Photo:

Gulfstream Park / X

Stonestreet Stables’ homebred Éclatant, trained by Brad Cox
and ridden by Luis Sáez, made an impressive 3-year-old debut when drawing away
from 10 others to win Saturday’s Grade 3, $165,000 Forward Gal Stakes, a Kentucky Oaks (G1) points prep at Gulfstream Park.

Éclatant, a daughter of Into Mischief out of Scat Daddy
mare Downside Scenario, covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.61 while beating
stablemate Stunner by 1 1/4 lengths. The Queens M G was another length behind
in third.

Click here for Gulfstream Park entries and results.

After winning her first two starts at Churchill Downs in
June and Keeneland in October, Éclatant finished third in the Golden Rod (G3)
at Churchill ending her juvenile season in November.

“This filly had a perfect trip in the Golden Rod, and I
would have never thought with the trip she got she would have gotten beaten
eight lengths,” Cox said. “She’s a nice filly. Her first two races were really
good. I thought she chased the bias second time at Keeneland and overcame it.

Éclatant broke sharp leaving the gate and was seventh
leaving the chute as Rojo Rita, later disqualified to last for causing
interference down the backstretch, set an opening quarter-mile pace of 22.04 seconds
before being pressed by Stunner behind a 44.76-second half-mile.

Sáez moved up Éclatant up the backstretch and was behind
Rojo Rita, Stunner and The Queens M G turning for home before taking the lead
from her stablemate inside the final eighth of a mile.

“We broke from there pretty well,” Sáez said. “We followed
the speed, and when we came to the three-eighths (pole), I felt like I had
horse, and at the top of the stretch, she gave me a good kick. She was digging
and digging and kept coming.”

Cox was pleased with both the winner and Stunner.

“They both performed well,” he said. “I think the
long-distance goals for the both of them will be spots like the Test (G1) and
the Eight Belles (G2) and maybe the Beaumont (G2). It was good to get a run
into both of them this winter and get their seasons kicked off.”

Éclatant returned $10.00 for a $2 win ticket.

The race was worth 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points for the top five finishers.