In a quest to notch back-to-back victories in the $200,000 Princess Rooney (G3) at Gulfstream Park Saturday, C2 Racing Stable LLC will be counting on Haulin Ice to prevail in the highlight of the Sunshine Meet Stakes Schedule.
The Princess Rooney, a ‘Win and You’re In’ Breeders’ Cup Challenge Race that will award the winner a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar, will be showcased on Saturday’s 11-race program in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Last year, Soul of an Angel won the Princess Rooney, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, before going on to win the seven-furlong Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar for C2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable and Ken Reimer.
Haulin Ice is one of four Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained fillies entered in the Princess Rooney, but C2 Racing Stable, Stefania Farms LLC and BAG Racing Stable’s Mystic Lake, who was the early 5-2 morning-line favorite, will run in a stakes at Parx Saturday.
Clint and Mark Cornett’s C2 Racing Stable LLC figures to be well represented by Haulin Ice, whom the brothers campaign in a partnership with Miller Racing LLC, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch.
“We always try to come in for that race.,” said Clint Cornett, C2 Racing Stable’s managing partner who lives in Flower Mound, Tx. “We were fortunate enough to win it last year with Soul of an Angel, so we’re going to see if we can get back-to-back Rooneys.”
Haulin Ice (7-2) will seek to return to the win column following a second-place finish in the Sheer Drama at Gulfstream that snapped a four-race winning streak. The 4-year-old daughter of Coal Front carried highweight of 127 pounds, seven more than victorious Vincey Girl.
“We were a little disappointed with the weight she was carrying. It sort of felt like they were handicapping her to get beat. But that’s obviously out of our control,” Cornett said. “She ran well given the circumstances. We think she’s going to fire Saturday. We’re excited to come into town and enjoy the day and see her run.”
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Prior to tasting defeat in her most recent start, Haulin Ice had won the an Arkansas-bred stakes and the Matron at Oaklawn Park, the Vagrancy (G3) at Aqueduct and the Musical Romance at Gulfstream. She is a gate-to-wire threat Saturday.
“She’s a versatile horse. If someone decides to do something crazy, she can sit off them and finish strong,” Cornett said. “She’s versatile. She’s a grinder. She’s a gritty horse. You can tell she likes to compete.”
Having already experienced the thrill of winning the Princess Rooney and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint with Joseph-trained Soul of an Angel, Cornett is hoping Haulin Ice will show herself to be a solid Breeders’ Cup candidate with a victory Saturday.
“We think the spacing is good from the Princess Rooney to the Breeders’ Cup,” he said. “Having to ship out there, we think it puts the horse in the best position to be successful.”
Leading rider Edgard Zayas has the call on Arkansas-bred Haulin Ice.
Miller Racing LLC will also be represented in the Princess Rooney field by Joseph-trained Claret Beret and Ultimate Authority.
Claret Beret (3-1) is likely to take on the favorite’s role in Mystic Lake’s absence. The 4-year-old daughter of Not This Time drops from a troubled sixth-place finish in the Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga. She had previously captured the mile Mo Green Handicap at Gulfstream and finished a close-up second in the seven-furlong Chicago (G2) at Churchill Downs in her first two starts for Joseph.
Ultimate Authority (8-1) is scheduled to make her first start for Miller Racing LLC and Joseph in the Princess Rooney. The 4-year-old daughter of Practical Joke finished third in the April 19 Santa Maria (G3) at Santa Anita in her most recent start.
Micah Husbands, who was aboard for the Chicago, returns to Claret Beret’s saddle, while Skyler Spanabel has the call on Ultimate Authority.
Blu Boy Racing Stables LLC and Matty Dan Racing Stable’s Vincey Girl (4-1) looms as a serious threat to the Joseph trio while entering the Princess Rooney in peak form. The 4-year-old daughter of Race Day rallied from mid-pack in the seven-furlong Sheer Drama to prevail over Haulin Ice by 3 ¾ lengths going away.
“She’s doing great. She’s doing everything excellent. We repeated the same preparation for the last race, and she’s still improving, so I’m very happy with her now,” said trainer Jose D’Angelo, whose filly will carry 121 pounds, two fewer than Haulin Ice.
Vincey Girl, who won from the rail post position in the Sheer Drama, has drawn the No. 1 post again.
“We got the inside post for the break, but I think that’s not going to be a problem,” D’Angelo said. “We have a lot of speed in the race, and that’s good for her. I think if she has a little luck she’s going to be pretty tough there.”
Edwin Gonzalez has the return call on Vincey Girl, who finished second behind Haulin Ice in the Musical Romance in the start prior to her impressive last-out effort.
MyRacehorse and JR Ranch’s Reputation, one of two 3-year-olds in the field, is slated to take on her elders in the Princess Rooney in search of her first graded-stakes win. The daughter of Bolt d’Oro, a $450,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds-in-Training sale, has won three of her last four starts. The Gustavo Delgado-trained filly, who broke her maiden by 8 ¼ lengths at Gulfstream in April, enters the Rooney off back-to-back seven-furlong victories. She most recently won her stakes debut by 6 ¾ lengths in the Tyson Gilpin Stakes at Colonial after winning an Ellis Park allowance by 1 ½ lengths.
Miguel Vasquez is scheduled to ride Reputation (6-1) for the first time Saturday.
Porta Pia Stables’ Neraruzzi, a 3-year-old daughter of Protonico, is set to make her graded-stakes debut following a third-place finish behind Vincey Girl and Haulin Ice in the Sheer Drama.
Edgar Perez has the return call on the Angel Quiroz-trained filly.
Trainer Dante Zanelli Jr.’s Gallop d’Hermes, fifth in the Sheer Drama, will look to improve on a seventh-place finish in last year’ s Princess Rooney.
Yolber Torres has the call aboard the 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro.
This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Sep 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.