HALLANDALE BEACH - In a near carbon copy of her previous start, Epic Horses, BAG Racing Stables and The White House Stables’ Kerry’s Kiss jumped out to an early lead and never looked back keeping her Gr. II-winning stablemate at bay to win Saturday’s $100,000 Sheer Drama Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

    The Sheer Drama for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting seven furlongs on the main track serves as the local prep for next month’s $250,000, Gr. III Princess Rooney, a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

    Ridden by jockey Edwin Gonzalez, who was also aboard for her 2 ¾-length triumph in the 6 ½-furlong Musical Romance on June 27, Kerry’s Kiss ($4.80) covered a fast main track in 1:23.37 for her third consecutive win and second straight over Indy Bay. Both wins since she relocated from the Midwest to South Florida after being purchased privately.

    “I didn’t have too much instruction. They let me ride her very comfortably,” Gonzalez said. “I know she’s really fast in front. She’s a quick filly, but I didn’t want to give her too much intention. I let her go on herself and she did everything right.”

    Gonzalez and Kerry’s Kiss broke alertly and immediately asserted herself up front, leading through a comfortable quarter-mile in :22.80 seconds and even-money favorite Indy Bay and Domino Vitali dueled behind her for second. The half went in :45.17 with Kerry’s Kiss still very much in control, and Indy Bay separating from a retreating Domino Vitali.

    Kerry’s Kiss rounded the far turn and straightened for home in command with only Indy Bay within reach, and she rolled home a determined 1 ½-length winner under a steady drive from Gonzalez. Just a Philly got up for third, just as she did in the Musical Romance, followed by Permian Basin and Domino Vitali. Poiema, Chilean Group 1 winner Bombacha Veloz and Girvin Star were scratched.

    “It was impressive because the last time she broke really sharp and she kept going, and she did the same thing today. She was going fast but she was doing it within herself,” Gonzalez said. “She had something left. I wanted to give her a little breather turning for home because I know the other filly and I didn’t want them to get the jump on her, and she kept going.”

    Harold Queen’s Florida homebred, Sheer Drama, trained by David Fawkes, finished third or better in 17 of 24 career starts with seven wins and nearly $1.7 million in purse earnings. She won stakes in Maryland, Delaware, Florida, New York and Kentucky including the 2015 Gr. I Delaware Handicap and Gr. I Personal Ensign and 2016 Gr. I Madison. The half-sister to Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Big Drama was Florida’s champion older female and Horse of the Year in 2015.

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