Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. aims to continue his impressive streak in the $225,000 Princess Rooney (G3) race at Gulfstream Park this Saturday, where he hopes to claim his fourth straight victory in the seven-furlong ‘Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In’ stakes event for fillies and mares.
Joseph will enter three contenders: Kerry’s Kiss (owned by Epic Horses LLC, BAG Racing Stables LLC, and The White House Stables LLC), Indy Bay (from Agave Racing Stable and Miller Racing LLC), and Anakarina (also Miller Racing LLC). These horses will try to join the ranks of recent champions—Three Witches (2023), Soul of an Angel (2024), and Haulin Ice (2025)—to win the Princess Rooney and secure a spot with paid fees in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at Keeneland on October 31.
Notably, 2024 winner Soul of an Angel followed her Princess Rooney success with a Breeders’ Cup victory and received an Eclipse Award championship. Kerry’s Kiss, aiming for a fourth consecutive win herself, has shown strong form after moving to Joseph’s stable, winning the Musical Romance and Sheer Drama stakes with blinkers added. Joseph credits a strategy of cutting her back to shorter, one-turn races with enhancing her performance.
Rated second on the morning line at 5-2, Kerry’s Kiss has trained well for this weekend’s challenge, with jockey Edwin Gonzalez returning to ride her. Indy Bay, a 4-year-old daughter of Take Charge Indy who won the Charles Town Oaks (G2) last year, has placed second in her recent encounters with Kerry’s Kiss but could benefit from a speed-friendly pace in this race. Micah Husbands will be aboard for Indy Bay, who is listed third on the morning line at 3-1.
Anakarina, by Vekoma, enters off a front-running victory in the Love Sign Stakes at Colonial Downs but faces questions about her stamina over seven furlongs. Rasheed Hughes will pilot her, as she is marked at 9-2 on the morning line.
Another notable entrant is Simply Joking, trained by Michael McCarthy—who has a history of success in the Princess Rooney with Ce Ce’s back-to-back wins in 2021 and 2022. Simply Joking, the 8-5 morning-line favorite, has recently competed well around two turns in Southern California and has a strong one-turn graded stakes record, including a G1 placing. Jockey Juan Hernandez will make his first ride on Simply Joking in this race.
No Bad Beats, recently claimed by Southern California trainer Leonard Powell, steps up after winning an optional claiming allowance at Del Mar. Diego Herrera, who led Gulfstream’s Royal Palm Meet during the spring, is slated to ride her. She is coming off a less impressive effort earlier this year but has graded stakes-placed credentials.
Making her U.S. debut is Bombacha Veloz, a multiple Group 1 winner in Chile, trained by Amador Sanchez with Rajiv Maragh set to ride. She carries a 10-1 morning line. Lastly, Just a Philly, trained by Herbert Miller and third in recent stakes behind Kerry’s Kiss, Indy Bay, rounds out the field at 20-1, with Samy Camacho aboard.
This report originally appeared in the Paulick Report on September 10, 2026.
Fan Take: This race showcases exciting emerging talent and seasoned contenders, making it a must-watch for horse racing fans eager to see which fillies will rise to championship-level competition. With the Breeders’ Cup berth on the line, the Princess Rooney could shape the future stars of sprint racing and highlight the sport’s depth and excitement heading into the fall.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
