Spendthrift Farm’s Further Ado (Gun Runner- Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa) drew away late to win the Gr. II, $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs by 1 ¾ lengths and lead the slate of stakes-winning OBS grads for the week. Further Ado verified his 20-length, two-turn maiden win 50 days ago at Keeneland. He earned $242,470 and collected 10 points as part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series, which offered points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers. “This was a really good test for him,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He won very impressively last time. Today he had to show a different dimension and really dig down late to get by. It’s very important to get a horse like this started early on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Hopefully he can bring us right back here in the spring.” Further Ado was purchased by Spendthrift at the 2025 OBS April Sale for $550,000 from the Six K's Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :21 1/5. At Churchill Downs, Moonlight (Audible- Sundown, by Tapit) rallied past 6-5 pacesetting favorite Dragoon Guard in deep stretch to win the second running of the $249,835 Cherokee Mile by 1 ½ lengths. Moonlight, a 4-year-old son of Audible, earned his first stakes win and third win in five starts at Churchill Downs for trainer Chris Block and owner Kiki Courtelis’ Town and Country Racing. Moonlight was purchased at the 2023 OBS April Sale by his owners for $285,000 from the Eddie Woods consignment after breezing in :21.
At Zia Park, Lookinforbargains (Practical Joke-Mixed Up Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid) won the $100,000 Zia Park Distaff Stakes in her second stakes attempt. Owned by Paul Jenson and trained by Todd Fincher, Lookinforbargains was purchased by H & R Bloodstock for $85,000 at the 2022 OBS April Sale from the Scanlon Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :10. The Nov. 25 Zia Park card also saw Bryon Seymore’s A Thousand Miles (Thousand Words – Swiss Army Wife, by Colonel John) take the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks for trainer Bart G. Hone. The daughter of Thousand Words was purchased for $27,000 by Dennis O’Neill out of the Pick View consignment at the 2024 OBS March sale after breezing in :10 3/5.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Gulfstream Park’s mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 had 98 winning tickets, each worth $13,268. There was $1,393,379 of new money bet into the Rainbow 6, and a carryover of $184,136. The winning sequence was:
Race 6: Prevent ($8.40)
Race 7: Itsallcomintogetha $5.40
Race 8: Diamonds N Thrills Race 9: Biz Biz Buzz $8 Race 10: Strategic Risk $14.60 Race 11: Bulldoze $12.20 Prevent Wins Sabal Palm: Approximately 30 minutes after going gate-to-wire to win the $300,000 My Dear Girl with Mythical, jockey Emisael Jaramillo ran it right back aboard Prevent in the $100,000 Sabal Palm.
Breaking on top in the seven-horse field, Jaramillo guided BC Racing LLC’s Prevent past fractions of :24.95, :48.62 and 1:11.79 before covering the mile and 70-yard Tapeta course in 1:38.92 to prevail over favorite Private Thoughts by a half length. Brawn was third.
A son of Neolithic who BC Racing’s Brian Cohen bought at the 2022 OBS Winter Mixed Sale for $15,000, Prevent has earned more than $400,000 while winning six of 13 races across Tapeta. The second and third-place finishers are also by Pleasant Acres Stallions' Neolithic. “He tries so hard and he’s getting the lead no matter what, he’s so competitive,” Cohen said. “If he can get his lead he will be super tough. If someone wants to contest, he’s not going to give up the lead. And when he gets his setup on Tapeta he’s super, super tough.”
HALLANDALE BEACH - John Oxley’s Strategic Risk took advantage of a dream trip under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano to capture Saturday’s $300,000 In Reality at Gulfstream Park, breaking though with a performance Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse always thought he had in him. Strategic Risk ($14.60), who won at first asking at Gulfstream Park by 8 ¼ lengths before disappointing in his next three starts, appreciated every inch of the 1 1/16-mile third and final leg of the Florida Sire Stakes, scoring by nine lengths in the race for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida-bred stallions. The son of Noble Bird settled well off the pace set by Roger That Dana and closely attended by 6-5 favorite Khozalite and Trelawny past fractions of :23.54 and :47.98 seconds for the first half-mile. As Roger That Dana and Khozalite hooked up on the turn into the homestretch for the stretch run, Strategic Risk hit his stride with a menacing run a few lengths back before sweeping to the lead at the top of the stretch and drawing clear. “He was very relaxed early in the race. I knew when I asked him, he was going to explode. I was waiting for the best opportunity to ask him, and he did it. He did an amazing job. He handled everything very well,” Castellano said. Strategic Risk followed up his winning debut at five furlongs with a distant fourth-place finish in the six-furlong Sanford (G3) and a sixth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile With Anticipation (G2) on turf at Saratoga. He returned to South Florida to finish an even third in the Oct. 18 Affirmed, the seven-furlong second leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series won by Khozalite. “We thought early on he was a really good horse. He broke his maiden. I thought he was about 80 percent at that time. We took him to New York and he just didn’t do great there. He didn’t train that great. He worked on the grass and I tried him on the grass. I brought him home and gave him a little break in Ocala,” Casse said by phone from his Ocala farm. “I said, ‘You know what? He’s trained well enough, I think I’ll try him in the [Sire] Stakes,’ the last one. He ran OK. I told Mr. Oxley, ‘I think this horse is better than he ran.’ He trained well into this race. Mr. Oxley asked me how I thought he’d run, and I said, ‘I think he’ll run really well.’ I didn’t know he’d win the way he won, but it was nice.”
Casse was hardly surprised that Oxley’s homebred colt made great strides forward while stretching out two turns on dirt for the first time. “I trained his dad. I trained his mom, too, but I don’t think she ever ran. She was by Afleet Alex. His dad held a track record at Pimlico. He won the Pimlico Special at a mile and 3/16ths. He was a multiple Grade 1 winner for Mr. Oxley,” Casse said. “There’s no reason this horse shouldn’t run all day.” Brad Cox-trained The Town, who entered the In Reality off a late-closing second in his Oct. 24 debut at Keeneland, recovered from a disastrous start to finish second. Roger That Dana held on to finish third, 1 ¼ lengths back. Casse has no specific next-out plans for Strategic Risk, who ran the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:44.85. “This was impressive. We don’t have a lot of options after this, so we’ll try some open company,” he said. “The only think I can tell you for sure, it will be around two turns.”
HALLANDALE BEACH - It didn’t come the way her connections intended, but in the end it didn’t matter.
Arindel’s Gr. III-winning homebred, Mythical, making her two-turn debut, shook off early pace pressure from Love Like Lucy and had enough left to withstand a late run by 30-1 longshot Dare Greatly for a popular 2 ½-length victory in Saturday’s $300,000 My Dear Girl at Gulfstream Park.
The My Dear Girl for fillies and $300,000 In Reality, each going 1 1/16 miles, concluded the 44th edition of the $1.2 million Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds by accredited Florida stallions.
It was the fifth win from six starts and fourth in a stakes for 1-9 favorite Mythical ($2.20), who bounced back from her first career loss to register a resounding victory in the second leg of the series, the Oct. 18 Susan’s Girl, her first time facing state-breds when she was able to rate early before closing with aplomb.
The My Dear Girl unfolded differently, with Mythical breaking sharply and going straight to the lead pressed by Love Like Lucy through a quarter-mile in :22.81 seconds while under a snug hold from regular rider Emisael Jaramillo.
“I didn’t want to be in front. I think her best race was the previous race when she was relaxed and closed. That’s kind of what I wanted to see today,” winning trainer Jorge Delgado said. “She had too much pressure from the beginning and she was getting a little tired, but she was the best horse.
“I think if she got through a little bit easier in the first quarter, she would have closed a little stronger. But that’s part of racing,” he added. “I knew she was the class of the race and I knew she was the best filly in the race. Something would have to happen really bad for her to lose.”
Jaramillo was able to slow things down and go a half-mile in a still snappy 46.58 seconds, as Love Like Lucy began to wilt from the effort. Meanwhile, Dare Greatly was revving up on the far outside under Rajiv Maragh to get into contention midway around the far turn. “I think she was so keen at the start, 22 and change, he was trying to settle her and it looks like he did,” Arindel’s Brian Cohen said. “They almost got 24 that second quarter. I don’t think that’s what she wants to do, but she was the class and was able to do it today.”
Mythical remained firmly in control once straightened for home and the outcome was never in doubt, completing the distance in 1:45.39 over a fast main track. Dare Greatly was 15 ¼ lengths ahead of Win Bet Only, followed by Love Like Lucy, Bayou Brigid and Lady Chance.
Jaramillo has been up for all of Mythical’s starts, including her 4 ½-furlong graduation April 17 at Gulfstream, a win over boys in the 5 ½-furlong Tremont and fillies in the 6 ½-furlong Adirondack (G3) at Saratoga, and Susan’s Girl. Her five wins have come by 26 combined lengths. “We had two plans,” Jaramillo said. “The first was if another filly took the lead, we would run from behind her. But she had a very good jump, so I went with Plan B which was to take the lead from the beginning. It was a bit difficult because she was going so fast into the first turn. I was trying to slow her down a bit, but she has such speed. That was a tough part of the race.”
Mythical will be pointed to make her 2026 debut in the $150,000 Forward Gal (G3) sprinting seven furlongs Jan. 31. It is the first stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the dirt at the Championship Meet, followed by the $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) going one mile Feb. 28 and the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) at 1 1/16 miles March 28.
“I’m going to talk to Brian and to his dad and see what the best direction is with the filly and go from there,” Delgado said. “I do believe she can go two turns. She’s a filly that’s still learning. Like any horse when they have the good trip, they run better. I don’t think she had the best trip.
“When they have pressure from the beginning, not too many horses can run 22 and 46 and finish,” he added. “Two years ago, Bentornato, who was a special horse, he ran two turns here and he got beat. These things can happen when you have 2-year-olds going for the first time two turns. I’m just grateful that she passed the wire first and came back healthy.”
HALLANDALE BEACH - After declaring a dead-heat for first in the $100,000 Pulpit, the stewards at Gulfstream Park proclaimed Centurion Thoroughbreds Club’s Glorious Boy the sole winner of the Friday’s stakes for 2-year-olds.
Before finishing on even terms with Bronze Bullet at the wire, the Carlos Martin-trained Glorious Boy ($19.20) bumped with the 2-1 favorite, who was found responsible for the contact nearing the completion of the mile-and-70-yard feature on Tapeta and placed second.
“I objected because there was some contact that I felt impeded my horse. In the moment, it was so close I wasn’t sure if I won, so I made sure I claimed foul,” Glorious Boy’s jockey Rajiv Maragh said.
Shipmate set the pace in the Pulpit, originally scheduled to be renewed at 7 ½ furlongs on turf, pressed by A Million Dreams and Behold the King past fractions of 23.40 and 47.57 seconds for the first half-mile. Bronze Bullet, who rated kindly in fourth for jockey Emisael Jaramillo, made a four-wide sweep on the turn into the homestretch to take the lead turning for home. Meanwhile, Glorious Boy put in his run to loom as the sole threat to Bronze Bullet, who drifted out in mid-stretch before dropping down toward the inside rail. Glorious Boy had shifted to the inside to make his stretch run and was put in tight quarters by the favorite nearing the wire. “I wasn’t sure about the DQ because it seemed like there was some incidental contact both ways,” winning trainer Carlos Martin said. “But Stacy Prior, trainer Joe Orseno’s assistant who helped us with the horse – Joe and her have been great the whole time we’ve been here, about 10 days – she said to watch it again because the second time our horse’s [behind] kind of went out from underneath him, maybe just enough. A tie is great, but it’s better to have the win.” Three Diamonds Farm’s Bronze Bullet had run on Tapeta in his two starts, breaking his maiden at five-furlongs first time out before finishing second in a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance.
“It was a tough call,” Bronze Bullet’s trainer Jose D’Angelo said. “I think he was tired. They are babies going two turns for the first time.” Glorious Boy was coming off a second-place finish in the six-furlong Awad Stakes on turf at Aqueduct after breaking his maiden in his third start. “He’s a nice horse. Anytime you stretch them out…we were talking about it a couple days ago and were a little bit leery. Is he just going to be a good closing sprinter, or is he going to stretch out?” Martin said. “My uncle, Greg, did a great job buying this horse as a yearling. The owners are new in the business so it’s exciting. To get the horse to relax and settle [helps] and now you can go turf and Tapeta. There’s a good series of races here. Initially I was thinking I was going to give him a break but if he runs good, I may have to rethink that. Maybe now I’m going to rethink it.” Glorious Boy, as well as Bronze Bullet, ran the mile and 70-yard distance in 1:40.74. “This horse ran a really great race today. We were expecting a top performance. This hit the point or exceeded the expectations,” Maragh said. “To win the Pulpit Stakes – there’s never been a bad horse that’s won this race. He seems like he still has room to improve and mature.” Friday’s Pulpit score moved Maragh within two victories of the 2000-win milestone. “I’m chipping away, and I have some really good mounts this weekend, so I’m really sweating it,” Maragh said.
A Million Dreams finished third, 3 ½ lengths behind the dead-heated Glorious Boy and Bronze Bullet.
HALLANDALE BEACH - As good as Arindel homebred Mythical has been through her first season of racing – three stakes wins, one over the boys, one in a Gr. III and the best Beyer Speed Figure of any 2-year-old filly in 2025 – her connections are even more excited about what is still in front of her. Mythical will take another step toward reaching that potential when she tries two turns for the first time while looking to keep her perfect local record intact in Saturday’s $300,000 My Dear Girl at Gulfstream Park. The My Dear Girl for fillies, and the $300,000 In Reality, each going 1 1/16 miles, co-headline an 11-race program that concludes the 44th edition of the $1.2 million Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds by accredited Florida stallions. Trained by Jorge Delgado, Mythical indicated her ability early on and translated that into her April 17 unveiling at Gulfstream, where she romped by 8 ½ lengths in front-running fashion sprinting 4 ½ furlongs in :51.37 seconds.
“Amazingly, she’s been one of those horses that from the first time you saw her she showed you how good she is,” Delgado said. “She’s been showing signs of getting better, which is very exciting. She’s been good so far, but it looks like she can get really good.” Mythical spent the summer with Delgado’s northern string at Monmouth Park and raced three times at Saratoga, beating males by 3 ½ lengths in the 5 ½-furlong Tremont on Belmont Stakes weekend and earning a 93 Beyer. Back against fillies for the 6 ½-furlong, Gr. III Adirondack four weeks later, she cruised by 3 ¼ lengths, leading again from gate to wire. Stretched out to seven furlongs for the Gr. I Spinaway, Mythical dueled for the lead but faded to be fifth behind two-time Gr. 1 winner Tommy Jo. Delgado brought her back to Gulfstream for the FSS Susan’s Girl, also at seven-eighths, which marked her first time facing fellow state-breds.
“She had a little bit of class relief last time,” Delgado said. “She had a very busy summer in Saratoga. She won against the boys, then she won the graded-stakes and then she ran in the Grade 1. She needed some time to come back and do less.” Under regular rider Emisael Jaramillo, up for each of her races, Mythical showed a new dimension by settling off the pace early before taking command after a half-mile and powering home a 12 ¾-length winner as the 2-5 favorite. “She was ready for the race, and she loves this track,” Delgado said. “She’s been doing better and better every day. We’re excited to see how she does around two turns and what we can do with her from there.” Mythical has breezed three times since the Susan’s Girl, most recently going four furlongs in :49.46 seconds Nov. 22. Jaramillo returns to ride from Post 3 at topweight of 122 pounds, two to four pounds more than her rivals. “We have confidence that she’ll be fine,” Delgado said of the two-turn test. “Every gallop and every race she’s been showing that she should have no problem doing that, but it’s not until the races when you really find out.” While not looking past the My Dear Girl, Arindel and Delgado would like to see Mythical show enough to keep her on track to what they hope is a start in the Kentucky Oaks next spring. During Gulfstream’s 2025-2026 Championship Meet, the Jan. 31, Gr. III Forward Gal, Feb. 28, Gr. II Davona Dale and March 28, Gr. II Gulfstream Park Oaks all award points toward the Kentucky Oaks.
