3) and 2022 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) and Jockey Club Oaks Invitational (G3).

Averill Racing and Two Eight Racing’s R Calli Kim, 7, won a 1 ½-mile allowance in the fall of 2023 at Keeneland before making her graded debut with a win in the 1 3/8-mile Long Island (G3) at Aqueduct. She has raced twice this year over the Gulfstream turf, finishing second by less than a length in the 1 ½-mile La Prevoyante (G3) Jan. 27 and winning the 1 3/8-mile The Very One (G3) March 2.

Also exiting both races is Jordan Wycoff’s Anatolian, who ran third in the La Prevoyante and second in the $150,000 The Very One, both times beaten two lengths. The 5-year-old mare was 1 ¼ lengths behind R Calli Kim in the La Prevoyante.

“She’s doing really, really good. She ran a great race last time. Both of her starts down here have gone really well,” Nolan Ramsey, assistant to trainer Mike Maker, said. “She came out of the last race good and has been training good. It’s going to be a tough field to run against, but I think she’s kind of proven herself against these type horses. Obviously, the stretch out on the turf is doing her good.”

Anatolian was claimed for $35,000 out of a fourth-place finish in her career debut in February 2022 at Gulfstream. She owns wins on dirt, grass and all-weather surfaces and has a win, three seconds and a third in seven career tries on the turf. Her main track victory came over a sloppy surface in an off-the-turf Claiming Crown Tiara at Fair Grounds last December.

“She’s just one of those horses that, every race, she seems to get a little better,” Ramsey said. “She’s gone through her conditions and she’s run at some nice tracks. She ran a big race off the turf at Fair Grounds in the Claiming Crown. She’s just one of those horses that keeps getting better and better and she’s young. We’re really looking forward to her future, as well.”

Edgard Zayas rides Anatolian from outermost Post 8.

Completing the field are Tower Bridge, a last out optional claiming allowance winner going 1 ¼-miles on the synthetic Feb. 14 at Turfway Park; The Very One fourth-place finisher Viva La Red; and Creative Cairo, winner of the 1 1/16-mile Marie G. Krantz Memorial Jan. 20 at Fair Grounds.