Can Gozzip Girl Rise Again in John C. Mabee Stakes - 08-13-10

August 13 - In July 2009, up-and-coming filly Gozzip Girl delivered a dazzling run with champion jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard to win the coveted American Oaks (Gr 1) at Hollywood Park in California, but a lot has changed since then.

In those days Gozzip Girl was under the guidance of trainer Tom Albertrani, who helped guide the filly to 5 victories from 12 starts. But since her stunning win in the American Oaks, Gozzip Girl failed to shine in all four of her subsequent runs.

Her last run was on July 17 in the Robert Dick Memorial Handicap (Gr 3) at Delaware Park, where she finished fourth despite starting as the favorite. Shortly after that race, trainer Marty Wolfson agreed to take over the training of Gozzip Girl.

And Farnsworth Stable, which owns the 4-year-old are expecting the Calder-based trainer to give Gozzip Girl's career a new lease on life. So the first thing the Wolfson decided to do was return the filly to California, the scene of her last win.

Which is why on Sunday the trainer is sending Gozzip Girl out in the $250,000 John C. Mabee Stakes (Gr 2) at Del Mar Racecourse, where she'll go up against a field of seven other fillies and mares three-year-old and up over 1 1/8 miles.

'I think going out there [California] will be better for her,' said Wolfson earlier this week. 'I think the heat got to her back East and that she's better on firm turf. She's had a couple of races on yielding turf and I don?t know if she liked those courses.'

But Gozzip Girl will have her work cut out for her as she takes on recent stakes winners Wasted Tears, Turning Top, Lilly Fa Pootz and Gotta Have Her as well as Spring Style, who came fourth to Zenyatta in last Saturday's Clement Hirsch Stakes.

Here is the complete field and jockeys for Sunday's $250,000 John C. Mabee Stakes (Gr 2) at Del Mar Racecourse:

1. Wasted Tears (KY) R Maragh
2. Lilly Fa Pootz (KY) J Rosario
3. Spring Style (IRE) P A Valenzuela
4. Gotta Have Her (KY) M E Smith
5. Turning Top (IRE) B Blanc
6. Princess Haya (TX) R Bejarano
7. Gozzip Girl (KY) J R Leparoux
8. Oui Say Oui (IRE) V Espinoza