“Hopefully we can go to the Oaks. I think that’s a goal we have in the back of our minds,” Delgado said. “We want to find a race where we can get some points here, but we are focusing on this race first.” Delgado said Mythical has a special nickname around the barn, one inspired by the filly that won the 2024 Oaks – one of her seven career Gr. 1 victories – en route to Horse of the Year honors. “We are calling her the little Thorpedo Anna,” Delgado said. “We’ll see. She’s a very talented horse but she also has a very good mind and I think that’s what matters in the end.” MyRacehorse, Thoroughbred Acquisition Group and Miller Racing’s Love Like Lucy is the only horse in the field to have run in the previous two legs of the FSS filly series, finishing third to multiple stakes-winner and English Group 2-placed Lennilu in the six-furlong Desert Vixe and a distant second behind Mythical in the Susan’s Girl. Love Like Lucy’s debut victory came over a pair of next-out winners – twice stakes-placed Vita Mia and William Law Jr. homebred Lady Chance, runner-up in the Juvenile Fillies Sprint and who returns in the My Dear Girl. Bayou Brigid, owned by Sea Warrior Stables and trainer Heather Smullen, is entered to make her dirt debut after four races on turf and one on Gulfstream’s all-weather Tapeta course. She is the only horse with two-turn experience – graduating on Aug. 8 going a mile and 70 yards on the synthetic, finishing sixth in the 1 1/16-mile P. G. Johnson on Aug. 27 at Saratoga and running third in the one-mile Our Dear Peggy on Oct. 25 at Gulfstream. Completing the field are Mary Lightner-owned and trained Dare Greatly, fourth in the Susan’s Girl, and Robert Cotran’s maiden Win Bet Only.
OLDSMAR - The Tampa Bay Downs stakes schedule kicks off Saturday, Dec. 6 with the 40th running of the $125,000 Inaugural Stakes for 2-year-olds and the 48th edition of the $125,000 Sandpiper Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. Both races will be contested at a distance of 6 furlongs on the main track.
The Inaugural drew 29 nominations – 27 colts and geldings, plus a ridgling and a filly – while the Sandpiper drew 30 nominations. The Inaugural is a prep race for the 7-furlong Pasco Stakes on Jan. 10 for newly-turned 3-year-olds, while the Sandpiper is a prep for the 7-furlong Gasparilla Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Jan. 10.
Among the nominees for the Inaugural is Kentucky-bred colt Hammond, whose two victories include the Juvenile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Hammond is trained by Saffie A. Joseph Jr., who will determine whether two weeks is sufficient time between starts for the son of Charlatan. Joseph has nominated three other horses for the Inaugural: Langvad, a maiden winner on Nov. 8 at Gulfstream; Solitude Dude, whose lone start on Nov. 1 at Gulfstream produced a 9 ½-length victory; and stakes-placed Strategic Reserve.
Trainer Brian Lynch, who won last year’s Inaugural with Donut God, has nominated two colts. Both are owned by Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing, the owners of Donut God and last season’s Gr. III Tampa Bay Derby winner Owen Almighty. The Lynch nominees for the Inaugural are Mob, who captured his career debut on Sunday at Churchill Downs, and Roger That Dana, an easy winner in his debut on Oct. 25 at Gulfstream.
Top trainer Brad Cox has two Inaugural nominees. His colt Commandment broke his maiden on Nov. 1 at Churchill in his second start, while his other nominee, Zun Day, broke his maiden on Nov. 5 in Louisville.
Tampa Bay Downs’s leading trainer the last two years, Kathleen O’Connell, won back-to-back runnings of the Sandpiper Stakes with Lindsey Lane and Shananie’s Beat in 1993 and 1994, and has nominated breeder-owner James Chicklo’s filly Gerrards Cross to this year’s race. The Florida-bred is 2-for-2 and won the Colleen Stakes on the turf at Monmouth Park on July 27 in her last start.
Joseph is represented by five Sandpiper nominees. That quintet includes Tessellate, who won the Nov. 15 Juvenile Fillies Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream by 13 lengths, and My Miss Mo, who broke her maiden by 12 lengths on Nov. 9 at Gulfstream.
Lynch, who won last year’s Sandpiper with Mrs Worldwide for Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing, has nominated two fillies: Flying Dutchmen’s Slay the Day, who broke her maiden on Nov. 16 at Churchill, and owner William K. Werner’s maiden Betty’s Pearl.
Cox has nominated three, including two-time winner On Time Girl, second in her last start on Oct. 24 at Keeneland in the Dean Dorton Myrtlewood Stakes.
Around the oval.
Long known for his success with 2-year-olds, trainer Wesley Ward sent out Augustin Stables’ gelding Distinct to win the fifth race on the turf by 3 ½ lengths from Giulio Cesare. Pablo Morales rode the winner, who completed the 1-mile distance on the firm course in his first career start in 1:37.25. Distinct was claimed from the race for $16,000 by trainer Jose A. Gallegos for his new owner, Amaty Racing Stables.
Morales also won the seventh race on the turf on 4-year-old gelding Chicago Theatre. The Glen Hill Farm homebred is trained by Tom Proctor.
Another impressive performance was turned in by 3-year-old Florida-bred gelding El Chispazo in the second race on the main track. Owned and trained by Juan Arriagada, he won by 13 lengths under jockey Ademar Santos in a time of 1:39.47 for the mile-and-40-yard distance, 1.33 seconds off the track record.
Tampa Bay Downs is closed in its entirety today. Racing continues Friday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:45 p.m. The fifth, seventh and ninth races are slated to take place on the turf.
HALLANDALE BEACH - On the cusp of his annual sojourn to Gulfstream Park for its prestigious Championship Meet and approaching a 30th year of riding professionally in the United States, Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano has no shortage of sources for inspiration. There’s the looming milestone of 6,000 career wins, now less than 100 away; the never-ending search for a promising newly turned 3-year-old and the prestige of competing with the best collection of riders assembled at a winter race meet. Then, there’s family. Brady, his only son and the youngest of Castellano’s three children with wife, Abby, is starting to recognize dad’s cool job and how much he has accomplished in the game. And for the first time, the Venezuela native has partnered since early this month with his brother-in-law, Kevin Meyocks, to work as his agent. “It’s exciting, because Kevin always tried to help me in the winter in South Florida the last two or three years,” Castellano said. “My son, he’s 13 and getting to the age where he’s starting to pay attention. He’ll say, ‘Daddy, what horses are you riding?’ He wants to see me at the high level, and it motivates me more when your children and your family look up to you and they’re excited when you win races. “I still have that fire, that motivation to win races, especially at Gulfstream. It’s the Championship Meet with all the best jockeys. All the top riders in the country end up in South Florida. It’s the best feeling in the world when you’re competing with them. Where better to be in the wintertime than South Florida and Gulfstream Park? All jockeys dream of wanting to compete there at that level,” he added. “I just turned 48 and I’m not ready to retire. The biggest advantage of our sport is as long as you can do it, you can continue. I’m very fortunate to be in great condition. I feel good and I’ve been training good to be ready for the races.” Castellano will be on hand Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, for the opening of the 2025-2026 Championship Meet, his earliest arrival since being in the midst of five consecutive leading rider titles from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016. Irad Ortiz Jr., who broke Castellano’s single-season record with 140 wins in 2020-2021, surpassed his overall record by leading the jockey standings for a sixth time last winter and will be favored to add a seventh.
The opening day program has Castellano named in five of eight races for five different trainers including Brad Cox-trained debut winner Amberglen in the $100,000 Wait a While for 2-year-old fillies scheduled at 7 ½ furlongs on the turf. “We decided to go the first weekend and start from the beginning,” Castellano said. “The last few years I stayed in New York and then [went] later on, spend Christmas with my family. But the kids are getting older, they are having activities at school and we decided I might as well go early and start getting momentum, start getting business and looking for the right horses.” The year-round partnership has seen Castellano off to a strong start with Meyocks, who also has the jockey’s book in New York. Their first weekend together they won the Nov. 8 Hill Prince (G3) for Sackatoga Stable and trainer Barclay Tagg with Tiz Dashing, Castellano’s seventh graded-stakes triumph this year. The following weekend, he won the Key Cents on George Weaver-trained She’s Country and was third in the Notebook aboard Funny Factor. Meyocks also represents Emisael Jaramillo at Gulfstream. The opportunity to add Castellano came about when the agent’s other local rider, Cipriano Gil, relocated to Tampa Bay Downs for the winter. In late summer Meyocks picked up the book for Kentucky-based Francisco Arietta, who is returning to make his title defense at Oaklawn Park. “Everything has started falling in the right direction, and who better than Kevin. He lives in Florida and he knows a lot of people and he’s a great guy. Not just because he’s my brother-in-law; everybody likes Kevin. He likes joking around with people. He’s got a big sense of humor,” Castellano said. “I know how he works. He has a lot of connections, he knows a lot of people and we’re looking forward to it.” Castellano averaged 114 wins during his time atop the Championship Meet standings with a then-record high of 132 in 2013-2014. Except for his first winter of 2004 and 2020-2021, when injuries and the coronavirus pandemic limited him to just 66 starts, Castellano has topped $1 million in purse earnings. Last winter, he had 25 wins and a meet bankroll of $1.35 million. Fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey (2000-03) and Castellano (2013-16) are the only jockeys to win the Eclipse Award as champion jockey four consecutive years. A total of 21 riders have won 6,000 or more races; Castellano sits at 5,910 and counting. His career earnings of more than $413 million are second only to another active Hall of Famer, soon-to-be 54-year-old John Velazquez, who also calls the Championship Meet his winter home. “I love my job,” Castellano said. “It seems to me every stage in your life is a challenge. When you are in the beginning of your career, you work hard because you’ve got to make your name to get to that high level of competition. You want to be there. Then when you’re at the high level, you have to work double because you want to maintain your place. You have to be demanding and work hard. “I’m past the first stage and I’m past the second stage. I won four Eclipse Awards, almost five. I won the Kentucky Derby, two Preakness, the Belmont Stakes, 12 Breeders’ Cup races and seven Travers, which is unbelievable. I’m still competing at the high level and the high competition with the best jockeys in the country” he added. “I feel like it’s not ending. No way. I think I have five years ahead. That’s my goal. I feel great. I’m looking forward to the opportunities. I’m still hungry.” Winner of the 2006 and 2017 Preakness (G1), Castellano completed his personal Triple Crown in 2023 with wins in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont (G1) respectively aboard Mage and Arcangelo, two horses he rode during the winter that helped reestablish Castellano after some lean years. Mage was fourth with Castellano in the Fountain of Youth (G2), two starts prior to the Derby, and he was aboard Arcangelo for four straight wins starting with his Gulfstream graduation and continuing with the Peter Pan (G3) and Travers (G1). “A couple years ago I can’t believe I won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. Those two horses I found in South Florida at Gulfstream Park,” Castellano said. “I rode Mage over there and then Arcangelo, I broke his maiden. I ended up winning two Triple Crown races the same year. It’s amazing.” Gulfstream’s series of stakes for 3-year-olds starts with the Mucho Macho Man Jan. 3 and continues with the Holy Bull (G3) Jan. 31 and Fountain of Youth Feb. 28 leading up to the Florida Derby (G1) March 28. The Florida Derby has produced 47 starters that have gone on to win a remarkable 63 Triple Crown races – 26 in the Kentucky Derby, 19 in the Preakness and 18 in the Belmont.
“I look forward to riding the young horses of the new generation. That’s what keeps you excited and motivated, looking for the nice 3-year-olds in January,” he added. “The Holy Bull, the Fountain of Youth, the Florida Derby – that’s more motivation [for] me to continue and have success at the high level."
Klaravich Stables’ Fully Subscribed (Tiz the Law-Sweetbaby, by Candy Ride (ARG)) showed her class in her stakes debut, entering the stretch and drawing away for a 4 1/2-length victory in the Gr. 2, $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes at Aqueduct to lead another slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.
