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Though Gulfstream Park opened one month earlier than usual for its winter meet last week, the graded stakes pickings are rather slim as they race through December for the first time. Only two will be contested this month, the first being Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Sugar Swirl Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

A quartet of three-year-old fillies, led by Pomeroys Pistol, appear to have a form edge over their older rivals. The Amy Tarrant-trained Pomeroys Pistol has enjoyed a solid sophomore campaign that includes Grade 2 wins in the Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream and the Gallant Bloom Handicap against her elders at Belmont Park. Among the Florida-bred's admirable defeats were second-place efforts in the Grade 1 Test Stakes and Grade 1 Prioress Stakes, and last time the bay was beaten less than four lengths when fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Less successful in the big events of the division, Roman Treasure did manage two impressive overnight stakes wins in New York this season and can be forgiven a recent flop in the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes when trying a synthetic surface for the first time. Also exiting the Raven Run is Strike the Moon, who lost by less than a length there after taking the lucrative Charles Town Oaks in her previous start. The Michael Trombetta charge was thrice second against stakes foes over the summer, including a head loss in the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks.

Third Chance enters off four blowout wins in Chicago. Though three were allowance wins on Arlington's Polytrack, she handled dirt just fine when cruising in the Powerless Handicap at Hawthorne against Illinois-bred rivals. Third Chance seeks a bit of redemption after being only fifth to Pomeroys Pistol in the Forward Gal in her local bow in February.

There are some things to like about each of the older contestants in the Sugar Swirl. Though sidelined for the better part of the last year and a half, Pica Slew was impressive at three when taking the Grade 3 Azalea Stakes across town at Calder. Indulgence was a decent third behind Sassy Image and Musical Romance in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap at Calder over the summer, while Catch a Thief possesses a two-for-three mark over the Gulfstream strip. Moontune Missy, narrowly defeated in the 2010 Gallant Bloom, was a tiring fourth to Pomeroys Pistol in this year's renewal last out.

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