HALLANDALE BEACH - Jockey Edgard Zayas put the finishing touches on a three-win Saturday at Gulfstream Park by guiding BC Racing’s Prevent to a front-running victory in the $75,000 Soldier’s Dancer and give the Royal Palm Meet’s leading rider a sweep of the afternoon stakes.

    Racing with blinkers following an 11th-place finish in the 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida on March 1 on the Gulfstream turf, the 4-year-old colt by Pleasant Acres stallion Neolithic ($14.40) completed one mile and 70 yards on the all-weather Tapeta course in 1:39.31 to register his fifth career victory. It came four races after Zayas rallied Implementation to the wire first in the $75,000 Smile Sprint.

    “It’s been a great day,” said Zayas, who tops the Gulfstream riders with 74 wins. “I’ve been getting on some good horses and getting pretty good support from all the trainers and owners. It’s been really good.”

    Prevent broke alertly from Post 5 in a field of eight and went the opening quarter-mile in :23.63 seconds, given closest chase by turf stakes-winner and Gr. III-placed Tocayo in second with Spy Novel saving ground in third inside 24-1 long shot I Know I Know. The half went in :46.58 with no change in the top two, and Prevent straightened for home with a lead he held through the lane despite getting leg weary late.

    “He was drifting out a little bit late but he’s the type of horse if you start fighting with him he gets to messing around,” Zayas said. “He drifted out but there was no one to the outside and he was running pretty good so I let him go. I feel like he’s a really tough horse to deal with and he can get a little rank,” he added. “There was some speed in the race so I was trying to let him go and see if he could settle a little bit, but he didn’t. He just took the lead and just kind of let him run and do his thing and he held on.”
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    Kalik, sent off at 17-1, emerged from a tight pack in second, with I Know I Know third, 3-2 favorite Just a Photo fourth and Tocayo fifth. Grand Mo the First, the 9-5 program favorite, was scratched.

    Ocalan Steve Albright shot a 1-over-par 73 at Golden Ocala and picked up one of the four spots in the local qualifying event for the 70th U. S. Senior Amateur. Albright will travel to Oak Hills CC in San Antonio, Texas, in late August to compete against 156 others in the large field.

    With his son Miles carrying his bag, Albright made three bogeys and two birdies to tie for second at Golden Ocala. This is the first time he has qualified for a USGA event.

    Ocala's Bo Williams won the U. S. Amateur twice, in 1986 and 1989, the second one in Texas.

    Rancho Temescal, White Fence and Richard Hale Jr.’s Roll On Big Joe (Prospective –Nina’s Gift, by Victory Gallop) collared speedster Booth at the top of the stretch en route to a three-quarters of a length victory in the $220,000, Gr. III Kelly’s Landing at Churchill Downs, becoming one of three OBS grads to earn graded wins over the past week.

    Trained by Bob Hess Jr., the gelded son of Prospective earned his second graded stakes win, having previously annexed the $100,000, Gr. III Palos Verdes at Santa Anita in February. He was purchased by Rancho Temescal for $90,000 at the 2022 OBS June sale from the Gayle Woods consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

    At Woodbine on Saturday, Al and Bill Ulwelling’s Mansetti (Collected-Gidget Girl, by Sky Mesa) rebounded from a troubled fifth-place finish in his previous start, the Queenston Stakes, to post a stellar showing in the $150,000, Gr. III Marine Stakes. The Kevin Attard-trained colt previously notched stakes scores in this year’s Woodstock and the 2024 edition of the Clarendon. Consigned to the 2024 OBS Spring Sale by Eddie Woods, Agent, Mansetti was sold for $40,000 to his owners after breezing in :20 4/5. 

    D J Stable's Dream On (Not This Time – Mamma Kimbo, by Discreet Cat) earned his first graded stakes victory when he captured the Gr. III, $400,000 Penn Mile Stakes at Penn National Race Course. The Mark Casse-trained colt, third in the Gr. I Summer Stakes last September, was purchased by D. J. Stable for $380,000 out of the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training from the de Meric Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    Steve Asmussen’s Neom Beach (Omaha Beach – Giant’s Causey, by Giant’s Causeway) captured the $125,000 Wasted Tears at Lone Star Park for her second straight stakes win. Neom Beach was purchased by Nwadr Stables for $210,000 out of the 2023 OBS April Sale from the consignment of Julie Davies after breezing in :10 flat.

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    As the final moments of the 2025 OBS June Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale wound down, consignor Randy Miles couldn’t stop moving, darting from inside the pavilion to the back ring and back again, accepting all means of congratulatory wishes along the way.