Fully Subscribed, who won her local debut in October 2024, used her late-closing speed, drawing away from Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner-up Drexel Hill in what was a tight field of contenders. “I think she’s a horse with a bright future,” trainer Chad Brown told NYRA publicity. “She’s a horse we’ve always thought a lot of.” Fully Subscribed was purchased at the 2024 OBS April Sale by her owner for $300,000 from the Caliente Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :10 flat. At Woodbine, True North Stable and Bloom Racing Stable’s (Jeffrey Bloom) Dresden Row (Lord Nelson-Elle Special, by Giant’s Causeway), Canada’s champion 3-year-old male, powered to the lead midway down the lane to win the $150,000 Autumn Stakes (G3). Trained by Lorne Richards, the 4-year-old colt earned his first stakes success in the Durham Cup (G3) in September of 2024 and, one race later, he took the Ontario Derby (G3). Consigned by Little Farm Equine, Dresden Row was a $70,000 purchase by True North Stable at the 2023 OBS April Sale after breezing in : 21 2/5. The Woodbine card also saw Sultana (Always Dreaming- Private Offering, by Pulpit) get up in the final jumps to take top prize in the $150,00 Maple Leaf Stakes (G3). Trained by Kevin Attard for Lou Donato, Theodore Manziaris, Paul Borrelli and Lanni Bloodstock, the 4-year-old daughter of Always Dreaming was contesting her first stakes affair. She was a $50,000 purchase by Harbour 60 Club at the 2023 OBS June Sale from the New Hope consignment after breezing in :21. At Aqueduct, Gold Square’s Throckmorton (Caracaro- Whatarocket, by Goldencents) made a successful stakes debut by wiring the $150,000 Awad Stakes. Trained by Jose D’Angelo, the son of Caracaro was trying turf for the first time and continued a run of winning form for D’Angelo, who captured last week’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint with OBS grad Bentornato and Turf Sprint (G1) with fellow OBS grad Shisospicy at Del Mar. Throckmorton was a $250,000 purchase at the 2025 OBS April Sale by Chad Summers, agent, from the Global Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :20 3/5. At Laurel Park, Michael Golden’s Golden Lion Racing’s Complexity Jane (Complexity –Bestinthebusiness, by Ghostzapper) broke well from her far outside post position en route to victory in the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes. Trained by Brittany Russell, Complexity Jane was purchased by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds for $170,000 at the 2024 OBS March Sale from the Scanlon Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5. At Aqueduct, Klaravich Stables’ Deep Learning (Cairo Prince- Dovima, by Union Rags) sat a patient trip before pouncing in the lane to score the victory in the Listed $150,000 Chelsey Flower Stakes. Trained by Chad Brown, Deep Learning was purchased by her owner for $325,000 at the 2025 OBS April Sale from the Eddie Woods consignment after breezing in :20 4/5.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Peachtree Stable homebred Spirit Doll, dominant in her grass debut last month, is among seven last-out winners and one of three entries from four-time defending Championship Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. in the $100,000 Wait a While on Thursday’s opening day program at Gulfstream Park. The eight-race Thanksgiving Day holiday program has a special post time of 11:15 a.m. For 2-year-old fillies on Gulfstream’s newly refreshed turf course, the 7 ½-furlong Wait a While going two turns is the first of 68 stakes, 27 graded, worth $15.2 million in purses during an 84-day Championship Meet that runs through March 29. Spirit Doll, by Tiz the Law, graduated in debut sprinting six furlongs Aug. 7 at Saratoga, where she next endured a troubled trip finishing sixth in the seven-furlong Spinaway (G1). Joseph brought her back to Florida, stretched her out to a mile and put her on the turf for the Oct. 25 Our Dear Peggy, where she came from off the pace to win by 6 ¼ widening lengths. “I ran her back quick in the Spinaway but I actually thought she was going to be competitive in that and she didn’t run. I think it was just too quick after the first race,” Joseph said. “She was very impressive the other day and I feel she goes in there, in my opinion, a deserving favorite. Spirit Doll drew Post 7 with jockey Edgard Zayas at topweight of 122 pounds and is rated the 5-2 second choice on the morning line. “She has grass pedigree from the dam [Pakhet] and the Tiz the Laws have run on the grass,” Joseph said. “You’re just kind of hoping she takes to the grass but you never envision that kind of performance, especially the way she quickened. I thought it was very, very impressive so the future is very bright for her.” Averill Racing’s R Slew of Cash (12-1) already owns a win at the course and distance, graduating by 1 ¼ lengths on the same card as Spirit Doll’s stakes victory. She pressed the early pace in her one-mile unveiling before fading to eighth Sept. 4 at Kentucky Downs. "I thought at Kentucky Downs she ran a good race. She looked like she was going to run good and she got tired,” Joseph said. “Last time she tracked and she quickened nicely. It’s the right race for her. I think the distance is ideal, but she’ll have to show she’s good enough. She’s going to need to improve to be competitive but I think she is eligible to improve.” Micah Husbands, up for the maiden win, rides back from Post 3. C2 Racing Stable, BAG Racing Stables, Barry Fowler, Charles Deters and Mark Taylor’s Day to Day (12-1) is winless in three tries since joining Joseph over the summer with one grass start, beaten 5 ½ lengths when eighth in the 1 1/16-mile Miss Grillo (G2) Oct. 4 at Aqueduct. Fourth in the Spinaway, she has Edwin Gonzlaez named to ride from Post 8. “Her grass race wasn’t that bad in the Miss Grillo. She broke well and then kind of lost position and ended up out wide and kind of ran even,” Joseph said. “We’re going to decide closer to the race if we’re going to run.” The 2-1 program favorite for the Wait a While is Woodslane Farm homebred Sister Troienne (Post 5), the Brian Lynch trainee that joins Spirit Doll and French import Special Wood as two-time winners in the field. Sister Troienne, by Munnings, has won back-to-back starts since being moved to the turf by eight combined lengths, the latter around two turns, and will have the services of regular Kentucky-based rider dual Derby-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez. Brody Racing’s Devilish Grin (20-1) is another horse with stakes experience, having run third in the Aug. 27 P.G. Johnson at Saratoga third time out before graduating in an Oct. 4 maiden optional claimer at Aqueduct, both going 1 1/16 miles. JSM Equine’s Haute Diva (10-1) has three seconds from five starts with a lone win coming at one mile Sept. 27 on the Gulfstream turf. Both Amberglen and Slippers step up to stakes company off impressive debut victories. Stonestreet Stables’ Irish-bred Amberglen (Post 1, 8-1) overcame somewhat of a slow start to rally for a three-quarter-length triumph Oct. 23 going one mile on the Keeneland turf for trainer Brad Cox. Following the race she was sent to South Florida where she shows three breezes at Payson Park.
DJ Stable’s Slippers (Post 4, 9-2) fetched $225,000 as a yearling last fall and didn’t launch her career for more than a year, rallying for a popular three-length maiden special weight triumph sprinting five furlongs Oct. 18 on the Gulfstream turf. “She had always shown talent,” DJ’s Jon Green said. “She was a little slower developing than the rest of the group. Thankfully, the way [Hall of Fame trainer] Mark Casse has his farm set up, they can go in tranches so she didn’t have to get rushed or get ahead of where she was mentally. But once she put it together at the farm, it took her the matter of a month or two before she really started showing it on the racetrack. “So, going into that first race we were pretty confident,” he added. “Mark is a two-time Hall of Famer. He doesn’t do too much to get a horse ready first time out because as he likes to say, he’s training a horse for its career not its maiden win. Whenever we win first time out it is kind of a pleasant surprise, but we were pretty confident that she had talent going into that first race.” Slippers has breezed twice over the all-weather Tapeta course since her race, and will have Miguel Vasquez back in the irons. “We’re going against winners and winners that have run two turns, so it’s a little different scenario than her first asking,” Green said, “but she’s also had that first experience, she’s a little more mature, and we don’t have to ship her anywhere. For all intents and purposes the majority of the field is in the same boat as we are … a-other-than allowance types running for black-type on opening day.” Casse also entered Lighthouse Racing’s Backgammon (Post 9, 30-1), a front-running maiden winner going one mile Oct. 18 at Keeneland in her fifth start. Completing the field are Special Wood (Post 10, 20-1), making her North American debut after winning two of three starts in her native France; and the also-eligible Girvana (Post 11, 30-1).
OLDSMAR - Based on the first two days of the 2025-26 Tampa Bay Downs meet, Samuel Marin isn’t going to have a whole lot of spare time this season between races.
Last season’s leading jockey, who won two races from eight mounts on Wednesday’s Opening Day card, competed in all nine races today, winning four. With six victories the first two days, he’s off to the kind of start his agent Mike Moran hoped for.
“He’s in the zone. He’s riding awesome, and it seems like he’s just out in the right spots on the track and gives every horse he’s on a chance to win,” Moran said after the 24-year-old Venezuela product rode four winners today. “His timing is good and it just seems like he’s having fun out there. “You can just tell he has so much confidence,” Moran added. “And he wants to ride all of the (races). Hey, he’s young. I’m 65 and I’m tired watching him, but he’s doing awesome. We just have to keep him healthy and get him pretty decent horses, and he does the rest.”
Over the first two days of the meet, which resumes Wednesday, Marin has ridden in 17 of the 18 races. The only race he sat out was the second on Opening Day, when his mount Answer the Call was scratched after failing to draw into the field from the also-eligible list. Marin will travel to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach on Sunday morning to ride six races and is named on seven horses back in Oldsmar on Wednesday.
“Hopefully my agent keeps me real busy,” Marin said. “I love riding, I’m fit and I want to ride a lot more races. Today was a great day. I thank God for everything, and I’m grateful for all the support I’m getting from everyone here.”
After finishing second in today’s first race, Marin won the second on favorite Top Pocket Pick, a 3-year-old Florida-bred filly who paid $5.20 to win. He then won the fourth, fifth and sixth races in succession. He captured the fourth on 8-year-old gelding Bear Creek, who paid $11.80; the fifth race on the turf on 3-year-old filly Curlaine, who paid $6.20; and the sixth on Long Gone Sally, a 3-year-old Florida-bred filly who paid $7.40.
Marin’s streak was snapped in the seventh race on the turf when he finished second on 2-year-old filly Mappy, who was passed late by trainer Mark Casse’s juvenile lass Greatest, ridden by Pablo Morales.
Marin will be back to try to continue his winning ways Wednesday. “It’s always good to ride good horses,” Marin said. “This is an amazing beginning to the meet, and I just say thank you to everyone who has been involved.”
Register for “10 Days of Festivus.”
The “10 Days of Festivus Challenge” Handicapping Contest begins Friday, Dec. 5, and runs through Wednesday, Dec. 24. There is no charge to enter, but players must register by 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 5 to be eligible. The winner receives a $1,000 cash prize and the runner-up earns $500.
Each day, players are required to select one of two designated CHALLENGE RACES, with results determined from a mythical $2 win-place-show wager on their pick. Players begin with a free lifeline and have an opportunity throughout the contest to purchase five more. Players lose a lifeline if their choice does not finish first, second or third, or if they fail to make a selection on a contest day.
A full set of rules is available at www.festivuschallenge.com , which is also the place to register.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Gulfstream Park’s fall Sunshine Meet will lower the curtain this weekend with Edgard Zayas looking to reclaim his spot atop the jockey standings and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. chasing a remarkable 14th consecutive track title. Closing weekend kicks off today with a nine-race program starting at 12:20 p.m. Eleven races are on tap for Saturday, including the $75,000 Juvenile Sprint for 2-year-olds on the main track and the $70,000 Chasie Artie overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up on Tapeta, with 11 more on Sunday. Joseph holds a 30-26 lead over Jose D’Angelo in the race for leading trainer with entries in 12 races over the weekend to D’Angelo’s 13. Joseph, a 38-year-old native of Barbados, has won 13 straight meet titles at Gulfstream including last four Championship Meets, the country’s premier winter racing destination that gets under way Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27. Zayas tops the rider standings with 40 wins, closely chased by Miguel Vasquez (38) and Emisael Jaramillo (34). Zayas is named in 26 races on the weekend including the entire Saturday program, while Vasquez is named in 22 and Jaramillo in 20. A finalist for the 2013 Eclipse Award as champion apprentice, Zayas, 32, has been a year-round force in South Florida since his arrival from Puerto Rico. He owns nine riding titles at Gulfstream including the Sunshine Meet in 2021 and 2023 as well as the 2024 and 2025 Royal Palm Meet.
Joseph has both Strategic Reserve and Hammond entered in the Juvenile Sprint, with Zayas named on the latter. Vasquez is set to ride Thunder Chuck for trainer Jorge Delgado with Jaramillo on Camigol for Antonio Sano. Neither leading trainer entered a horse in the Chasie Artie. Zayas will ride And Uwish for trainer Joe Orseno, Vasquez is named on Full Disclosure for Mohamed Jehaludi, and Jaramillo has the call on Roar Ready for Victor Barboza Jr. Jockey Rajiv Maragh enters closing weekend with 1,997 career victories. He is named in three races Saturday and five races Sunday. Jose Castro’s JC Racing Stable leads the Sunshine Meet owner standings with eight wins, two more than Michael Yates’ Shadybrook Farm. Castro has entries in four races over the weekend, while Yates has none. Bruno Schickedanz, Arindel, D. J. Stable and In Front Racing Stables have four wins apiece. Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $150,000 The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is estimated at $150,000 when the Sunshine Meet resumes today with a nine-race program to kick off closing weekend. First race post time is 12:20 p.m. The multi-race wager has gone unsolved for six racing days following multiple mandatory payouts of $7,316 on Nov. 2.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Winless in seven starts this year that included three tries on turf and a trip to the Middle East, Michael and Jules Iavarone’s Steal Sunshine swept past fellow multiple stakes winner Lure Him In in mid-stretch and edged clear by a length in the $70,000 Finallymadeit overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park.
Ridden by Edgard Zayas for trainer Bobby Dibona, 6-year-old Steal Sunshine ($4.40) completed 1 1/16 miles over a fast main track in 1:44.59 for his fourth career stakes win and eighth overall, pushing his purse earnings over $800,000 in 32 starts.
“It’s great to get him back in the winner’s circle,” Dibona said. “I got a chance to prepare him for this like I have since day one. I know my horse, and he was ready today.”
Steal Sunshine ran sixth in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) and second in defense of his 2024 victory in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) to open this year before finishing fourth in the Godolphin Mile (G2) at Meydan Racecourse. After more than two months away he returned in mid-June to be second behind Beach Gold in an optional claimer on the Gulfstream turf, then was back home after an unsuccessful trip to Kentucky Downs for the Mint Millions (G3).
“We got faked out a little bit because he ran big on the turf coming back from Dubai. The horse that beat me a neck went on to win a Grade 2. He probably was better that day, so we thought we found a new home,” Dibona said. “We went to Kentucky and that’s a tough place. Things came a little unwound.” Steal Sunshine got shuffled back breaking from Post 4 and Zayas shifted to the rail on the first turn, tracking in fifth as 21-1 longshot Swashbuckle and Lure Him In battled up front through a quarter-mile in 23.50 seconds and a half in 47.17. Zayas tipped outside to launch their rally midway around the far turn and Steal Sunshine responded, moving up on even terms with Lure Him In at the head of the lane before surging past.
Lure Him In held second, a length on front of Lightning Tones, followed by Awesome Train, Swashbuckle, Single Dot Yaht and Virginia City.
“I got bumped out of there. I wanted to be a little closer,” Zayas said. “I kind of used him a little on the first turn and not leave him too much to do. He got in a perfect spot. The longer distance is good for him. He loves the two turns.”
Florida homebred Finallymadeit won 16 of 47 starts and more than $1 million in purse earnings from 2006-09. Among his victories were 12 stakes including the 2008 Fred Hooper Handicap (G3) and 2009 Memorial Day Handicap (G3) and Skip Away (G3). Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $150,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $150,000 when racing resumes Friday. The multi-race wager went unsolved Sunday the sixth racing day following a mandatory payout. Notes: Jockey Joe Bravo doubled Sunday aboard Justin Smiles ($9.60) in Race 2 and Racing Driver ($8.60) in Race 7 … Jockey Rajiv Maragh picked up career win No. 1,997 with Flying Liam ($4.80) in Race 4 … Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. strengthened his hold on first place in the Sunshine Meet standings with Drama ($2.60) in Race 3 and Mystical Belle ($6.40) in Race 8, giving him a 30-26 advantage over Jose D’Angelo with three racing days remaining … Mystical Belle pushed Edgard Zayas past Miguel Vasquez in the jockey standings, 39-38. Zayas made it a two-win cushion with Steal Sunshine in the $70,000 Finallymadeit overnight handicap.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Don’t call it a comeback. Rajiv Maragh stepped away from racing a few years ago knowing he was leaving some unfinished business – such as riding his 2000th winner. After making a successful foray into the world of business, the highly accomplished 40-year-old jockey picked up where he left off a year ago at Gulfstream Park. “I didn’t technically retire. I stepped away from horseracing to pursue other ventures – to diversify myself outside of horseracing,” said Maragh, who is just four wins away from No. 2000. “My career surpassed my wildest imagination – a career that I’m very grateful for. Since I was a youth, I was devoted only to horseracing, nothing outside of horseracing. It came to a point when I was getting close to my 40s. I wanted to go outside of horseracing.” Maragh built Road Jockey, a food delivery service, from the ground up in his native Jamaica, and only returned to riding when his business venture was fully established. “I committed two years to building Road Jockey and learning business. I had to completely knock off horseracing. I had to really disconnect. That way I could be fully focused,” he said. “It was bittersweet because I was winning a lot of races. It was a tough decision to make to step away from something that was going so well. But I always felt that that was the time to do it. I can’t wait too late. I can always come back to it.” Unfortunately, Road Jockey, which had signed on 5000 customers and 30,000 partner merchants, is not currently operating due to the devastation Hurricane Melissa left behind after ravaging Jamaica late last month. “My family is on the east coast (of Jamaica), most of my family and friends, so they were fortunate not to get the blunt force of it,” said Maragh, noting some partners and friends in Montego Bay, where Road Jockey was operating before a direct hit from the hurricane, were not as fortunate. “Right now, the focus is on the people there that were affected by the hurricane. The business is secondary at this point. It would be selfish to even think about that. “ TV Analysis Work ‘Started Tickling My Brain’ Maragh had no immediate plans to return to race-riding when he vacationed in Saratoga with his family a few years ago. “I love Saratoga. I always want to be there. I hadn’t been there in a couple of years. I decided to go and visit with my family. During that time, I went on for one segment of the NYRA show on Fox. The producers liked how I performed,” Maragh said. “They said, ‘Hey, look, there’s an opportunity to do some stuff.’ At that time, riding wasn’t on my radar at all. I didn’t have the riding juices going. Horseracing was still an obsession of mine. That’s why I went there, but it wasn’t for riding." “Doing the show for a year, it started tickling my brain. When I was riding, I wasn’t able to assess my riding. I think there were some holes I could have filled if I was able to step away and see it from a third person. That’s what the TV gave me,” he added. “I was able to watch the jockeys, the greatest jockeys in the world. It really hit me: I had a stellar career. I had a lot of opportunities. I felt like if I came back to riding, I would be the best version of myself. I wanted to explore that.” When he decided the time was right to continue his riding career, Maragh opted to stay close to home, his wife Angelina, son Luka, 5, and daughter Lilah, 1, instead of returning to the New York circuit on which he experienced so many career highlights. “I feel like I’m the best version of myself as a jockey. I might not be in the limelight like when I was winning a lot of races at the top circuit. But this version of me is the optimal version,” he said. “I continue to work and try to plug in any holes. I’m so much better at assessing my mistakes, so it’s easier to correct them. My self-assessment is way better now than it was when I was winning the most races of my life.” After riding nine winners during the 2024-2025 Championship Meet, Maragh rode 38 winners during the Royal Palm Meet and has added 10 more winners during the current Sunshine Meet after notching a double last Saturday. Maragh reacquainted himself with the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle Dec. 5 on his eighth mount back, Dundie, a horse trained by his father Collin. “When I won my first race after this break, it was a collage of emotions that hit me after the race. The journey – the ups and downs…,” Maragh said. “We don’t have a career. We have a lifestyle,” he added. “That lifestyle is challenging. You make sacrifices to live that lifestyle. It’s rewarding and validating when you get the win.”
