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Photo By: Equi-Photo

Miraculous Miss, with new pilot Jeremy Rose aboard, passes all fillies in the stretch to win going away in the $150,000 Gr. II Forward Gal Sunday afternoon at Gulfstream Park

HALLANDALE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2006) Some Big Apple fillies took a bite out of the Sunshine State Sunday afternoon as New York-raced and trained distaffers won both key 3-year-old filly graded stakes Sunday afternoon at Gulfstream Park, with Miraculous Miss rallying to win the $150,000 Gr. II Stonerside Forward Gal and Teammate wiring the $150,000 Gr. II Bonnie Miss.

For Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, who trains Teammate for owner Joseph Allen, the victory offered some consolation. His son Jimmy's 3-year-old colt Corinthian finished first in the Gr. II Fountain of Youth Stakes yesterday at Gulfstream, only to be taken down and placed third for interference in the stretch. The way the race came together for his star filly Teammate surprised the veteran, who brings most of his Belmont Park-based string to Gulfstream for the winter.

"I didn't think she'd be on the lead," Jerkens admitted in the winner's circle after watching Teammate lead every step of the way in the Bonnie Miss. "But, I didn't tell Cornelio (Velasquez) what to do. I left it up to him."

"It was pretty easy," the Panamanian-born Velasquez added. "She relaxed for me. At the quarter pole, I had a lot of horse. I never hit her. She won easy."

Easy, indeed, as the daughter of Belmont Stakes winner and perennial leading sire A.P. Indy coasted to a six-length score after never being headed in the 1 1/8-mile event, stopping the clock in 1:48.25. Racing with Lasix for the first time after finishing a distant second to Wait a While as the favorite in last month's Davona Dale, Teammate settled on the front end through a relatively easy half mile in 48.04 - very similar to the half mile time posted by First Samurai on the lead in yesterday's Fountain of Youth.

Teammate turned six furlongs in 1:12.36 and opened up to a 3 1/2-length advantage at the top of the stretch over the stalking odds-on favorite Wait a While, and Teammate was able to turn the tables on that filly, leaving her and the rest of the Bonnie Miss field behind in the stretch. The gray homebred returned $12.40 in capturing her second lifetime win and first stakes victory.

"We put her on Lasix because we thought it would help her a little bit," Jerkens explained and added that the filly had hemorrhaged slightly in her runner up effort in the Davona Dale. "She's such a very, very small horse...we figured next time it could be much worse."

Out of the stakes winning mare Starry Dreamer, Teammate increased her earnings to more than $150,000 in bankrolling the winners' share of $90,000 for winning the Bonnie Miss.

Wonder Lady Anne L, the third-place finisher in the Gr. II Davona Dale last month, out-gamed Wait a While late for second, more than six lengths behind the winner.

As for future plans, Jerkens remains undecided.

"I have no idea what might be next," he said. "It's just nice to win one, and you always hope they stay sound."

Miraculous Miss, impressive come-from-behind winner of the Gr. II Forward Gal two races later, may return home to New York for her next start.

"We'll possibly look at the Comely Stakes (at Aqueduct)," said her conditioner Steve Klesaris. "As far as her best distance, we don't know that yet. She's picked up another furlong every race, and she's answered the bell every time."

Ridden by Jeremy Rose, the pilot of last year's Triple Crown darling Afleet Alex, Puglisi Stables' Miraculous Miss ($38.60) rallied from last to first, crossing the wire 1 1/2-lengths in front of India in 1:22.78 for the seven furlongs. A $350,000 2-year-old in training purchase, the daughter of Mr. Greeley made amends for her lone defeat last month in the Gr. III Old Hat at Gulfstream, where she finished fifth in her seasonal debut. Miraculous Miss won the Gr. III Valley View at Aqueduct last fall at two, and she improves her record to four wins from five starts with earnings in excess of $207,000.

Misty Rosette, the Old Hat winner, was involved in an early pace battle and finished a game third, three-quarters of a length behind India. Favored Joint Effort, the Sunshine Millions Oaks winner, was a well beaten seventh, as was Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies third-place finisher Original Spin, who turned in the most disappointing effort of the day by finishing last after stopping badly on the far turn in her first outing at three.

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