    By the time Miles paused to take his whirlwind of a 15 minutes in, history had once again been made as one of the more productive juvenile sale seasons in OBS history came to a triumphant close.

    With both the OBS March and April auctions rewriting chapters in the sales company’s record books this year, the OBS June Sale wasn’t to be left out when it came to adding to the annals. In the last hour of the two-day exercise, Hip 850, a chestnut filly by Curlin consigned by Caliente Thoroughbreds, established a record price for the June sale when she sold for $975,000 to Miles on behalf of owner Gus King while the overall average and median also established new marks for the final 2-year-old sale of the year.

    Minutes after signing that lofty ticket, Miles was hustling to be part of more fireworks as he consigned Hip 857, a gray or roan filly by Gun Runner that brought the sale’s second highest price when she went for $525,000 to representatives of My RaceHorse.

“It was a very busy 15 minutes,” Miles said.

    The lone offspring by Curlin selling during the June auction, the chestnut filly is out of the graded stakes winning Tapit mare Mufajaah, who is a daughter of multiple graded stakes winner Carolyn’s Cat. During her star turn in the ring, she bested the previous all-time June mark set in 2019 for $900,000.

    The new high mark also continued a trend of market strength during this juvenile sale season. The OBS March sale posted year-to-year gains in gross and average while the April exercise produced year-over-year gains in gross and a record average. The OBS March auction also sold a sale-record seven horses for $1 million or more, including a son of Gun Runner – now named Brant – who hammered for a record $3 million.

    When the dust settled on June, the average of $51,172 had bested the previous sale record of $43,433 set in 2021 and the median of $25,000 topped the prior record of $23,500 established in 2022. This year’s sale was held over two days compared to last year’s three-day exercise.

    “We certainly saw the same pattern that we saw in the 2-year-old market all year and I’m glad that it held all the way to June,” said Tod Wojciechowski, Director of Sales for OBS. “This time of year, you worry about buyer fatigue but a lot of that was just worry. The market proved its resiliency again. Lots of records this year, it was an excellent season. We’re grateful to the buyers that came, grateful to the consignors who bring the quality horses they bring.”

    Bidding on behalf of King, a client of his for a handful of years now, Miles stayed diligent in his pursuit of the Curlin filly as the bidding opened at $25,000 and steadily jumped up from there. Though he stretched beyond the limits of past June sales, Miles said King was determined to do what was needed in order to own the youngster, who had breezed in :10 flat during the under-tack show.

    “Gus really just wants top quality,” said Miles, who added the filly was headed to the barn of Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. “He had Publisher in the (Kentucky) Derby this year and really wants to continue that line with really top-quality horses, and we felt the Curlin was the best horse in the sale.

    “We thought the horse could be bought for a little bit less, but we were not going to stop. We wanted to give it our all to get that horse bought. We didn’t want to spend that much money but to get that kind of horse, you have to spend that money. And Gus was very willing.”

    Saul Marquez of Caliente Thoroughbreds, no stranger to selling high-quality prospects with multiple Grade 1 winner and OBS grad Chancer McPatrick among those on his honor roll, happily found himself at a loss as he tried to describe his latest commercial success.

    “The first time we saw this filly we fell in love with her. She’s always done everything right,” Marquez said. “She’s been smart, loves what she does, she’s just a racehorse. We brought her in April but my whole idea was pointing her here in June. I was confident in her. But…right now I don’t even have words.”

    Miles had to find adjectives for both of the top horses in the sale as his Gun Runner filly out of Grade 1 winner Restless Rider gained her share of attention when she hit the ring moments later. When she breezed in :10 flat during the under tack show, Miles knew the stage would be set for her to have her own wave of suitors.

    “She was just amazing. She came in here really light on training and what she did on her breeze show was remarkable to me,” Miles said of the Gun Runner filly. “We came into Ocala thinking we may gallop her because she was so far behind. What she did had nothing to do with anything we did. She did all of it. It was a real shock; it was a pleasant shock.

    “My RaceHorse bought her and it’s going to be a fun road to watch. I love watching my babies go on and do well.”

    After Hip 104, a dark bay or brown colt by Grade 1 winner and OBS June grad Yaupon, topped the first day of the June sale when he sold to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. for $300,000 from the consignment of Julie Davies, a total of seven horses sold for $300,000 or more during Wednesday’s session.

    On a day when consignor Ciaran Dunne was at Royal Ascot to witness OBS and Wavertree graduate Crimson Advocate score by 1 ¾ lengths in the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes, an effort that came after fellow OBS and Wavertree grad Lennilu finished a game third in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, his program notched another triumph when Hip 572, a bay colt by Bolt d’Oro sold to Gary Young, agent for $425,000.

    Though Lennliu, who is owned by a partnership that includes Amy Dunne and Caitlin Dunne, came up just short in her Royal Ascot try, the Bolt d’Oro colt provided a boost by justifying the patience and faith shown to him by his connections. Bred by Gil Masters, the colt is out of the Smart Strike mare Missile Belle, who is from the female family of graded stakes winner Fugitive Angel, and was earmarked for the June sale when it became evident his strong bodied frame would benefit from added time.

    “It’s the age-old story, you can’t hide a good one and he exceeded expectations,” Dunne said by phone from England. “But the way he performed; we weren’t surprised. He was a bit big and backwards early on. We had initially targeted April, but it was coming a little too soon, so we decided he was worth waiting a little bit longer for to give him the time to show himself at his best.”

    The colt first rewarded that patience during the under-tack show when he breezed in :9 4/5, catching Young’s eye with the way he was able to gather himself and finish up down the lane.

    “In his preview, he left the pole on his left lead, and he took about 7 or 8 strides to figure things out,” said Young, who purchased the colt on behalf of an undisclosed client. “But once he got into his stride and got over to his right lead, I thought he was a machine. We figured that there would be people on him, and we figured right about that (price) range is where we would have to go.”

    The day’s fourth highest price came when trainer George Weaver went to $375,000 for Hip 471, a son of OBS grad Into Mischief from Steven Venosa’s S G V Thoroughbred consignment who breezed in :10 flat. The appeal of six-time leading sire Into Mischief needs no justification as the Spendthrift Farm stallion continues to dominate both in the commercial arena and with his offspring on the track.

    “You see an Into Mischief that you like, and they look athletic and have a good look to them, you can’t go wrong,” Weaver said from Saratoga. “He’s a homerun type sire and has been for several years now. We’ll be glad to (have the colt) in the barn.”

    Out of the multiple stakes winning Kafwain mare Kadira and a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Paola Queen, the Into Mischief colt added to an already standout year for Venosa, who sold the two highest priced horses at the OBS April sale.

    “He’s a horse we held back specifically for this sale. He’s a late May foal so we gave him the time that he needed,” Venosa said of the Into Mischief colt. “And he did everything right here and on the farm. The horse was slated for an earlier sale, but we felt like it wasn’t his time. To me the most important thing is to do right by the horse.”

Other top prices included:

    Hip 563, a bay colt by Practical Joke consigned by de Meric Sales who sold for $350,000 to Donato Lanni, agent on behalf of Frank Fletcher. The colt, who breezed in :9 4/5, is out of the Drosselmeyer mare Midnight Girl, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Midnight Lucky, who is out of a full sister to Grade 1 winner and producer Hookedonthefeelin.

     Hip 654, a bay filly by Bolt d’Oro consigned by Woodside Ranch who sold for $325,000 to Legion Bloodstock, Agent. The filly, who breezed in :9 4/5, is out of the winning Elusive Quality mare Platonic Love and is from the female family of Grade 1 winner and producer Toussaud.

    Hip 734, a bay colt by Maclean’s Music consigned by de Meric Sales, who sold for $310,000 to Jeff Kresnak. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the winning Mineshaft mare Sengekontacket, who is a full sister to stakes winner and OBS grad Wolf Man Rocket.

    Hip 512, a bay colt by Modernist consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock who sold for $300,000 to Bill Childs. The colt, who breezed in :9 4/5, is out of the winning Sidney’s Candy mare Lila Ruth and is from the female family of multiple Grade 1 winner Win.

    Total gross receipts for the June sale saw $25,688,500 generated from 502 head sold, up from last year when up from last year when 592 2-year-olds sold for $21,702,300. The average soared past the $36,659 established in 2024 while the median also bested the $20,000 put up a year ago.

    The leading consignor by gross was de Meric Sales who sold 14 horses for $1,494,000 while King’s purchase of the Curlin filly made him the leading buyer.

    “This ended up being a really good sale,” Miles said. “We’re looking forward to next year and the yearling owners are happy to see this was a vibrant market because it will carry over. We just need to keep it going.”

    A total of 101 horses failed to meet their reserve, resulting in an RNA rate of 16.8% compared to 18.5% a year ago.

    The next sale on the OBS calendar is the October Yearling Sale taking place Oct. 7-8. Entries for the October sale close Aug. 5.