Maragh recorded his first career win at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 1, 2004 aboard Pricedale Kid, who captured a seven-furlong $7500 claiming race by 6 ¾ lengths.
“I remember my first win like it was yesterday. It was on my ninth mount. I was in Tampa and I wasn’t the jockey listed to ride. In the morning, the rider who was supposed to ride didn’t show up. He was an apprentice, so I asked, ‘Please, let me ride this horse.’ He was a ripe candidate,” Maragh recalled. “Sure enough, I got the opportunity to ride him for Jesus Chavez, the trainer, and won my first race on him. Two weeks later, I won my second race on him. So, my first two wins were on Pricedale Kid.”
Maragh would go on to ride many bigger names in many bigger races during his career. Main Sequence ‘The Most Phenomenal Horse’
Maragh has won 25 Grade 1 stakes, including Main Sequence’s 2014 triumphs in the United Nations, Sword Dancer and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic during the Graham Motion trainee’s Eclipse Award-winning season.
“Main Sequence was one of the most phenomenal horses I’ve ever ridden or seen run,” Maragh said. “He had an amazing turn of foot. The first time riding him he won a Grade 1. It was surreal. It was his first time in America. Graham Motion was always high on the horse’s ability.
“I won three big races in a row leading up to the Breeders’ Cup and I broke my arm and ended up missing out on the Breeders’ Cup. That was a tough moment for me,” Maragh added. “But they somehow made me feel like a part of it – Graham Motion, the owner, Flaxman, and even Johnny V [Velazquez], who picked up the mount.” Maragh reunited with Main Sequence directly following his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Santa Anita with Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard, winning the 2015 Mac Diarmida (G2) at Gulfstream Park.
No graded stakes-winner is closer to his heart, however, than Lilah, after whom he and his wife named their daughter.
“She’s named after my first graded stakes-winner when I was an apprentice,” Maragh said. “My wife and I have been together for 20 years. We had just met when I was an apprentice and was riding Lilah. We said that if we had a daughter, we’d call her ‘Lilah.’” Hobeau Farm’s Lilah, who was trained by the late Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens, won the 2005 Hurricane Bertie by three lengths. Nine years later, Maragh would return to the Gulfstream winner’s circle following the Hurricane Bertie aboard Groupie Doll, who closed out her brilliant career with a seven-length victory. Maragh also rode the modestly bred daughter of Bowman’s Band for back-to-back victories in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita in 2012 and 2013 that earned the Buff Bradley-trained mare back-to-back Eclipse Awards as Champion Female Sprinter. She sold at auction for $3 million following her second Breeders’ Cup win. “The story with her was amazing. It was a true underdog story – a homebred from unsuccessful lineage; Buff Bradley, not the biggest mainstream trainer at the time; and myself, a kid from Jamaica trying to make it in the big game,” Maragh said.
Before riding Groupie Doll to back-to-back Filly & Mare Sprint wins, Maragh broke through at the 2011 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs aboard Caleb’s Posse in the Dirt Mile (G1).
“My first Breeders’ Cup win on Caleb’s Posse was actually a relief because I had put so much pressure on myself to win a Breeders’ Cup. I had some great opportunities before that and it never materialized. I had seconds and thirds,” Maragh said. “He just ran an unbelievable race. When I crossed the wire, it was relief.”
Maragh would like to return to Thoroughbred Racing’s biggest stage, but he is currently content to staying close to home and family while renewing his love for riding at Gulfstream Park. “I know what I want. I want to be the jockey riding the biggest races in the world, all of them. That’s my ultimate goal, but the challenge is what it takes to be there,” Maragh said. “Today, I’m not able to commit to that. That goal right now I can’t focus on. It’s not realistic.”
HALLANDALE BEACH - Magic Cap Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch, Castle Gate Farm, Kuehne Racing and John Reinhardt’s Tessellate, stakes-placed in each of her last two starts, will get another chance to break through when she returns as a leading contender in Saturday’s $75,000 Juvenile Fillies Sprint at Gulfstream Park. The Juvenile Fillies Sprint, going 6 ½ furlongs on the main track, is the headliner on an 11-race program that begins at 12:20 p.m.
Bred in Florida by Castle Gate Farm and trained by Sunshine Meet leader Saffie Joseph Jr., Tessellate shortens up in distance after running third behind Willow Case in the one-mile Hallandale Beach, a race where she dueled for the lead nearing the stretch and wound up beaten 6 ¼ lengths.
In her prior start, the $170,000 yearling daughter of multiple Gr. 1 winner McKinzie came from off the pace to be second as the favorite in the six-furlong Sharp Susan, 3 ¼ lengths behind Willow Case in a race contested over a sloppy main track.
“Last time we stretched her out. We didn’t think she wanted to go that far, but we wanted to give it a try. The cutback should help her a lot,” Joseph said. “This is the logical spot. There wasn’t anything around so we stretched her out going a mile last time just to see what happened, but she wants to be a sprinter.”
A front-running debut winner against state-breds going five furlongs, Tessellate drew Post 2 of eight and will be ridden by Edgard Zayas. They are rated as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line.
“She’s fast, but she doesn’t need the lead. She can sit and make a run,” Joseph said. “I think she goes in there with a very good chance.”
Joseph also entered La Dolce Vita and Mystical Belle. After two unsuccessful tries on the turf, Peachtree Stable homebred La Dolce Vita graduated with a popular 1 ¾-length maiden special weight triumph Oct. 24 sprinting six furlongs on the main track. “She won well last time,” Joseph said. “She’s coming back obviously a little quick, but I think if she runs her race she should be a big factor.”
La Dolce Vita has been favored in each of her three races, running second in her debut going five furlongs at Gulfstream, beaten four lengths by subsequent Hollywood Beach runner-up The Princess Bro. Fourth in a one-mile maiden spot at Kentucky Downs, she is the Juvenile Fillies 2-1 program favorite from Post 1.
“She showed promise right away. When she got beat the first time we were a little surprised, but the horse that beat her turned out to be a nice horse,” Joseph said. “She ran big last time in her first time on the dirt. I’m still not convinced that she doesn’t want the grass, but for now we’ll stick to the dirt.”
Joseph indicated MyRacehorse, P T Racing, Clay Sides and John Reinhardt’s Mystical Belle (Post 5, 3-1), a good-looking maiden winner over the all-weather Tapeta course at Gulfstream, would likely scratch in favor of an optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds on Sunday. In her two races, Mystical Belle was second behind her stablemate and subsequent Gr. I Frizette runner-up Rileytole and then a 1 ¼-length winner over next-out winner Flowko.
“She’s run well,” Joseph said. “She ran second first time out to a nice horse that ran second in a Grade 1, and then she won second time and beat a filly that came back to win, also.”
Oliver Gray’s Dakota’s Little Auror (Post 4, 15-1) is the other horse in the field with stakes experience, having run third in the Sharp Susan and fourth in the Hallandale Beach. She has lost three straight following a maiden triumph against Florida-breds sprinting 4 ½ furlongs. Make Your Wish, Lady Chance and Epigram all enter the Juvenile Fillies Sprint off victories. Amanda Hernandez Zorilla’s Make Your Wish (Post 6, 30-1), trained by Ramon Minguet, comes from the same connections that campaigned Willow Case before the filly was sold via digital auction for $340,000. After placing in each of her first three races, including a back-to-back runner-up finishes, William Law Jr.’s Florida homebred Lady Chance (Post 7, 20-1) graduated by 2 ½ lengths against state-bred company.
Epigram (Post 8, 3-1), owned and trained by Jose Castro, will be making her stakes debut off one race, an eye-catching 9 ¾-length open maiden special weight triumph Aug. 15 sprinting five furlongs on Gulfstream’s main track. “She’s doing good. She had a good race last time, exactly like we hoped. We hope that she can run the same race. She’s a good horse, very talented,” owner-trainer Jose Castro said. “We hope she can win again. She’s in good condition, she’s training good, she’s working good, she came out of the race good. She’s very, very happy.”
Castro, who purchased Epigram for $38,000 in April as a 2-year-old in training, said the gap between starts was by design. Her multimillionaire sire, Code of Honor, was a Grade 1 winner whose first of four graded stakes triumphs came in the 2019 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream. “She is very fast. She has a nice pedigree. When we bought her at the auction, the first time we saw her at the barn we were looking for the good confirmation. That’s the reason we chose her,” Castro said. “She’s still a baby so we have to try to just go little by little with her. We try to get her ready for this moment and right now she’s ready to run again.” Completing the field is Sultan Racing’s Nour (Post 3, 10-1), who ran second in an optional claimer at Gulfstream but finished ahead of both Willow Case (third) and Dakota’s Lil Auror (fifth).
The 3-year-old Florida-bred gelding Mad House left Tampa Bay Downs last spring with an 0-for-4 record, filling his trainer David VanWinkle with uncertainty about what came next.
VanWinkle, who began training thoroughbreds in 1989, knew Mad House had potential. The well-bred son of Vekoma out of the Munnings daughter Stifled Heiress finished second in his career debut on Jan. 8 sprinting 6 furlongs to John Hancock, the Brad Cox-trained colt who won the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes in his next start.
But after that promising debut, Mad House turned in a trio of perplexing performances, including an uninspired fourth on March 30 in the 7-furlong Florida Cup Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore Stakes. As he prepared to take Mad House to Canterbury Park in Minnesota for the late spring and early summer, VanWinkle probably felt like a game-show contestant holding 100 keys, only one of which unlocks the door to an elusive victory and continued success.
“We had tried to stretch him out in distance at Tampa, and I don’t think that was his cup of tea,” VanWinkle said. “He was always sound and didn’t have any setbacks, but he was a little bit high-strung and it took him time to figure things out. It took him a while to put everything together mentally.”
If you’re a serious horse racing fan, you already know Mad House has developed into one of the sport’s leading Cinderella stories of 2025. Owned by South Dakota resident James Thares, Mad House has won four races in a row since breaking his maiden on June 29 at Canterbury, including the Gr. II, $400,000 Gallant Bob Stakes on Sept. 20 at Parx Racing in Pennsylvania.
The front-running victory, in which the 23-1 shot sped six furlongs in 1:08.77, earned Mad House a spot in Saturday's $2 million, six-furlong Cygames BC Sprint at Del Mar.
Luis Saez will ride Mad House, who drew the No. 13 post in the 14-horse field. The race is the sixth on the card, with a scheduled post time of 1:21 p.m. Pacific Time (4:21 for Tampa Bay Downs simulcast viewers).
Tampa Bay Downs will simulcast all of the Breeders’ Cup races Friday and Saturday, with Friday’s Del Mar action starting at 11:35 a.m. Pacific Time and Saturday’s races getting underway at 10:05 a.m. Pacific Time.
Mad House flew to southern California on Thursday from south Florida, where he worked a sharp 4 furlongs last week in 47.10 seconds. VanWinkle arrived on Saturday, jogging the horse about a mile on Sunday and galloping him a mile-and-a-half Monday and Tuesday.
“He is fit and feeling good. He has adapted well to being out here,” said VanWinkle, who will return to Oldsmar for the upcoming Tampa Bay Downs meet when he descends from the clouds. The 63-year-old conditioner, who hails from the small Nebraska town of Burchard (population roughly 120), has found preparing his first Breeders’ Cup entry an exhilarating experience. Being surrounded by celebrities from the racing world and beyond has taken some getting used to.
The Gallant Bob was the first graded-stakes victory of VanWinkle’s career, and all of a sudden he and his horse have graduated to racing’s biggest international stage.
“I’ve seen a few (A-list racing personalities) since I got here,” VanWinkle said, referring to the top practitioners in his profession. Bill Mott, Todd Pletcher, I saw them at the (post-position) draw. It is quite a good feeling to be here. It is something you never plan on – I didn’t.”
VanWinkle, who is a three-time leading trainer at Canterbury, will be joined at the event by his wife Pam and daughter Taylor, his assistant.
After serving notice that sprinting was his thing in his first career victory, an 11 ½-length romp in a 5 ½-furlong race, Mad House won a pair of 6-furlong allowance races at Canterbury in July and August, but his three-race winning streak up north didn’t hold much weight with Gallant Bob bettors.
VanWinkle admits he wasn’t sure what to expect. “He was stepping up against much tougher competition, and I’d have been happy to have him hit the board,” the trainer said. Despite early pressure from another longshot, eventual third-place finisher Fire Pit, Mad House was able to stay comfortable on the lead under jockey Paco Lopez through taxing opening fractions of :21.58 seconds for the quarter-mile and :43.94 for the half.
Mad House drew off late to defeat runner-up Gateskeeper, an 83-1 shot, by 2 ¾ lengths. The quality of the performance, and the winner’s share of $217,500, made the decision to try the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint relatively easy. “When he won a couple at Canterbury, his heart got built up and we could tell he was liking his job. You could say he is peaking at the right time,” Van Winkle said of Mad House, who was bred by Jean White, Wavertree Farm and SGV Thoroughbreds.
“He’ll be going up against a lot of older, more seasoned horses, but he has developed well so hopefully that won’t be an issue. Paco said he wasn’t pushing hard on him early (in the Gallant Bob) and that he knew he had horse left late if he needed it, so that was encouraging.”
In Saez, another of the sport’s most accomplished jockeys, VanWinkle believes the No. 13 post will not be an obstacle to performing his best. “With his running style, he is probably better off out there than down on the inside if something were to happen,” VanWinkle said.
Mad House’s morning-line odds are 30-1. The prerace favorite at 5-2 in last year’s Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up, 4-year-old Florida-bred Bentornato (last year’s Gallant Bob winner). Bentornato is trained by another Tampa Bay Downs conditioner, Jose Francisco D’Angelo, and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.
