Easterly Shines in Gulfstream Maiden Triumph

This column highlights the performances of 3-year-old maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners. Maidens continue to shine at the Gulfstream Park Championship Meet. This week's Maiden Watch spotlights Easterly, who took the win Feb. 7 at Gulfstream. Easterly, trained by Brad Cox and owned by Winstar Farm, CHC, and First Go Racing, broke alertly and was able to settle into the fourth spot, stalking the pace in the opening quarter that was set by post-time favorite Mr. Miracle in :23.36. He continued down the backstretch racing in the three path off a :48.53 half-mile before confronting the front-runner at the three-eighths pole, where he took the lead under jockey Edgard Zayas. In the stretch drive, he fought off a game Mr. Miracle and an oncoming Fourth Dimension to win the 1 1/16-mile dirt race by 2 3/4 lengths under the wire in a final time of 1:46.52 in his second start. Easterly is by Uncle Mo and out of the Tiznow mare Dakota Wind. She is the dam of four winners, including Unanimously, who was third in the 2021 Crescent City Derby at Fair Ground Race Course & Slots. Easterly was purchased at Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale in 2024 for $525,000 by CHC, Siena Farm, and Maverick Racing. He was bred in Kentucky by Cypress Creek Equine. Easterly earned an 85 Equibase Speed Figure and an 81 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory. More from Gulfstream Park A day earlier, a homebred daughter of Twirling Candy, Bless Her, also broke her maiden going 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track at Gulfstream. Owned and bred by Robert S. Evans and trained by Graham Motion, Bless Her was bumped shortly after the start, which led her to sit near the back of the field. She raced off the pace three wide and started to advance on her rivals down the backstretch. Rounding the far turn, she launched a four-wide bid and took over the lead at the quarter pole. Under a confident ride from jockey Jorge Ruiz, she drew off to beat her competition by 6 3/4 lengths at the wire in her third lifetime start. She completed the race in a final time of 1:43.51. Bless Her is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Irish Mission, winner of the 2014 Glens Falls Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course, and the 2014 La Prevoyante Handicap (G3) and 2015 The Very One Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream. She was also campaigned by Evans. Irish Mission is a half sister to Smart Mission, dam of grade 2 winner Mission of Joy. Bless Her earned an 86 ESF and a 79 Beyer for her win.