HALLANDALE BEACH - Sleepy Eyes Todd made a late inside surge to narrowly beat a rallying Firenze Fire in Saturday’s $100,000, Gr. III Mr. Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

    The seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up honors the memory of Mr. Prospector, who set a Gulfstream track record of 1:07 4/5 while winning a six-furlong allowance on April 1, 1973 and went on to become the most influential stallion of his generation. Walter Blum rode Mr. Prospector, one race after he won the Florida Derby with Regal and Royal. 

    Sleepy Eyes Todd ($12.20), who traveled to South Florida after stops in Louisiana, Nebraska, Texas, West Virginia, California and Kentucky for his last six races, is likely to stay around for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 23.

    “This is the plan,” trainer Miguel Silva said following the winner’s presentation.

    Sleepy Eyes Todd, who was coming off a last-to-first victory in the seven-furlongLafayette on the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup undercard at Keeneland, was the recipient of a patient and well-judged ride from Tyler Gaffalione, his ninth rider in his last nine starts. The 4-year-old son of Paddy O’Prado broke well from the gate before settling into fifth place behind loose-on-the-lead long shot Wind of Change, who set fractions of :22.07 and :44.35 seconds for the first half-mile.

    Sleepy Eyes Todd advanced along the rail on the turn into the stretch in pursuit of the tiring pacesetter, while Firenze Fire, the lukewarm 5-2 favorite slipped off the rail to make a bid between horses at the top of the stretch. Gaffalione eased Sleepy Eyes Todd off the rail to pass Wind of Change and the Kentucky-bred colt held off the challenge of Firenze Fire by one-half length. The $57,660 winner's check boosted the bargain Kentucky-bred's earnings to $744,825; he was a $9,000 Keeneland November yearling. 

    “Everything set up perfectly," Gaffalione said. "He broke well and put himself in the race. I was able to get a nice tracking spot inside. He gave me all the confidence going into the stretch and once he found a spot he accelerated and finished the job. All the credit goes to the trainer. He did a fabulous job getting him ready for today.

    “To be honest, If you look at his form he’s run in all the big races across the country and he’s run at every track and he takes his form with him everywhere he goes, so you know he’s consistent and he shows up every time,” he added. “We just had to work out a trip. I thought I’d be tracking Firenze Fire but I wound up a little bit in front of him which I didn’t mind, and got the jump on him.”

    Firenze Fire, who finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint  last time out, settled in seventh along the backstretch before following Sleepy Eyes Todd with an inside run on the far turn. Irad Ortiz Jr. took him off the rail on the turn into the stretch and the multiple graded-stakes winners kicked in nicely, only to fall just short of catching the winner. The Florida-bred son of Poseidon's Warrior earned $18,600, increasing his total to a gaudy $2,236,850 on a record of 12-4-3 in 31 starts. 

    Sleepy Eyes Todd, who captured the Aug. 29 Gr. II Charles Town Classic by 7 ½ lengths at the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Pegasus World Cup, ran seven furlongs in 1:22.67 while claiming his eighth victory in 15 starts.

    “This is the best horse we’ve ever had,” Silva said. “We’ve always been high on him. We wanted to take him to the Kentucky Derby but he had a little issue and we had to stop with him. He’s always been a nice horse. We’ve always believed in him,”

    Firenze Fire finished 2 ½ lengths ahead of Red Oaks Stable's Mind Control, who finished third under John Velazquez following a wide trip from his No. 12 post position.

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