Two Sprint entrants besides Mad House have competed at Tampa Bay Downs. One, 4-year-old colt Patriot Spirit, won the 2023 Inaugural Stakes and was unplaced as a 3-year-old in the Gr. III Sam F. Davis Stakes. Patriot Spirit is trained by Michael Campbell and will be ridden by Javier Castellano.
The other is trainer Wesley Ward’s 6-year-old gelding Nakatomi, who finished third here in the 2024 Pelican Stakes. He will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.
Trainer Mark Casse’s 3-year-old filly Nitrogen, the winner of this year’s Gr. III Florida Oaks on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs, and trainer George Weaver’s 5-year-old Florida-bred mare Dorth Vader, the 2022 Sandpiper Stakes winner, will compete in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Jose Ortiz will ride Nitrogen and John Velazquez will be aboard Dorth Vader.
Trainer Chad Brown’s second and third-place finishers in this year’s Gr. III Tampa Bay Derby are also Breeders’ Cup competitors. Chancer McPatrick, the Tampa Bay Derby runner-up, will be ridden by Jose Ortiz in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Brown’s gelding Hill Road, third in the Tampa Bay Derby, competes in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf under David Egan.
OLDSMAR - A visitor to the Tampa Bay Downs barn area this morning needed to spend only a short bit of time with first-day arrivals Alison Arriagada and Alejandro Mendieta to realize both are living the dream.
Arriagada, an assistant and the exercise rider for husband Juan Arriagada – last year’s second-leading trainer and the track’s three-time defending leading owner – cheerfully oversaw the unloading of 10 horses from Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania as the sun tried to peek through the clouds above their barn.
“I love being here,” said Alison, who remained at their nearby home most of the summer with their daughter while Juan was winning the trainer and owner titles in his first season at Presque Isle Downs. “I’ve been coming here 21 years as a trainer or galloping horses or working for people, and it’s pretty exciting every year to come back. And the horses seem to love it. The backside is wide open and you can take a little more time with them.”
The track opens for training on Wednesday at 6 a.m. The 2025-26 Tampa Bay Downs meet begins Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Even on days when Juan doesn’t have a horse competing, the couple gets to enjoy the thrills of Thoroughbred competition vicariously while working on the backstretch. “It’s one of the few racetracks I’ve been at where you can hear fans cheering from your barn,” Alison said. “There is no casino here and there are always people at the racetrack, and that makes it fun to run horses. It’s almost like a small Keeneland, maybe, where you can hear people screaming for the horses.”
Mendieta hopes it isn’t long before spectators are cheering for his 2-year-old colt My Boy Star, who he spent time grazing outside his barn upon arriving from Belterra Park in Ohio with five other horses following a 16-hour trip. The Florida-bred, a son of the two-time Gr. II winner and fine stallion Bucchero, is the first horse the owner and trainer has ever bred.
He is out of Mendieta’s 9-year-old broodmare My Sarasota Star, who won seven races and $230,120 in her racing career and resides in Ocala.
“He (My Boy Star) had some good workouts at Belterra, but I decided to wait to run him so my wife and our daughters could watch him race,” said Mendieta, who trained 14 winners at Belterra. “I’m real excited to see him run for the first time. Plus, he’s a Florida-bred, so he can run for more money.”
Mendieta, a trainer since 2023, loves spending the late fall and winter months in Oldsmar and is sure his 20 horses do as well. “The weather is beautiful and the horses can relax and come outside their barns and eat good grass,” he said.
Tampa Bay Downs has released its stakes schedule, which consists of 24 races worth $3,535,000 in purse money. The track’s showcase race has a new sponsor, with the Gr. III, $400,000 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby for 3-year-old Kentucky Derby prospects highlighting the Festival Day 46 card on Saturday, March 7.
Esmark is a diversified, privately-held family company with a portfolio of industrial companies with strong roots in the steel industry. Over the years, Esmark has diversified its interests and operations into a number of businesses engaged in the industrial and commodity sectors, focusing on several key industries including steel services, oil and gas exploration, aviation, real estate, business services, technology and sports management.
The ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby is one of five stakes on the Festival Day 46 card, along with the Gr. II, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes for older fillies and mares on the turf; the Gr. III, $200,000 Florida Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on the turf; the Gr. III, $125,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes for older horses; and the $125,000 Columbia Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf.
The track’s other graded stakes, both on Jan. 31 on the turf, are the Grade III, $175,000 Tampa Bay Stakes for older horses and the Grade III, $175,000 Endeavour Stakes for older fillies and mares.
Lambholm South, which had sponsored the Tampa Bay Derby since 2016, has shifted its stakes sponsorship to Sunday, March 29 – Florida Cup Day – and the $110,000 Lambholm South Sophomore Turf for 3-year-olds.
A new Florida Cup Day sponsor is the AAA Feed & Tack Store, a Tampa Bay Downs fixture on the backside since 1976. Owned and operated by Jerry Porrello and his wife Nancy, the business will sponsor the $110,000 AAA Feed & Tack Turf Classic for older horses.
The first stakes Saturday of the meet is Dec. 6, featuring the $125,000 Inaugural Stakes for 2-year-olds and the $125,000 Sandpiper Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
Officials and staff of Tampa Bay Downs invite Thoroughbred lovers and newcomers alike to share the excitement of the Oldsmar oval’s meet-long centennial celebration, marking the track’s opening on Feb. 18, 1926.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Journeyman Leonel Reyes, less than a decade after coming to the United States as an accomplished rider in his native Venezuela, is poised to reach another career milestone as he continues the quest for a second meet title at Gulfstream Park. Reyes, 39, enters Friday’s 10-race program with 993 career wins in North America, ranking fourth in the current Sunshine Meet standings with 18 wins and $692,495 in purse earnings, respectively trailing Miguel Vasquez (26) and Edgard Zayas ($882,270). His success is nothing new for the soft-spoken but quietly confident Reyes, a year-round presence at Gulfstream who was a two-time national champion in Venezuela and a nine-time meet titlist at National Racetrack Valencia before venturing to South Florida in 2016. “I won a lot of races in Venezuela, and it was a great experience,” Reyes said. “In my country it is different than riding here, but I am very grateful.”
Represented by agent Jose Sanchez, Reyes had more than 1,400 wins to his credit when he arrived at Gulfstream, where he made his U. S. debut Feb. 21, 2016. It was a month later, on March 24, when he picked up his first win aboard Virgen Morena. What has followed has been career that has seen Reyes win 100 or more races every year since 2021, with a personal best 166 in 2022. With more than two months left in 2025, he has 96 wins from 736 mounts and earnings approaching $3.8 million. Reyes has won four graded stakes in the U.S., all at Gulfstream. The first came with Gladiator King in the 2019 Gr. III Hutcheson, followed by Cool Arrow in the 2020, Gr. III Smile Sprint, Three Witches in the 2023, Gr. III Princess Rooney and Little Vic in the Gr. III Fred Hooper Jan. 24. In 2023, Reyes won a career-high $5.99 million in purses and earned his only U.S. riding title, leading Gulfstream’s Royal Palm Meet standings with 93 wins, 18 more than runner-up Edwin Gonzalez, and a $2.89 million bankroll.
The previous year Reyes ranked second to Vasquez at the Royal Palm Meet while simultaneously competing at Colonial Downs in Virginia, a rare instance away from Florida where he finished as runner-up to Mid-Atlantic-based Jevian Toledo for the riding title.
“I have ridden in some other places, but Gulfstream is like my home,” Reyes said. “I love being here.”
Reyes has three two-win days during the Sunshine Meet – opening day Sept. 5, Sept. 26 and Sept. 28 – and owns three stakes victories: Khozalite in the FSS Affirmed Oct. 18, Willow Case in the Hallandale Beach Sept. 26 and Private Thoughts in the Jet Propulsion overnight handicap Oct. 4. Overall Reyes has helped 11 different trainers at the meet reach the winner’s circle, including multiple trips for Jose D’Angelo (four), Ramon Minguet, Ron Spatz and Frank Regalbuto (two each). Others have come for Diane Morici, Ronald Coy, Rafael Romero, Lisa Lewis, Heather Smullen, Eddie Plesa Jr. and Fausto Gutierrez.
His winners have ranged from favorites like 3-year-old Divine Papi ($2.80) on Oct. 3 to 2-year-old filly Make Your Wish ($65.80), giving Reyes an average win payoff of $12.87. He also has 14 seconds and 11 thirds, putting him in the money at a 41 percent clip. “It has been a lot of hard work every day, every morning. The races are tough but we keep trying,” he said. “I am thankful to my agent and all the owners and trainers and everybody that gives me the support.” Reyes has been able to enjoy his success with wife, Daniela, and daughters Leona (15), Donna (12) and Lea (4 ½) and plans to put in the work to make it continue long past 1,000 wins. “I am grateful for the moment because this career is dangerous,” he said. “I keep trying every day, every week, every year and now we are close. I will be proud to get 1,000 wins.”
Lindy Farms’ Ready for Candy (Twirling Candy-Enoree, by More Than Ready) earned her second graded stakes win and improved to 3-for-3 under the care of trainer Philip Antonacci when she prevailed in the Gr. II, $200,000 Sands Point at Aqueduct Racetrack to lead the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.
Ready for Candy was moved to the Antonacci barn after seven starts with trainer Michael DePaulo last year, including three stakes placings at Woodbine Racetrack. The daughter of Twirling Candy came into the Sands Point off a last-out score in the one-mile, Gr. III Winter Memories. “She's a little tricky and you have to get along with her - she has her quirks,” Antonacci said. “But when it comes to the races, she's as professional as it comes and it allows the rider to do whatever he needs to do with her which makes her dangerous.” Bred in Ontario by Mark Dodson, Ready for Candy was purchased by Game Time Racing for $60,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale from the consignment of Tom McCrocklin after breezing in :20 4/5.
At Gulfstream Park, Half Hollow Stables and ProRacing Stable’s Khozalite (Khozan-Starship Crystal, by Congrats) was impressive returning to the dirt for his stakes debut with a four-length victory in the $200,000 Affirmed. Trained by Jose D’Angelo, Khozalite registered his second straight win following a two-length maiden triumph going a two-turn mile on the Gulfstream turf in his second career start. The son of Khozan was purchased by his owners for $55,000 at the 2025 OBS April Sale from the consignment of Journeyman Bloodstock Services after breezing in :21 2/5. At Aqueduct, Case Chambers, Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s graded stakes-placed Out On Bail (Tiz the Law–Judge Lee, by Street Cry (IRE)) returned to the winner’s circle with a nose victory in Sunday’s $150,000 Carle Place. Trained by Mike Maker, Out On Bail notched his first win since taking the Skidmore last year at Saratoga Race Course as part of a six-start campaign that saw him hit the board in each outing. Out On Bail was purchased by Chambers for $110,000 out of the Kings Equine consignment at the 2024 OBS March Sale after breezing in :10 1/5. At Santa Anita, Himika (Curlin-Motivated Seller, by Into Mischief) returned to sprinting and delivered as the 1-2 favorite to earn her second stakes win in the $85,000 Anoakia Stakes over fellow OBS grad Revera. Trained by Bob Baffert, Himika was purchased for $900,000 by owner Baoma Corp at this year’s OBS April Sale from the de Meric Sales consignment after breezing in :9 4/5. In August at Del Mar, she earned her first stakes win when annexing the Gr. III Sorrento going six furlongs.
HALLANDALE BEACH - For a horse whose trainer feels could be even better on the grass, Half Hollow Stables and ProRacing Stable’s Khozalite was impressive returning to the dirt for his stakes debut with a popular and professional four-length victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Affirmed at Gulfstream Park. The seven-furlong Affirmed was the last of three stakes worth $470,000 in purses on a 12-race program co-headlined by Mythical’s popular romp in the $200,000 Susan’s Girl for fillies, each part of the $1.2 million Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds by accredited Florida stallions. Named for Lou and Patrice Wolfson's Florida-bred 1978 Triple Crown winner who was a five-time champion, back-to-back Horse of the Year and 1980 Hall of Fame inductee, the Affirmed is the middle leg of the FSS series, following the $100,000 Dr. Fager. The series concludes with the $300,000 In Reality Nov. 29. Ridden by Leonel Reyes for trainer Jose D’Angelo, Khozalite ($9.20) covered a fast main track in 1:23.30 to register his second straight win following a two-length maiden triumph going a two-turn mile on the Gulfstream turf Aug. 30 in his second career start. “I think he’s going to be better on turf. The key with him is the distance. The longer he goes, the better it is for him. That’s why I ran him on the grass, because the two turns is what he needs,” D’Angelo said. “Khozalite is the kind of horse that just needs distance. That’s why I take the shot back on the dirt. He was ready today. I’m very happy with him. He had a nice gallop-out. I’m proud of him and his race.” One of three last-out maiden winners in the field of 11 along with Khozalite and D’Angelo-trained stablemate Micanopy, Wootun broke alertly and went straight to the front, leading through an opening quarter in :22.65 seconds with Khozalite pressing to his outside in second. Strategic Risk, a Gulfstream debut winner in June who was exiting back-to-back graded-stakes efforts at Saratoga, saved ground inside in third with Hawk in the clear in fourth. The half-mile went in :45.38 when Wootun began to tire and Khozalite eagerly inherited the top spot rounding the far turn with Strategic Risk poised to strike on the far outside in third. Khozalite began to gain separation once straightened for home and had plenty left to turn back a late run from Squire, a Leinster colt who edged Strategic Risk by three-quarters of a length for second. “I knew both my horses were well-prepared. I know they were going to run from the start if everything goes good,” D’Angelo said. “When I saw him third and second and making his move turning for home, I knew he was going to be there.” Hawk finished fourth, followed by Trelawny, All to Win, I’m Tuff Enough, He’s My Uncle, Micanopy, Wootun and Dr. Fager runner-up Camigol. Reyes has been aboard for each of Khozalite’s races including a dead heat for second in a six-furlong dirt maiden special weight against Florida-breds Aug. 2, and has also been up for D’Angelo in morning works. “The trip was perfect. His outside post position was good. I tried to go behind the speed. When I asked him at the quarter pole he responded very well,” Reyes said. “After his last work, I was very confident in him because he felt really, really good and ready for the race.”
D’Angelo said the plan is for Khozalite to target the 1 1/16-mile In Reality on opening weekend of Gulfstream’s 2025-2026 Championship Meet. “Yes, 100 percent,” he said. “He ran good two turns on the grass so he should be fine there.”
HALLANDALE BEACH - The $200,000 Susan’s Girl and the $200,000 Affirmed have attracted full fields for next Saturday’s second leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series at Gulfstream Park. The Susan’s Girl, a seven-furlong test for 2-year-old fillies sired by accredited Florida stallions, drew a field of 12 (and an also-eligible), including Finding Strength and Love Like Lucy, who finished second and third, respectively, in the $100,000 Desert Vixen, the six-furlong first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series. Michael Yates-trained Finding Strength finished a nose behind Lennilu, who will bypass the second FSS leg for a planned start in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Oct. 31 at Del Mar. Jorge Delgado-trained Mythical will return to Gulfstream after incurring her first loss while finishing fifth in the Aug. 30, Gr. I Spinaway at Saratoga. The Arindel home-bred won her April 17 debut at Gulfstream before beating the boys in the June 5 Tremont and capturing the Aug. 3 Gr. III Adirondack at Saratoga.
