Gulfstream Park's Florida Sire Stakes - Round 1 - was an overwhelming success on several fronts. On a day when Saratoga ruled the roost with five stakes on its 11-race card, including the Gr. I Whitney and Gr. I Test, which led to an all-sources handle of $29,335,235, Gulfstream had a couple of things of its own to crow about.

    First was its all-sources handle of $7,768,426, and second was the continuing emergence of the Gone Astray 2-year-old Three Rules as a major force in the juvenile ranks. In his first two starts, Three Rules won a maiden race by 3 1/2 lengths in :58.2, then captured the $75,000 Birdonthewire Stakes by five with 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.2. Yesterday, he annihilated eight rivals in the $200,000 Dr. Fager Stakes and he did it in style, drawing off by seven in the stretch and putting up a 1:09:49 on the teletimer for the six furlongs. That is a serious clocking for any 2-year-old at this time of year under any circumstances.

    Gone Astray stands at Northwest Stud Farm in Ocala on the land that once was the place where Fred Hooper bred and raised a slew of stakes-winners, including three-time Eclipse Award-winning Susan's Girl and Sprint Champion Precisionist. The stallion by Dixie Union enjoyed an excellent freshman season with earnings of $632,781 last year, but 2016 is proving to be exceptional. After Three Rules' stunning performance, plus a few others yesterday, Gone Astray has 29 winners, moved up to be the second-leading second-crop sire in Florida behind First Dude, the No. 9 second-crop sire in the country, and the No. 8 sire on the Florida general sire list despite the fact that he has only one crop and several 2-year-olds currently racing.

    Gone Astray also was buoyed by Shakakan's fourth-place finish in the $150,000 Three Ring Stakes - she collected $9,000 -Savanna's Smile breaking her maiden in the seventh race in her second start and earning $12,800, and Natalie La Rose winning the eighth race at Monmouth Park, good for another $9,519. The latter filly has now won four of eight starts and earned more than $53,000. All the solid efforts brought Gone Astray's seasonal earnings to $1,124,500, with the promise of loftier results ahead.

    As if the Gone Astray success didn't spread enough joy around Northwest Stud, one of its other stallions, United States, was the recipient of a third-place finish by U S Diva in the $200,000 Desert Vixen, which was won by Cajun Delta Dawn, a daughter of Ocala Stud Farm's red-hot  Kantharos. U S Diva rallied from way back at odds of 30-1 and paid $10.20 to show in just her second start. She  won in her debut at five furlongs, and now must be considered a threat for the upcoming  Susan's Girl, which goes at seven furlongs.  

    

    

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