Quinoa Tifah Defeats Ward-Trained Favorite In First 2-Year-Old Race Of 2020

Arindel's Quinoa Tifah pulled off an upset over heavily favored Lime Thursday at Gulfstream Park to kick off the juvenile racing season.

The homebred daughter of Gemologist defeated Lime, the Wesley Ward-trained 1-5 favorite, by three-quarters of a length in the $65,800 4 ½-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies carded as Race 2.

Quinoa Tifah ($15.80) broke well from the far-outside Post No. 8 to chase front-running Lime along the backstretch around the turn and into the homestretch past fractions of 21.90 and 45.62 seconds for the first half-mile before kicking past the tiring pacesetter approaching the finish line.

“She's been training so great all winter. She's not really built like a 4 ½-furlong type filly. She's a bigger athletic type,” said Arindel's Brian Cohen. “We weren't really planning on running her in the first couple of races. We were pushing her works farther apart, aiming for May, June and July. But she's been so quick and doing everything so easily, she was reminding us of [Arindel's graded-stakes winner] Cookie Dough, having that kind of frame to her. No one was touching her, so we said, 'Maybe we should aim her for the early races.'”

Lime finished second, 9 ¾ lengths ahead of Arindel's Pretzel. Quinoa Tifah ran 4 ½ furlongs in 52.13 seconds in the race in which the eight fillies ran Lasix-free.

The Juan Alvarado-trained Quinoa Tifah produced a series of 'bullet' workouts at Arindel Farm in Ocala before shipping to Gulfstream Park for a pair of maintenance breezes under the supervision of assistant trainer Heather Smullen.

“Heather had been doing such a good job with her down there. She's been touting her. She was doing everything so easily. She didn't really have the quickest works down there, because she was just keeping company with some of our other fillies down there,” Cohen said. “This was great for us winning the first 2-year-old race.”

Quinoa Tifah is out of Atrea, a daughter of Storm Cat whose maternal family has produced 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Bluegrass Cat and Got Lucky.

Ward and Arindel runners are scheduled to square off again at Gulfstream in Friday's Race 2, a 4 ½-furlong race for 2-year-olds. Ward-trained Golden Pal has been installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite, while Gatsby, an Arindel homebred son of Brethren, is rated second at 7-2.

Ranlo Investments Inc.'s Golden Pal, a son of Uncle Mo, is the first foal of Lady Shipman, a multiple graded-stakes winner on turf.

Gatsby is the first foal of Star Recruit, an eight-time winner whose grandmother Chip was a multiple graded-stakes winner.

“He's one I'm really excited about. That race looks like it's come up much tougher than the fillies race, but this horse is built for 4 ½ furlongs,” Cohen said. “I have two horses entered in the race, [including also-eligible] Bailey, [stakes winner] Richard the Great's brother. But this is the horse that kind of reminds me of Richard the Great. He's just a speedball. Everything he does is fast and everything has come easy for him.”

Jacks or Better Farm's First Navy Admiral brings a strong pedigree into Friday's race. The homebred son of Fort Loudon is out of Precious Feather, the dam of Awesome Feather, the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner and 2010 Eclipse Champion 2-year-old filly.

Shadybrook Farm Inc. and trainer Michael Yates are represented by two homebred sons of Cajun Breeze in the eight horse field. Peppi and Just Right Mike produced 'bullet' three-furlong breezes in company in 35 seconds April 4.

Hail Rich Legacy, Testified, Just Right Mike and Poseidons Myth round out the field.