Trainer Kenny McPeek entered Blazing Bridgette, a daughter of Uncle Chuck who finished third in her recent career debut at Aqueduct. Trainer Joe Orseno entered Sister Hustle, a daughter of Uncle Chuck who romped by 12 ¼ lengths in her recent debut at Presque Isle Downs for owner/trainer Randall Russell. Antonio Sano-trained Camigol, who finished second behind Fourth and Central in the $100,000 Dr. Fager, the six-furlong first leg of the FSS open division, is prominent among 11 entries for the seven-furlong Affirmed. Camigol finished third in the Aug. 2, Gr. III Saratoga Special after breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park by 5 ¾ lengths. Fourth and Central was not entered in the Affirmed. Jose Pinchin-trained Trelawny, a son of Uncle Chuck who finished three-quarters of a length behind Camigol in the Dr. Fager, is entered to return in the Affirmed. Heather Smullen-trained Wootun and the Jose D’Angelo-trained duo of Micanopy and Khozalite, all recent second-start graduates, and Patrick Biancone-trained Squire, a stakes-placed son of Leinster who will return to dirt after a subpar showing on turf in the Hollywood Beach, have also been entered in the Affirmed. The Susan’s Girl is carded as Race 8, while the Affirmed is carded as Race 11 on next Saturday’s 12-race program. The $70,000 Mr. Jordan, a mile overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up that is carded as Race 10, drew a highly competitive field of nine, including Sam Wilensky-trained Lure Him In, Bobby DiBona-trained Steal Sunshine, Joe Orseno-trained Hades, Patrick Biancone-trained Classic of Course and Jose Castro-trained Lightning Tones.
Richard Kent isn’t one to lean on hyperbole when discussing the plethora of horses who have come through his care. But in the moments after a filly fittingly bearing the name of Expectations exited the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company ring during the opening session of the October Yearling Sale, the longtime consignor put some lofty hopes on the youngster who headlined his Kaizen Sales consignment Tuesday. “I sold Serena Song’s as a yearling and this filly has that kind of class,” Kent said. “That’s big words.” It remains to be seen if Hip 177 can come close to delivering in the manner of the Hall of Famer Kent sold during his tenure at Bridlewood Farm. During the first day of action at the two-day October exercise, however, the bay filly by Mo Donegal ended the day out front when she brought $240,000 from bloodstock agent Christophe Nouvellet on behalf of Dream With Me Florida to top the session. Bred by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, the bay filly has the pedigree to back up her elegant looks as she is out of the Speightstown mare On the Good List, a half-sister to Gr. 1 winner Dunbar Road. The female family is rich in success with Gr. 1 winner Secret Status, multiple graded stakes-winner Private Mission, and graded winner Alumni Hall also on the page. Since arriving on the sale grounds, Kent stated the filly did nothing but signal a high level of quality in her own right. “The price was excellent. The filly justified the price,” Kent said. “She was just a super star all week. She’d been scoped eight times and showed herself just brilliantly over 100 times. She’s a very classy filly. We had all the players in town bidding on her.” Nouvellet, who recently purchased the 200-acre McKathan Brothers’ Farm in Citra, was the player who ultimately won out, saying the winning bid was above what he expected to pay, but nonetheless was willing to stretch to. “She’s a good physical and we’re going to hope for the best,” said Nouvellet. “She’s a good mover and I think on paper she has everything to succeed. We just like to buy good horses.” The Mo Donegal filly was one of four horses to reach the six-figure level during the opening session of the sale. The day’s trade ended on a high note as Hip 251, a bay colt by Jack Christopher, elicited a final bid of $200,000 from DiBello Racing Stables. Consigned by Beth Bayer, the colt is out of the Hard Spun mare Madelyn’s Magic, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winners Totally Boss and Super Steed. “We had been waiting all day for him to come up,” Bayer said. “I love Jack Christopher as a new sire. All the ones we’ve seen have looked like athletes and (this colt) had a nice pedigree as well and a very good mind. He showed really well every single time.” Champion Corniche, a graduate of the 2021 OBS April Sale, and multiple graded stakes-winner Bucchero, who sold at the 2014 OBS June exercise, again made their mark in the pavilion as they were responsible for two of the six-figure lots. HIP 48, a bay colt by Corniche out of the Take Charge Indy mare Mollyball, sold to MJB Stable for $200,000 while Hip 1, a daughter of Bucchero, got the sale off to a quick start when she hammered for $110,000 to Thorostock’s Nick Sallusto. Named Mr. Predicted, the Corniche colt is a half-brother to stakes-placed Lawyer Mason and hails from the female family of graded stakes-winners Adriano and Strike Power. He was consigned by his breeder, Edisley Soler, who is selling for the first time under the Soler & Soler Thoroughbred Corp. banner. “I thought he was going to bring more, that’s a good horse,” Soler said. “I raised him, he’s been my baby. I liked everything about him, he’s just a really nice colt.” Like her sire, Hip 1 wasted little time making a strong impression as she kicked off the day’s selling and set the tone for her connections. Consigned by Kaizen Sales and bred by Rivermont Farm, the chestnut filly is out of the winning Greatness mare Dagney’s Revenge and hails from the female family of graded stakes-winners Seeking Slew and Canadian Frontier.
“She was just a real quality filly. Many people told us she was the best filly on the grounds,” said Kent, who led all consignors on the day with 18 head sold for $605,000. “We were not coming in with that high of expectations but once we were here, she really sold herself and did all the work. She looked fabulous, behaved great. We showed her 100 times, and she did as well on the 100th time as she did on the first." Other top prices for the day included Hip 144, a bay filly by Vekoma consigned by Bobby Jones Equine, who sold for $95,000 to Dennis Campbell, and Hip 169, a bay colt by Epicenter consigned by Summerfield, who brought a final bid of $90,000 from Red Wings. Tuesday’s session produced year-over-year gains in gross, average, and median compared to 2024. A total of 146 head sold for gross receipts of $3,255,600, up from the $1,713,900 generated by 104 during the first session a year ago. The average improved from $16,480 in 2024 to $22,299 with the median coming in at $15,000 compared to $10,000 last year. Last year’s OBS October Yearling Sale had its sale sessions adjusted due to Hurricane Milton. The RNA rate for the session came in at 32.4 percent compared to 35.4 in 2024.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Multiple stakes-winning 8-year-old mare Choose Joy, unraced in 435 days, made a dramatic triumphant return by rallying from far back to edge Etrurian by a head in Friday’s feature at Gulfstream Park. Ridden by Miguel Vasquez for owner-trainer Steve Dwoskin, Choose Joy ($14.60) completed five furlongs on the all-weather Tapeta course in :55.93 seconds for her 10th win from 27 career starts. The optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and older was moved off the grass following overnight rain. “I’d rather it had been on the turf, but she’d had some good races on the Tapeta. I knew she was ready,” Dwoskin said. “She was fit, and she’s just a good horse.” Choose Joy was unhurried early, trailing all but one horse as Etrurian led her stablemate and narrow 2-1 favorite Beauty of the Sea through a quarter-mile in :21.53 seconds and a half in :43.76. Vasquez swung Choose Joy to the far outside leaving the far turn and they came with a steady run down the center of the stretch to catch Etrurian at the wire.
In a career marked by stops and starts, Choose Joy hasn’t raced since she was third as the favorite behind a pair of next-out winners in a five-furlong optional claimer on Gulfstream’s all-weather Tapeta last July 26. She now has been third or better in seven of eight tries over Tapeta, with three wins.
Dwoskin purchased Choose Joy for $35,000 at auction in 2019, and Friday’s $27,000 winner’s share of the purse pushed her career bankroll to $439,745.
“I’m very proud of her,” he said. “She keeps getting closer to half a million [dollars].” Rainbow 6 Solved Friday for $143,083 Jackpot Payout
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 was solved by one lucky bettor for a $143,083.80 jackpot payout Friday.
The last multiple mandatory payouts of $8,569.28 came on Sept. 14, and the multi-race wager had gone unsolved for five racing days.
Joey Platts’ Call Me Angel ($13.40), ridden by Elijah Greenidge, captured Race 10 finale to complete the winning 2-7-3-3-3-8 combination. It was Ocala trainer Terry Oliver’s first win since April 10, 2011, also at Gulfstream
Despite a less-than-ideal break following a six-plus month layoff, Speedway Stables’ Cavalieri (Nyquist-Stiffed, by Stephen Got Even) was unbothered as she remained unbeaten with a victory in the Gr. II, $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita Park to lead the slate of stakes-winning OBS grads for the week. After hopping at the start and trailing the field, Cavalieri improved to 5-for-5 for trainer Bob Baffert while also earning a fees-paid berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar. It was Cavalieri’s first start since winning the Gr. I Beholder Mile in March at Santa Anita.
“She is just so talented, the further the better for her,” Baffert said. A 4-year-old daughter of Nyquist, Cavalieri was purchased by Peter Fluor’s Speedway Stables for $900,000 from the Wavertree Stables consignment at the 2023 OBS April Sale after she breezed in :20 2/5. At Aqueduct, R. Lee Lewis’s Gun Song (Gun Runner – Nicole H, by Mr. Greeley) overtook Gr. 1 winner Randomized and powered away to a score in the Gr. II, $250,000 Beldame Stakes. By winning the Beldame, part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen series for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff in November at Del Mar, Gun Song receives a credit of $30,000 toward entry fees for the Distaff. Trained by Mark Hennig, the 4-year-old daughter of Gun Runner enjoyed a tremendous sophomore season that included a win in the Gr. II Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico Race Course. Gun Song was purchased by her owner for $400,000 at the 2023 OBS March Sale out of the de Meric Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5. Also at Aqueduct, George Mellon’s Patriot Spirit (Constitution- Mistical Plan, by Game Plan) power away late to post a 1 1/2-length score in the Gr. III, $200,000 Vosburgh Stakes, earning himself a fees paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar. Trained by Michael Campbell, the 4-year-old Constitution colt was purchased by George Mellon for $235,000 out of the Clary Bloodstock consignment at the 2023 OBS March Sale after breezing in :10 flat. At Santa Anita Park, Innovative (Complexity-Lantiz, by Tizway) roared through the stretch to win Saturday’s Gr. III, $100,000 John C. Harris Stakes on the hillside turf course. Innovative prevailed by a neck over Lee’s Baby Girl with another half-length back to morning line favorite and fellow OBS grad Warming in third. Trained by Phil D’Amato, the daughter of Complexity is owned by Little Red Feather Racing and Sterling Stables. She was purchased by Little Red Feather Racing for $230,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale from the consignment of Longoria Training & Sales after breezing in :9 4/5. At Gulfstream Park, rising star Lennilu (Leinster – Lulu’s Pom Pom, by Pomeroy) booked her ticket to Del Mar for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint by capturing her third stakes victory in the $75,000 Hollywood Beach. Owned by Amy Dunne, Cailtin Dunne, Brenda Miley, Jean Wilkinson, Hoffman Family Racing, Tranquility Lake Farms, Maury Hamilton and Christopher Harrington, the daughter of Leinster was making her return to turf after prevailing by a nose in the $100,000 Desert Vixen. Trained by Patrick Biancone, Lennilu was purchased by Glencrest Farm for $23,000 from the Abbie Road Farm consignment at the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale. At Remington Park, trainer Danny Pish sent out Essential Time (Essential Quality-Twilight Curfew, by Twirling Candy) to victory in the $150,000 Clever Trevor Stakes. Owned by Duffy’s Racing Stable and Heider Racing Stables, Essential Time was bred by D. J. Stable and offered at the 2025 OBS April Sale where he failed to meet his reserve after breezing in :10 1/5 from the consignment of 1880 Bloodstock. At Remington Park, Everything’s Cricket Racing’s Sabalenka (Good Samaritan-Darling Daughter, by Maria’s Mon) won the $75,000 Ricks Memorial Stakes as she rallied from sixth place to gain the victory over fellow OBS grad Neom Beach. Trained by Joe Sharp, she won by 2 3/4 lengths in a time of 1:42.12 over the firm course. Sabalenka was purchased by Four Quarters at the 2022 OBS April Sale and for $35,000 from the Harris Training Center consignment after breezing in :10 1/5. So There She Was (Munnings-Risk Premium, by Take Charge Indy) highlighted the Remington Park card when she put away heavy favorite Lemon Zest to take the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. The 3-year-old filly pocketed $120,000 for owners Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis of Vista, Calif. Trained by Doug O’Neill, she was purchased by Mark Davis for $100,000 at the 2024 OBS March Sale from the Gene Recio consignment after breezing in :10 1/5. Another winner on the Oklahoma Derby Day card was Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, Gata Racing Stable and Turman Racing’s Woodstock (Yaupon-Hot Hippie, by Medaglia d’Oro) who captured the $50,000 E. L. Gaylord Memorial. The filly, trained by Michael Maker, was purchased by Maker from this year’s OBS March Sale for $100,000 from the Global Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :10 2/5.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Amanda Hernandez’s Willow Case came with a steady drive through the stretch to reel in favored Vita Mia and edge clear by three-quarters of a length to extend her win streak to three races in Friday’s $75,000 Hallandale Beach at Gulfstream Park.
Named for the city that Gulfstream has called home since it opened in 1939, the Hallandale Beach for 2-year-old fillies going a one-turn mile headlined a nine-race program to kick off September’s final weekend of the Sunshine Meet.
Ridden by Leonel Reyes for trainer Ramon Minguet, Willow Case ($8) covered a fast main track in 1:38.01 to win her second consecutive stakes following Gulfstream’s six-furlong Sharp Susan Aug. 9.
“I was very confident because she is a very professional, very focused filly,” Minguet said. “I thought that running a mile it would fit her very well. I think the longer distance is better for her than the short distance.”
Reyes had Willow Case positioned in fourth as 45-1 longshot Triple Threat led along the rail through a quarter-mile in 24.02 seconds with Sharp Susan runner-up Tessellate between horses in second and Sept. 6 maiden winner Vita Mia cruising three wide in third. Tessellate inherited the lead pressed to her outside by Vita Mia when Triple Threat began to drop back after a half in 47.19.
“This filly ran beautifully,” Reyes said. “It was the plan to sit behind the speed. I was behind two or three horses and at the eighth pole, I took her out and she finished good.” Reyes tipped Willow Case to the far outside approaching the stretch and, after Vita Mia put away Tessellate, the bay daughter of Neolithic continued to gain ground with every stride before moving up on even terms past the sixteenth pole and galloping past the wire.
“That was the plan, to stalk the pace behind the speed horses. She was running well and I was happy with her position. She closed the way I expected,” Minguet said. “In the last half-furlong I got a little worried, but at the end she responded.”
Vita Mia was second, followed by Tessellate, Dakota’s Lil Auror, That Police – who stumbled badly out of the starting gate – and Triple Threat. Reyes was encouraged with the way Willow Case galloped out in what was her fourth career race and first at a route of ground. “I think she can get more distance – a mile, a mile and an eighth, a mile and a sixteenth,” he said. “That will be OK for her.” Willow Case went off a 30-1 longshot when she ran a distant fourth behind subsequent Grade 3 winner Mythical in debut April 17, returning two weeks later to graduate by a neck at 14-1 odds going the same 4 ½-furlong distance. She went unraced until the Sharp Susan, which she won in a 27-1 upset. Friday she was the third choice in a field of six at 3-1. “We’ll see how she comes back to the barn. It’s been working for her to give her some time between races, four weeks to six weeks, and she responds to that,” Minguet said. “We’ll see in a few weeks what it looks like.
HALLANDALE BEACH - The Leinster Hollywood Beach, indeed. The nine-horse field for Saturday’s $75,000 Leinster Hollywood Beach at Gulfstream Park features three very promising offspring of red-hot freshman sire Leinster – multiple stakes-winner Lennilu, as well as stakes-placed Squire and Monster. Patrick Biancone-trained Lennilu is scheduled to make a highly anticipated return to turf in the five-furlong test for 2-year-olds after prevailing by a nose in the $100,000 Desert Vixen, the six-furlong first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series for fillies on Gulfstream’s main track. After rallying to win her 4 ½-furlong debut over a sloppy Keeneland main track on April 6, Lennilu made a highly successful transition to turf with a 3 ¾-length front-running victory in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at five furlongs at Gulfstream on May 10, earning a fees-paid berth into one of six stakes during the Royal Ascot Meet. She went on to finish third in the five-furlong, Gr. II Queen Mary before capturing the Desert Vixen. “She’s good. She has the attitude of a good horse,” Biancone said. “She doesn’t want to get beat.” The Hollywood Beach will be Lennilu’s final prep for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Oct. 31, as long as the race remains on turf. “If it comes off the turf, Lennilu will run the following weekend in Kentucky,” Biancone said. Lennilu, rated second at 2-1 on the Hollywood Beach morning line, is nominated to the $300,000 Indian Summer, a 5 ½-furlong turf event at Keeneland on Sunday, Oct. 5. Jonathan Ocasio has the return mount on Lennilu, who is owned by Amy Dunne, Caitlin Dunne, Brenda Miley, Jean Wilkinson, Hoffman Family Racing, Tranquility Lake Farms, Maury Hamilton and Christopher Harrington. Amy Dunne and Biancone are also well represented by Squire in the Hollywood Beach field. Squire, like Lennilu, has demonstrated versatility in his brief career. The 2-year-old gelding overcame bumping at the start of his 4 ½-furlong debut to win by a head at Gulfstream. He returned on turf to finish second in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile behind Sandal’s Song, who went on to finish third in the Gr. II Norfolk at Royal Ascot. Squire finished fifth on dirt last time out following a less-than-ideal trip in the $100,000 Dr. Fager, the six-furlong first leg if the FFS series. Dalila Rivera has the call on Squire, who is rated third at 9-2. Arindel’s Monster, who finished fourth and fifth in his first two career starts in Kentucky, demonstrated a distinct preference for turf while scoring a nine-length front-running victory in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream. “He really likes the turf, and he really likes the turf here,” trainer Jose D’Angelo said. “It’s not soft ground, and he really likes that.” Monster, who is favored at 9-5 on the Leinster Hollywood Beach morning line, set the pace in the 5 ½-length Skidmore on turf at Saratoga before settling for a second behind Bobrovsky, a highly- regarded Dale Romans-trained son of Daredevil. Monster’s performance in the Hollywood Beach will dictate his next start. “I’d like to go to the Breeders’ Cup,” D’Angelo said. Edgard Zayas, who was aboard Monster for his sensational maiden-breaker, returns to the saddle for the Leinster Hollywood Beach. Squire, Lennilu and Monster, all Florida-breds, will break from the three outside post positions – 7, 8 and 9, respectively.
“I like his post,” D’Angelo said. “We have to go.”
Leinster, a Rusty Arnold-trained son of Majestic Warrior, closed out his racing career with a victory in the 2021 Gr. III Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Stakes before entering stud duty at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Ocala. D’Angelo is also represented in the Hollywood Beach field by Fugget About It Racing Stables’ Itza Lock, a gelded son of Silver State who is coming off a front-running 3 ½-length maiden romp at Gulfstream in his second career start in a five-furlong maiden special weight on Tapeta. “He is really improving. That’s why I’m giving him a chance in the stakes,” D’Angelo said. Samy Camacho is scheduled to ride Itza Lock for the first time Saturday.
Daugherty Racing’s Win N Juice, a Florida-bred son of Win Win Win, figures to make his presence felt in the Hollywood Beach. After finishing sixth in his debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile, he graduated at five furlongs on turf at Gulfstream and finished second behind Hey Nay Nay in the Tyro at five furlongs on turf at Monmouth. Undefeated Hey Nay Nay went on to win the Gr. III Del Mar Juvenile Turf. The Nolan Ramsey trainee failed to menace in the Juvenile Sprint at Kentucky Downs in his most recent start.
Ramsey is also scheduled to saddle Robert Proulx’s Street Player, who is set to make his first start on turf after breaking his maiden at Gulfstream in his second career start and finishing off the board in a pair of stakes.
Miguel Vasquez has the call on Win N Juice, while Yolber Torres has the mount on Street Player.
Candido Vargas and Darinel Arguela’s The Princess Bro, a daughter of Win Win Win trained by Kevin McKathan, and Leon Ellman, Glassman Racing and Laurie Plesa’s Timeless Victory, a son of By My Standards trained by Eddie Plesa Jr., are slated to make their respective stakes debuts coming off debut maiden special weight victories. Trainer Daniel Hurtak’s Zevi’s Zone, a son of Uncle Chuck who graduated first off the claim in a $35,000 maiden claimer at five furlongs on Tapeta, rounds out the field.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Joe Bravo turned 54 during the three months he was sidelined with a broken right pinky finger, giving the journeyman rider with more than 5,700 career victories a brief glimpse into retirement. Suffice it to say, it wasn’t for him. At least not yet. “I could retire tomorrow, yes, but if you wake up and you have no purpose, it’s kind of tough,” Bravo said. “For the last quite a few years now, I’ve not tried to ride a lot of races. I want to kind of hold on to my job. By not riding a lot of races, I think I can keep my job going a lot longer. “Every day you go out, especially here at Gulfstream Park, you’ve got these maiden special weight races that come out and you never know who’s going to come out of here. I remember going back to a thing like Curlin coming down the stretch in his maiden victory. That horse was coming down the middle of the racetrack. Nobody knew who he was … and it was tomorrow’s superstar. I’m kind of hoping to team up with one of those again.” Bravo is named on Fausto Gutierrez-trained 3-year-old colt Rashid in Race 7 Friday at Gulfstream, a claiming event for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for one mile on the turf. They are rated at 4-1 on the morning line, third choice in a field of seven. On Saturday, Bravo is named to ride stakes winner Big Data for trainer Michael Lerman in the $70,000 Duke of Mischief overnight handicap and Gutierrez’s Show Off in the $75,000 Ginger Punch Handicap on the undercard of the $200,000 Princess Rooney (G3), a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). “I was off three months so it took me like two weeks I was getting on horses. I’m going to take another two weeks here at Gulfstream before I start,” Bravo said. “I only ride one race [Friday]. I want to see how it all goes. I ride two on Saturday, both stakes races. I like that. Stakes are good. “It’s all going to be touch and feel,” he added. “To be honest, in the back of my head I’m thinking, ‘I carry a stick.’ I broke my little pinky so when I go to hit, it’s going to be pretty interesting. That’s like the only question, physically, I have. It seems like, ‘it’s just a pinky,’ but that little pinky kept me out all summer.” Bravo, whose 5,719th and latest victory came June 6 at Churchill Downs, has not ridden since June 13 at Gulfstream when he was hurt following Special Aviator’s fourth-place finish as the favorite in one-mile optional claiming allowance on the grass. A seemingly minor incident turned into an unplanned summer holiday. “Everybody’s asking, ‘What happened? Where’s Joe been all summer long?’ You don’t really hear [about] it because it was pulling up after a race. I was galloping a horse out, and this game is so dangerous,” Bravo said. “It was one of those things where you don’t think you’d get injured. All of a sudden the horse stopped and she decided to go the other direction. I came off and when I went, I tried to brace myself. “They ended up having to do surgery. They put a screw in it, so all summer long I’ve been on vacation. It was kind of a nice time to step back from racing, but then I looked outside the racing world and said, ‘What [have] I miss[ed]?’ It seemed like every trip I did it was Saratoga, Del Mar, Monmouth Park. I missed racing. I was born 5-[foot]-2 for a reason. I was born for this stuff. I’m a jockey. What do you do on vacation? I visit racetracks.” Though diligent in his recovery, Bravo got a quick reminder of the demands riders face on a daily basis once he returned to the irons to gallop during morning workouts. “The first day I got o horses, I was so sore,” he said. “That was the biggest frustration for me. Ever since the surgery on the hand, I had hand physical therapy but then I was lucky enough on the off days – it was like a seven-days-a-week process – of doing personal training, too. So I kept myself halfway in shape like that, but there’s nothing like being back on a horse. “You’ve got get your timing back and you’ve got to take baby steps. When the doctor releases you, you can’t just go do it,” Bravo added. “You’ve got to do the gym to get basic [fitness], you’ve got to get the fitness on a horse, but then you’ve got to get your timing down. Turning for home, throwing the cross and getting after them. It’s a baby-step process.” The son and grandson of jockeys, Bravo rode his first race March 6, 1988 at Calder Race Course, where his first winner came 11 days later. A 13-time meet leader at Monmouth, mere miles from where he was born in Long Branch, N.J., ‘Jersey Joe’ ranks ninth among active riders in victories and 26th overall. He has earned more than $204 million in purses from 32,035 mounts. “Everyone says, ‘Joe, how did you almost win 6,000 races?’ Well, when I was younger I was a little bit more ambitious,” Bravo laughed. “I feel really bad for the younger riders coming up these days, because there’s not as much opportunity just because there’s not as much racing going on. I was blessed when I came up. I was riding day and night. Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Garden State Parkway ran at night, Meadowlands ran at night. Many times I’d ride at Belmont [Park] during the day, go over and ride Meadowlands at night, sleep in Manhattan and go do it again.”
During his down time this summer, when not working out or rehabbing Bravo did some television analysis during the Haskell (G1) program at Monmouth and also attended the prestigious yearling sales in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. “Having the summer off, it gave me the chance to think, ‘What am I going to do the day that I can’t ride any races?’ I did dabble in a little bit of commentating and stuff like that, but another kind of passion that I thought about and I would love to try to get into is bloodstock,” Bravo said. “I went to all the sales at Saratoga and everything. Looking at horses and how they develop, it’s kind of what I’ve been doing every day for 30 plus years. “When I look at a horse I kind of look at what they could kind of develop into. It’s something I’d like to dabble with,” he added. “If I could kind of mingle that in with commentary and do some bloodstock … I don’t think I could ever walk away from horse racing. Horse racing’s pretty fun. Every day you don’t know what to expect.” Winner of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) with Blue Prize and third in the 2014 Kentucky Derby (G1) aboard Danza whose first Grade 1 win came on Formal Gold in the former Donn Handicap at Gulfstream, Bravo isn’t thinking about reaching 6,000 wins or any other career milestones. “All I can do is worry about trying my best on the next horse I ride,” he said. “Hopefully we have a couple more years left to enjoy this game. You can’t put a number on anything. You never know what’s going to happen. This is a crazy world. Be appreciative of what you’ve got around you at the moment. Everything else is cherry."
David S. Romanik’s Argos (Nyquist - Athenian (IRE), by Acclamation (GB)) became a top-level winner and earned a fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) when he notched a thrilling victory in the $500,000 Summer Stakes (G1) at Woodbine Sept. 13, headlining the group of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.
Argos, trained by Riley Mott, was making his third career start in the Summer after winning his debut over 5 ½ furlongs on the Ellis Park turf in July, and then finishing third in the Soaring Free Stakes at Woodbine Aug. 16. The bay son of Nyquist was a $165,000 purchase by Romanik at this year’s OBS March Sale from the Majestic consignment after breezing in :20 3/5. “This horse breezed at OBS in :30.4 and the only other horse I’ve ever owned who did that ran in the Breeders’ Cup in 1989, so thought I had something special,” Romanik said. “We thought he was this caliber.” Saturday’s Woodbine card produced another OBS highlight as Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach – Belatrix, by Giant’s Causeway), named after WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark, got herself back in the winner’s circle with a victory in the $150,000 Ontario Matron Stakes (G3). It was the fifth win from 14 starts for the chestnut filly, who was named Canada’s champion 3-year-old female. Owned by WinStar Farm LLC, last year’s King’s Plate winner, trained by Kevin Attard, was consigned by Off the Hook to the 2023 OBS Spring Sale where she sold for $375,000 after breezing in :10 flat. At Churchill Downs Sept. 13, Khrysselv Mavarez’s Leon King Stable Corp.’s Bentornato (Valiant Minister-Her Special Way, by Put It Back), who was making his first start since his narrow loss to Straight No Chaser in last year’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), dazzled in his 4-year-old debut when he drew of for a 5 ¼-length win in the $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes. It was the fifth stakes win for the son of Valiant Minister, who is trained by Jose De’Angelo and boosted his career earnings to $1,282,180. Bentornato is a two-time OBS graduate, having been sold by Stuart Morris at the 2022 October Yearling Sale and then purchased by Champion Equine for $170,000 out of the Golden Rock Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2023 March Sale after breezing in :20 4/5. At Monmouth Park on Sept. 13, heavily favored Dripping Gold, (Lemon Drop Kid - Aurelia, by Danzig) trained by Shug McGaughey, surged late to win the $1000,000 Presious Passion by three-quarters of a length. Dripping Gold was purchased by West Point Thoroughbreds, which campaigns the gelding in partnership along with NBS Stable and Titletown Racing Stables, for $300,000 at the 2021 OBS March Sale from the consignment of Woodford Thoroughbreds after breezing in :10 1/5.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Amy Dunne and trainer Patrick Biancone’s Squire, who has shown talent on both dirt and turf in the first two starts of his career, will return to the main track Saturday for the $100,000 Dr. Fager at Gulfstream Park. The Dr. Fager, the six-furlong first leg of the 2025 Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida stallions, will co-headline Saturday’s 11-race program with the $100,000 Desert Vixen for FSS-eligible 2-year-old fillies.
Squire has been installed at 8-5 in the morning line in a field of eight on the strength of a rallying victory in his April 18 debut at 4 ½ furlongs and a runner-up finish on turf in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile, a mile turf stakes May 10 that offered the winner a fees-paid berth in a stakes during the Royal Ascot meeting in Great Britain. Sandal’s Song, who defeated Squire by 1 ½ lengths, went on to finish third in the June 19 Norfolk (G2).
“Squire is a very nice colt. He broke his maiden on dirt. The race was short for him, but he did it. Then he was a little bit too nervous when he ran in the stakes. He never settled. He was a pain in the butt to put in the gate,” Biancone said. “He went to the lead but didn’t finish. But at the end of the day, he ran a great race, because the winner nearly won the Norfolk at Ascot. He finished third.”
Squire, who has been gelded since his over-anxious second-place finish in the Royal Palm Juvenile, prepared for the Dr. Fager with a sharp three-furlong breeze from the gate in 35.70 seconds, the fastest of 22 works recorded at the distance Saturday at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. “We decided to give him time when he didn’t go to Ascot. We sent him to the farm and he got rested and he was gelded. He put on some weight,” Biancone said. “We were going to give him a prep race a month ago, but the track was so [sloppy] that day, I decided to scratch him. So, we’ve trained him for this race. He’s ready to go.”
Jonathan Ocasio will ride the son of Leinster for the first time. The Ocasio/Biancone combination was highly successful during the Royal Palm Meet that came to a close Sunday, winning 11 of 30 races for a 36-percent strike rate.
