HALLANDALE BEACH - Troy Johnson and Charles and Maritza Weston’s Win N Your In, a disappointing third as the favorite to open the Florida Sire Stakes series last month, slipped through an opening along the rail leaving the far turn and drew clear for a 4 ½-length victory in the $200,00 Susan’s Girl at Gulfstream Park.0

    The seven-furlong Susan’s Girl, second leg in the FSS series for juvenile fillies by accredited Florida stallions, was the last of three stakes on a 12-race program following Loco Abarrio’s mild upset of the $100,000 Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap for 3-year-olds and up and undefeated Rated by Merit’s popular romp in the $200,000 Affirmed for 2-year-olds.

    Ridden by Miguel Vasquez for trainer Carlos David, Win N Your In ($6.80) completed the distance in 1:25.23 over a fast main track. It was a sharp bounce-back effort for the daughter of Win Win Win after being beaten 6 ¼ lengths in the six-furlong Desert Vixen on Sept. 7.

    “It was the heat. It was really hot that day,” David said. “Some horses don’t handle it well and she’s one of them. She just doesn’t like it. I told the guys that as long as we have good weather she’s going to rock it, and she did. Thank God for the good weather today.”

    Midwest shipper Rogue Diamond, making just her second career start, broke alertly from Post 2 in a field of seven and immediately sprang to the lead, going the opening quarter-mile in :22.39 seconds pressed to her outside by Desert Vixen winner and 3-5 favorite R Morning Brew. Vasquez settled Win N Your In along the rail in third with 30-1 shot I’malwaysthinking fourth.

    Rogue Diamond began to tire leaving the backstretch but Vasquez maintained his inside position and scooted past the fading leader approaching the stretch following a half-mile in :46.10. Win N Your In opened up once straightened for home and was unchallenged to the wire, with 45-1 shot Kip the Distance beating R Morning Brew by 2 ¾ lengths for second.

    Don’t Fool With Me, I’malwaysthinking, Rogue Diamond and Wiggle An’ Wine completed the order of finish.

    “The initial plan was to go to the lead,” David said. “Her best performances have been on the lead, so I told Miguel, ‘I would encourage you to go to the lead if you can get it and just kind of set the pace, but if they go just stay back a little bit and let them do their thing and come around.’

    “She does well taking back a little bit, too, and stalking,” he added. “I was a little worried coming around the turn because [Rogue Diamond] was stopping a little bit and I was like, ‘We’re going to get stopped.’ She’s gone to the rail before and she does well doing it, so we got lucky there. She drew off and she’s just great. She’s little, but she can run.”

    Averill Racing’s R Morning Brew, trained by Sunshine Meet leader Saffie Joseph Jr. and ridden by Edgard Zayas, lost for the first time after winning her first two starts by 10 combined lengths.

    “It’s horse racing,” Zayas said. “Last time we beat that filly pretty easily. This time, she got the jump on us and opened up and kept on going. I guess that’s the way she wants to be ridden. Last time, she got in traffic and didn’t fire. Next time, in the third leg, hopefully our filly will run her race.”

    Saturday’s outcome means the juvenile filly series won’t be swept for the 11th straight year, since Scandalous Act in 2013. The series wraps up with the $400,000 My Dear Girl going 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 30.

    “I like her going farther,” David said. “I think she’s going to do well.

    HALLANDALE BEACH - St. Elias Stable’s Rated by Merit looms as a strong favorite in a field of seven entered  for the $200,000 Affirmed, next Saturday’s second leg of the 2024 Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida stallions.

    The homebred son of Battalion Runner is undefeated and untested in two career starts, including a 6 ¼-length romp in the $100,000 Dr. Fager, the six-furlong first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series. The Michael Yates trainee scored by 9 ¾ lengths in his July 13 debut at six furlongs, earning a 92 Beyer Speed Figure that was the fastest produced by a 2-year-old in 2024 at the time. He followed up with a 93 Beyer Speed Figure while setting a stakes record (1:09.45) in his Dr. Fager win. Jesus Rios, who was aboard for Rated by Merit’s two dominating wins, has the return mount.

    Ian Parsard, Stefania Farms and Shining Stables’ Neoequos, a son of Neolithic who contested the early pace early before settling for second in the Dr. Fager, is scheduled to return in the Affirmed. Amy Dunne and trainer Patrick Biancone’s Classic of Course, who finished third in the Dr. Fager after losing a photo finish for win in the Proud Man Stakes, is also entered.

    Arindel’s Lou, John Minchello’s Zizka, and Alex and JoAnn Lieblong’s Big Paradise round out the field.

    Averill Racing’s R Morning Brew was entered to seek her third victory without defeat in the $200,000 Susan’s Girl, the second leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series for juvenile fillies that will co-headline next Saturday’s program.
The daughter of Curlin’s Honor, who followed up a 4 ½-length debut victory with a 5 ½-length score in the $100,000 FSS Desert Vixen Sept. 7, is slated to face 6 rivals in the seven-furlong Susan’s Girl. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has awarded the return mount to Edgard Zayas.

    Christian Maingot and trainer Jose Pinchin’s Wiggle an’ Wine and Troy Johnson and Maritza Weston’s Win N Your In, who finished second and third, respectively, in the Desert Vixen are scheduled to return in the Susan’s Girl.  Win N Your In finished three quarters of a length behind Wiggle an’ Wine after finishing 4 ¾ lengths clear of the Pinchin trainee while winning the Sharp Susan Aug. 10.

    Patricia’s Hope LLC’s Rogue Diamond, an impressive two-length debut winner for trainer Larry Rivelli at Hawthorne, is scheduled to make her FSS debut in the Susan’s Girl. Stonehedge’s Don’t Fool With Me, Shadybrook Farm’s I’malwaysthinking, and trainer Angel Rodriguez’s Kip the Distance round out the field.

    The two featured stakes will be supported on an 11-race program by the $100,000 Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap, which drew a field of 7 including Arindel’s Octane, who won the Gr. III Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn.