A Good Day for Ocala's Horsemen/Horses in Hallandale Beach

Friday, May 25, 2018

Bernies Blog

With so many of the northern trainers leaving town after Gulfstream's Championship Meeting, owners and breeders from Ocala have been in a good position to rake in cash by winning races, collecting breeders' awards and enhancing stallions' records. Thursday was a prime example.

The first race was won by Antoaneta, owned by Reid Nagle's Big Lick Farm in Morriston. Nagle prospered to the tune of $19,800 and doesn't have to fork over 10 percent to a trainer since he trains the filly himself.

The second race didn't help former Ocala Stud stallion High Cotton. He's been pensioned, but is fourth on the Florida money list with nearly $1 million this year.

Christmas Magic won the third race and earned a check for $21,500. He's by former Journeyman Stud stallion J P's Gusto, who's now at Bridlewood Farm, and picked up a juicy breeders' award (13.33 percent of $30,000) for Journeyman owners Brent and Crystal Fernung.

Race No. 4 was won by Cootie Alert, a filly by little-known Mount McKinley, a stallion owned by Tampa Bay Downs owner Stella Thayer. Mount McKinley stands at Ups and Downs Farm in Citra and owners Monte and Catherine Thomas breed a mare or two to him every year. They are the owners and breeders of Cootie Alert, and earned $9,100 for the victory, plus the breeders' award.

Sixth-race winner C. A. C. Chaquira is by retired Ocala Stud stallion Overdriven, currently 11th on the Florida sire list. The 2-year-old filly's breeders' award goes to Randell and Lucy Edwards; Randell is the long-time controller for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.

Taylor's in Orbit won the seventh race, and he's by Bridlewood Farm stallion Corfu, 24th on the Florida list.

Double Diamond Farm's First Dude is the Florida sire leader with earnings of more than $1.7 million, and he's the sire of the 8th-race winner, Mystic Magnolia, good for a check of $16,600.

The finale was won by Belle's Cachet, a 3-year-old filly by Treasure Beach, one of the highly-successful second-crop stallions at Pleasant Acres in Morriston. Belle's Cachet is her sire's ninth winner this year and sent Treasure Beach over the $300,000 mark.