    It's anybody's guess if Scottie Scheffler will ever reach Tiger Woods and Sam Snead's PGA Tour record of 82 victories. Red-hot Scottie won No. 16 today at Muirfield Village, the rich Memorial and its $4.4 million payout that brought his Tour earnings to a stunning $87.7 million. 

    So, barring Scottie driving off the road and into a tree, he appears to be a cinch to break Tiger's earnings record of $120 million. Scottie's only 28. He shot 10 under par over the tough Jack Nicklaus layout and won by four strokes over Ben Griffin, but there was no time over the back nine that Scottie was in trouble. 

    Scottie's No. 1 feature is that he hits fairways and greens much more consistently than his buddies. The one knock on his situation - if knock is the right word - is that Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Jon Rahm, Bryson Dechambeau, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen and the rest of the LIVers only get to face him in the four Majors. When Scottie hangs up his cleats, will he be admitted as one of the really elite of the sport?

    Surprisingly, there were no Gators in the Memorial, and the lone Seminole, Daniel Berger, shot 9 over par and missed the unusually high cut of 5 over.

    Speaking of LIV, they have the worst graphics in history on their telecasts. Too small, too confusing. I hope nobody was paid to come up with them.

     Sidelights: The balls and strikes calls in MLB are horrendous. Close games are being decided by bad calls and it's not supposed to be that way. They need to use the TV images and have studio analysts make the calls, like they do with close plays.

     Also: The NBA refs are worse than the home plate umps. Their non-calls on walking and charging have ruined the game. Big guys race toward the basket, smash into three defenders and they call a foul on one of the defenders. Ridiculous.   

    BALTIMORE – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables 5, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Journalism looms as a strong favorite for Saturday’s 150th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, two weeks after coming up short as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby.

    Saturday will mark the final running of the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown at the current Pimlico facility, affectionately known as ‘Old Hilltop,’ before it is demolished to make way for a modern building that is scheduled for completion in time for the 2027 Preakness. Laurel Park will host next year’s 151st Preakness.

    Journalism, who endured traffic and a wide trip while finishing second behind Sovereignty as the 3-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby, is rated at 8-5 on the morning-line in a field of nine assembled for the Preakness, in which the Derby winner will not compete.

    “He’s a wonderful athlete. He’s got the looks and size,” trainer Michael McCarthy said Wednesday morning while glancing in the direction of Journalism in his stall at the Pimlico Stakes Barn.  “He’s got the mechanics of a very good horse. His resume speaks for itself. He’s a special, special talent.”

    Journalism entered the Kentucky Derby coming off four straight victories in Southern California, including a gritty score in the Santa Anita Derby, in which he was stopped in traffic on the turn into the homestretch before shaking loose and prevailing by three-quarters of a length.

    “The one thing you can’t measure for and can’t write down in a sales catalogue is ‘try,’ ‘heart,’” said McCarthy of the determination of the $825,000 yearling purchase at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga sale. Umberto Rispoli, who was aboard for all four of his wins in addition to Journalism’s runner-up finish in the Derby, has the return call from Post 2.

    McCarthy achieved the ultimate success at Pimlico in 2021 when he saddled Rombauer for an 11-1 upset victory in the Preakness. “Rombauer seemed like he was getting good at the right time. He showed up here in Baltimore and had a great week. It looked like he was getting over the track really, really well,” McCarthy recalled. “The race set up in his favor Preakness Day. He was arguably the best horse that ran that day. The time stacked up. It was wonderful to participate in a Triple Crown race and win a Triple Crown race.”

    The 54-year-old’s quest for a second Preakness triumph will encounter challenges from five Hall of Fame trainers with 18 victories in the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, among them – former boss Todd Pletcher, plus Ocala's Mark Casse, Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert and D. Wayne Lukas.

    Pletcher, who entered the Hall of Fame in 2021, will seek his first Preakness victory with WinStar Farm, CHC Inc., Pantofel Stable and Wachtel Stable’s River Thames, who was withheld from the Derby to target the Preakness. River Thames, who was beaten by a neck in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream while finishing second behind Derby hero Sovereignty, is coming off a third-place finish in the Blue Grass at Keeneland.

    Should the son of Maclean’s Music win the Preakness it would complete a personal Triple Crown for Pletcher, who has saddled two Derby winners and four Belmont Stakes winners. He has started only 10 horses in the Preakness. “I think any time you have the opportunity to win a Classic that’s definitely something you’d like to achieve,” Pletcher said. “It would be something we’d love to get done.” Irad Ortiz Jr. has the return call on River Thames, who ranks third on the morning line at 9-2.

