Gaffalione, Zayas, Kantharos Spice Millions Preview Card
Monday, November 13, 2017

    Sunshine Millions Preview day at Gulfstream West was a huge success, with the eight stakes - each worth $75,000 - resulting in a solid handle of $6,271,389. There were many bullet points gleaned from the program, from the standpoint of horses, breeders, owners, jockeys, etc. Here's a rundown:

    JUVENILE FILLIES SPRINT -  Tyler Gaffalione picked up his first victory on the card with Silver Bay, who became the first stakes-winner for Ocala Stud Farm's freshman sire, Currency Swap. The gray filly had just broken her maiden for Richlyn Farms 15 days earlier.

    TURF PREVIEW STAKES STAKES - Emisael Jaramillo, Gaffalione's No. 1 rival in the South Florida jockeys' colony, came from last place after three quarters with even-money Enterprising to nail Galleon Mist in deep stretch. Gaffalione was aboard the runner-up. The winner, a gelding by Elusive Quality, was bred by the late Leonard Lavin's Glen Hill Farm, one of only a handful of the pioneering Marion County farms still in operation, and shipped in from Woodbine for the race. 

    JUVENILE SPRINT STAKES - Edgard Zayas, Gaffalione's No. 2 rival, steered 3/5 favorite Wildcat's Legacy to a 3 1/4-length score over second choice Highborn, with Jaramillo aboard. The winner is from the last crop of Journeyman Stud's perennial leading Florida sire Wildcat Heir, who died early in 2015 and is set to win another leading sire title this season with progeny earnings of more than $5 million.   

    JUVENILE TURF STAKES - Zayas made it two in a row with Laurel shipper Nauti Boy, at the direct expense of Gaffalione and The X, who came in from Keeneland. Nauti Boy, a son of Mizzen Mast, had to survive a claim of foul by the runner-up before the prices were posted. The third horse was Seattle Treasure, one of 11 winners from the first crop of Pleasant Acres Stallions' Treasure Beach, the Florida leader in that category. 

   SPRINT PREVIEW STAKES - Jose Batista broke the string of winners by the top jocks with Quijote, owned by Midwest Thoroughbreds, always on the list of leading owners in North America. The gelding by Pomeroy hadn't raced since July 1 at Gulfstream and vied for the lead between horses for most of the six furlongs before proving to be best in deep stretch. 

    DISTAFF STAKES - Gaffalione was unable to get any response in the stretch from 2-1 favorite Mama Joyce, and the race proved to be a long shot player's dream. Lirica (10-1), a 3-year-old filly by former Ocala Stud leading sire Kantharos, was up at the wire to win by one-half length over Monmouth shipper April Gaze, who was 11-1 with Zayas aboard. Pacesetter Stormy Embrace, in from Laurel and off at 13-1, held on for third. The $2 exacta paid $200 and the $1 trifecta $925.10. 

    JUVENILE FILLIES TURF STAKES - It was an all Get Away Farm finish, with Homemade Salsa and Gaffalione coming from off the pace and scoring by two lengths as the 9/10 favorite. The filly was bred by her owner, Manny Andrade's Get Away Farm, and is a daughter of the farm's bread-and-butter stallion, Two Step Salsa. Homemade Salsa is 2-1-0 in three starts and looked very sharp in all three. With the victory and the winner's check of  $44,175, Two Step Salsa surpassed $1.7 million in progeny earnings, his best season ever. Homemade Salsa is one of her sire's 13 juvenile winners this year, which leads all Florida stallions. 

    CLASSIC PREVIEW STAKES - It was a repeat performance for Mr. Jordan, the 5-year-old by Kantharos who won the race last year by 3 3/4 lengths at odds of 1/2. This time around, with Zayas in the saddle, the bettors weren't as sure and the gelding went off at 9/5. He took the lead passing the half-mile marker, galloped away from the field, and had plenty left as he hit the wire 11 1/2 lengths in front. The $45,105 winner's check bumped his career total to $605,340 on a fabulous record of 8-4-6 in 24 starts.  

    

    

    

     


 

  

     

 

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