    Casse, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame a year after saddling War of Will for a 2019 Preakness score, is scheduled to saddle D J Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables’ Sandman for the Preakness. The son of Tapit, who is rated second on the morning line at 4-1, is coming off a seventh-place finish in the Derby, in which he dropped back to last after encountering early traffic before offering a nine-wide rally.

    “You hope you can draw a line through it,” CEO and President of West Point Thoroughbreds Terry Finley said. “Journalism obviously ran really hard. If he runs that same race, we’ve got a lot to make up. Maybe we can close the gap.” Sandman entered the Derby off an eye-catching victory in the Arkansas Derby, in which he rallied from eighth in a nine-horse field and drew away to a 2 ½-length score.

    “It’s been a whirlwind in a nutshell, getting with Sandman,” said mega-popular internet influencer Griffin Johnson, who owns a share of Sandman. “When you own a piece of a horse, you never know what you’re going to get. That’s part of the fun, right? Obviously, Sandman has been a fantastic horse with a supreme amount of talent, and he has taken me on arguably the best journey that I could ever experience. I’m really just glad to be here. I’m soaking it in. Most importantly, I’m trying to share that dream with everyone I can and be authentic and experiential as I can.”

    Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez is scheduled to ride the striking gray colt for the first time.

    Asmussen, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016, will seek his third Preakness victory with Winchell Thoroughbreds, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Clever Again. He found the Preakness winner’s circle with Curlin in 2007 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009.

    Clever Again, who is rated fourth at 5-1 on the morning line, will make his graded stakes debut in the Preakness in only his fourth career start. The son of 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah, who was narrowly beaten in his debut at Keeneland in his only start as a 2-year-old, has won his two races this year, both at Oaklawn Park. After breaking his maiden with a front-running 3 ½-length score at 1 1/16 miles, he ran off with the mile Hot Springs by four lengths. Jose Ortiz has the return call on Clever Again.

    Baffert, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009, will have the opportunity to extend his record for most Preakness winners for a trainer when he saddles SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables’, Stonestreet Stables, Diane Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan’s Goal Oriented for his stakes debut.

    Goal Oriented is 2-for-2, entering the Preakness off a 3 ½-length debut score at six furlongs April 6 at Santa Anita and a front-running triumph in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Baffert is well aware of the challenge that awaits Goal Oriented in the Preakness while racing against the likes of Journalism.

    “[Journalism] is a really good horse. Watching him, it was a great Derby,” Baffert said. “These are important races. If you feel your horse fits in this kind of race … I think he fits. You have Journalism. He is a real good horse and ran a big race in the Derby. Horses with good Derby form run good in the Preakness. My horse had good form two weeks ago. He is a big strong horse.”

    Flavien Prat has the return mount on the son of Not This Time, who is 6-1 on the morning line.

    Baffert established his Preakness record with National Treasure (2023), Justify (2018), American Pharoah (2015), Lookin At Lucky (2010), War Emblem (2002), Point Given (2001), Real Quiet (1998) and Silver Charm (1997).

    Lukas, a 1999 Hall of Fame inductee, could tie Baffert’s record should BC Stables' American Promise rebound from a 16th-place finish in the Derby with a winning performance in the Preakness. American Promise earned his stall in the starting gate for the Derby by winning the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs. Rated at 20-1 on the morning line, the son of 2018 Triple Crown champion Justify will be ridden back by Nik Juarez.

    Lukas notched his seventh Preakness success last year with Seize the Grey, who was preceded by Oxbow (2013), Charismatic (1999), Timber Country (1995), Tabasco Cat (1994), Tank’s Prospect (1985), and Codex (1980).

    Jim and Claire Limited’s Heart of Honor is scheduled to make his U.S. debut in the Preakness following a trans-Atlantic flight from Great Britain. The Jamie Osborne-trained son of Honor A.P. is coming off a runner-up finish in the April 5 UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse. Set at 12-1 on the morning line, Heart of Honor will be ridden back by Osborne’s 23-year-old daughter, Saffie Osborne.

    Harvey A. Clarke Racing Stables’ Gosger and RKTN Racing’s Pay Billy are both rated at 20-1 on the morning line. Brendan Walsh-trained Gosger, who won the April 12 Lexington at Keenland last time out, will be ridden for the first time Saturday by Luis Saez.

    Michael Gorham-trained Pay Billy, who earned his berth in the Preakness by winning the April 19 Federico Tesio at Laurel, will be ridden back by Raul Mena.