Trainer Michael Yates, who saddled undefeated Rated by Merit for a sweep of the FSS series last year, will be represented by Fourth and Central, a homebred son of Cajun Breeze. Like Squire, Fourth and Central enters the Dr. Fager off a bullet workout. He breezed four furlongs in 46.85 seconds, the fastest of 53 workouts recorded at the distance at Gulfstream Aug. 23. “He does it well within himself.…It wasn’t like we asked him to work in a bullet,” Yates said. “He was in a set and was on the outside and his instructions were to just give company with the other horse and let him gallop out strong.” Fourth and Central, who captured his 4 ½-furlong career debut May 28 for Yates’ Shadybrook Farm, is coming off a troubled fifth in the Aug. 9 Proud Man a six-furlong stakes contested over a sloppy track. "I don’t think it was the slop that compromised him. He got away just a step slow from the gate and that was almost a little bit rushed after they outbroke him a little bit. And then he kind of ran up into a trap basically,” Yates said. “He got between horses, behind horses, and he had to check really had going into the turn. He had all rights to just pack it in then, then he made another run and there was a horse backing up in front of him in the middle of the turn. It was the pacesetter, just stopping in front of him, so he had to check again.” Yates expressed reservations about Fourth and Central’s far outside post position. “I don’t like the fact that there’s nobody outside of him because I’ve had so many horses that break from the outside, 2-year-olds, that duck out,” he said. “They give up a lot of ground when they do that, they don’t leave there running straight.” Marcos Meneses has the return mount on Fourth and Central, who is 8-1 on the morning line.
Tonchs Horses’ Camigol enters the Dr. Fager off a distant third-place finish in the Aug. 2 Saratoga Special (G2). The Antonio Sano-trained son of Neolithic finished second behind Fourth in Central in his 4 ½-furlong debut after being taken up in traffic shortly after the start. He came back to graduate by 5 ½ lengths in a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight race June 26. Edwin Gonzalez, who was aboard Camigol for his first two starts, returns to the saddle the Dr. Fager. Camigol is 6-1 on the morning line.
Trainer Jose Pinchin, who saddled Three Rules for a 2016 FSS series sweep, will be represented by Trelawny in the Dr. Fager. The homebred son of Uncle Chuck, who is owned by Pinchin and Michael Bernard, debuted July 13 with a 3 ¾-length victory at the Dr. Fager distance of six furlongs. He came back to finish fourth in the Proud Man. Jose Morelos has the return call on Trelawny, who is rated second at 3-1 on the morning line.
Anthony Rogers and trainer Rohan Crichton’s All to Win will be the only other Dr. Fager starter to win at six furlongs. The son of Win Win Win enters the opening leg of the series coming off an eventful 1 ½-length debut victory Aug. 2. Emisael Jaramillo has the return call aboard All to Win, who is rated third at 4-1 on the morning line.
David Humphrey and Move Horse Inc.’s I’m Tuff Enough, The Equine Consulting’s Ristre and Stonehedge’s Jamalamadingdong round out the field.
HALLANDALE BEACH - More than 40 years ago, three-time Eclipse Award-winning owner and breeder Dan Lasater had an idea. Lasater sat down with Kenny Noe Jr., president of Calder Race Course, and suggested Calder play host to a three-pronged stakes series for 2-year-olds to promote the growing Florida breeding industry. Come Saturday, Lasater’s Florida Sire Stakes Series will celebrate its 44th running when Gulfstream Park plays host to the first leg of what is now the $1.2 million series. The 2-year-old series begins with the $100,000 Dr. Fager and Desert Vixen at six furlongs, continues with the $200,000 Affirmed and Susan’s Girl on Oct. 18 at seven furlongs, and concludes on Nov. 29, the opening weekend of the Championship Meet, with the $300,000 In Reality and My Dear Girl at 1 1/16 miles. The series has produced champions Holy Bull, Smile, Big Drama, Awesome Feather and Brave Raj along with other Gr. 1 winners Jackson Bend, Three Ringsand Mecke. Saturday’s $100,000 Dr. Fager drew a field of eight, including the likely favorite in Squire, co-owned and trained by Patrick Biancone. The gelded son of Leinster broke his maiden at first asking on the dirt going 4 ½ furlongs before finishing second on the turf in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes, a ‘Win and In’ for Royal Ascot. The gelding worked a ‘bullet’ three furlongs on Aug. 30 in :35 3/5 from the gate. Jonathan Ocasio is named to ride. Trainer Michael Yates, who swept the Sire Stakes last year with St. Elias Stable’s Rated by Merit, will saddle Fourth and Central. The Shadybrook Farm homebred son of Cajun Breeze won his debut at 4 ½ furlongs before finishing a troubled fifth in the Proud Man over a sloppy six-furlong track. Marcos Meneses will ride. Trainer Jose Pinchin will send out Trelawny, fourth in the Proud Man, while trainer Antonio Sano will saddle Camigol, a winner here at 4 ½ furlongs in his second start before finishing third in the Gr. II Saratoga Special. Edwin Gonzalez will ride. Emisael Jaramillo will ride All to Win, who won his only race at six furlongs here, while Edgard Zayas has been named on first-time starter Jamalamadingdong for trainer Jose D’Angelo. In the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies, Biancone has entered Lennilu, winner of the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies and third in Royal Ascot’s Gr. II Queen Mary. Biancone could also run Lennilu in the $1 million Untapable at Kentucky Downs on Sunday, Sept. 7. If Lennilu heads to Kentucky, Yates could have the favorite in Finding Strength, a Khozan filly owned by LNJ Foxwoods and Church Street Stables. The filly finished third in her debut here before winning at 5 ½ furlongs by 4 ¼ lengths. Yates has entered Copper Creole, a daughter of Cajun Breeze who was third in her debut at five furlongs on the turf. Leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has entered Love Like Lucy, a $300,000 daughter of Win Win Win who won her only start at six furlongs. Zayas will ride.
Saturday’s 11-race program will also include the $70,000 Mambo Meister, a mile turf event for 3-year-olds and up. The 11-horse field includes And Uwish, second in the Warrior’s Pride to Reef Runner, who was disqualified from victory Saturday in Del Mar’s Gr. III Green Flash, and Goes the Clown, who will be seeking his fourth consecutive victory.
In days gone by, the late great Jimmy Powers penned his well-read column "Nobody asked me but . ." in the New York Post and Daily News for decades. With apologies to Jimmy, here's my current version.
The NYRA betting platform uses 'Trackman' as its handicapper, with selections under every race at every track. The moron who masquerades as 'Trackman' writes 'a' whenever he's supposed to write 'an,' and 'an' whenever he's supposed to write 'a.' When he wants to say something like 'This filly is among the fastest out of the gate,' he writes 'with among.' Every time. And nobody edits his stuff.
The person who writes the graphics on the Major League Baseball telecasts always writes 'The Mets are 4 1/2 games behind 'Of' the Phillies. Of? Hard to believe.
Without a doubt, the TV graphics on the LIV Golf telecasts are the worst in sports history. Too small, confusing . . . whomever invented them should be demoted. Whomever approved them should be fired.
Without Tiger Woods, and the defection of so many popular players to LIV, the game just isn't the same. I have a hunch Tiger's getting ready to join the Champions. Turns 50 on Dec. 30.
The rectangles that show balls and strikes, and reveal how many pitches the umpires blow, should be used as the real McCoy, with the men upstairs in the booth making the correct calls, as they do with calls on the field. A bad 3 and 2 call as a strike instead of ball 4 has changed the complexion of too many games.
Putting a man on second to start extra-inning games is absurd. So is making a pitcher throw before he is ready. People paying $100 for a ticket on a Sunday afternoon aren't interested in leaving the park 20 minutes earlier.
Letting the TV announcers interview ballplayers who are out in the field during play is also absurd. Why any manager would allow it is hard to understand.
Subjecting Marion County viewers who buy Spectrum (and others) and are forced to watch the Jacksonville Jaguars every weekend is criminal. For the prices we pay, we should have Sunday Ticket for nothing, or at least a minimal fee.
If the Marion County police and sheriffs departments would station cars along highway 27 west of I-75, they would nab enough auto and motorcycle speeders to fund the city and county for years, along with saving many lives, and hospital visits. Too many 80-to-90 speeders, too many accidents.
OLDSMAR - Florida-bred horses will compete for an additional $1 million in purse money during the upcoming 2025-26 Tampa Bay Downs meet, the track’s 100th anniversary season.
The increase brings the total of additional purse money available for registered Sunshine State products to more than $2 million during the 90-day meet. The money will be allocated to all overnight races, with as much as an extra $21,000 (plus $2,000 in Florida Owner Awards) available for Florida-breds in maiden special weight and allowance races.
“We’re delighted this money has become available,” said Allison De Luca, the track’s Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “It’s a significant boost for Florida-breds and should help (increase) entries.”
The money will be paid to all Florida-bred horses finishing first, second or third in overnight races on a 70-20-10-percent basis. Florida-breds will be running for $55,000-$56,500 in all maiden special weight and allowance races.
The 2025-26 meet is scheduled to begin Wednesday, Nov. 19 and run through Sunday, May 3. Stall applications are available online at www.tampabaydowns.com and are due by Sept. 15. The first condition book will be available at www.equibase.com on Wednesday.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Velocity (Nyquist-Blast, by Harlan’s Holiday) stormed through the stretch at Del Mar to upset the field in the Gr. I, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks, earning her first graded stakes victory and leading the slate of stakes-winning OBS grads. The lightly-raced daughter of Nyquist proved a half-length best at the wire in what was only her fifth lifetime start, striking to the front inside the sixteenth pole and having enough in the tank to hold off the fast-closing Lush Lips and favored Thought Process. “She’s had a wonderful couple of weeks down here,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “She was on her toes in a great way walking around the paddock, coming out through the tunnel. I liked everything I saw today.” Velocity was purchased by her owners for $75,000 from the Two Oaks Equine consignment at the 2024 OBS March Sale after breezing in :10 1/5. Earlier in the day, Al and Bill Ulwelling’s Mansetti (Collected-Gidget Girl, by Sky Mesa) delivered an upset of his own in the 166th running of The King’s Plate, the $1 million Canadian classic at Woodbine. Bred by Jungle Racing, Mansetti crossed the wire 2 ½ lengths in front under heady handling from rising star Pietro Moran and for champion trainer Kevin Attard.
“He showed a lot of talent from a young age, and I really thought he was going to be a good horse, but he just got so kind of keen and eager as a baby that you didn’t think he’d stretch out. Luckily for us, he matured nicely over the wintertime,” Attard said. Mansetti was a $40,000 purchase by his owners from the 2024 OBS April Sale from the Eddie Woods consignment after breezing in :20 4/5.
At Monmouth Park, Respect the Valley's Dazzling Dame (Girvin - Awesome Dama, by Corinthian) earned her second victory in as many starts when she captured the $100,000 Sorority Stakes by two lengths. Trained by Brittany Russell, the daughter of Girvin was purchased by her owners for $45,000 at the 2025 OBS March Sale from the Richardson Bloodstock consignment after breezing in :21 flat. She was previously sold to Tahoe Bloodstock from the Hare Hill Farm consignment for $65,000 at the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale.
At Gulfstream Park, Blue Boy Racing and Matty Dan Racing’s Vincey Girl (Race Day-Gracious, by Elusive Quality) used a patient stalk-and-pounce trip to capture the $75,000 Sheer Drama Handicap. The 4-year-old daughter of Race Day earned her first stakes win. She was purchased by Pro Racing Stable for $40,000 from the On the Run Sales consignment at the 2023 OBS June Sale after breezing in : 21.
At Prairie Meadows, Sandeep Patel’s Ritzaphena (Lexitonian - Ritz And Glitz, by Desert Party) remained unbeaten in two starts and became the first stakes-winner for her sire when she rallied for a 1 1/4-length win the $100,000 Prairie Meadows Debutante. Trained by Jayde Gelner, Ritzaphena was purchased by Scott Gelner for $75,000 at the 2025 OBS April sale from the consignment of SGV Thoroughbreds after breezing in :10 1/5.
At Thistledown, Crown the Buckeye (Yaupon - Feisty Tomboy, by Unbridled's Song) powered to a 12 ¼-length victory in the $100,000 Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes. Owned by Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher and Hooties Racing, and trained by Mike Maker, the son of Yaupon was purchased by Sean S. Perl Bloodstock for $250,000 from the Grassroots Training & Sales consignment at the 2025 OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 flat.
Baoma Corp’s Himika (Curlin-Motivated Seller, by Into Mischief), the 1-5 favorite in a field of six fillies at Del Mar, made a successful step up in class when she captured the six-furlong, $150,500, Gr. III Sorrento Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths, becoming one of two OBS grads to earn graded victories over the weekend. The bay daughter of Curlin won her second race in as many starts, covering the distance in 1:10.61 for trainer Bob Baffert, who won the race for the ninth time. “She took care of business in the stretch,” jockey Juan Hernandez said. She was purchased by her owners for $900,000 at this year’s OBS April Sale from the de Meric Sales consignment after breezing in :9 4/5. A day earlier at Del Mar, Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Desert Gate (Omaha Beach-Theogony, by Curlin) cruised to an 8 ¾ length victory in $150,000, Gr. III Best Pal Stakes over a field of five. Like Himika, the colt was handled by the meet’s leading rider, Juan Hernandez, and gave trainer Bob Baffert his 12th victory in the race. Desert Gate had scored by 2 ¼ lengths in his racing debut in June at Santa Anita. “It’s nice to see these horses develop like this,” Baffert told Del Mar publicity. Gate was purchased by his owners for $260,000 at the 2025 OBS March Sale from the Navas Equine consignment after breezing in :9 4/5. Other OBS grads who earned stakes wins during the week included Green With MV Stable’s Diciassette (Mitole-Im a Dixie Diva, by Henny Hughes), who accelerated through the lane to go on to a one-length victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Proud Man at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Patrick Biancone, Diciassette was making his second career start. Fellow OBS grad Khon Han, who broke last and trailed the field in the early stages, made a dramatic late run to be second, two lengths ahead of another OBS grad in Wine Candy. A son of Mitole, Diciassette was purchased for $34,000 by Superfine from the Abbie Road Farm at the 2024 OBS October Yearling Sale. At Colonial Downs, JR Ranch and MyRacehorse’s Reputation (Bolt d’Oro-Final Reward, by Arch) captured the $100,000 Tyson Gilpin Stakes by 6 ¾ lengths. Trained by Gustavo Delgado, Reputation bested a field that saw fellow OBS grad G W’s Girl finish third. Reputation was purchased by de Meric Sales for $135,000 from the Kaizen Sales consignment at the 2023 OBS October Yearling Sale. At Canterbury Park, Valene Farms’ Carson Bay (Midshipman - Karakorum Fugitive, by Ten Most Wanted) captured the $75,000 Minnesota Oaks, setting all the fractions before drawing away to win by 5 1/2 lengths. Trained by Gary Scherer, Carson Bay was purchased for $70,000 by Murray Valene at the 2024 OBS March Sale from the consignment of Niall Brennan Stables after galloping during the under-tack show.
At Assiniboia on Aug. 4, Attack (Munnings - Ammannati (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)) earned the win in the $125,750 Manitoba Derby after heavy favorite Take Charge Tom, who crossed the finish line first, was disqualified for interference shortly after leaving the gate, as a result of four different claims of foul, two by jockeys and two by trainers. The son of Munnings is trained by Craig Robert Smith and owned by a partnership that includes Highfield Investment Group, Inc., Dialed In Racing Stable, Bruce Appleyard, Jamie Graham, Lucky Diamonds Racing, Smokin Guns Stable, James and Robert Bauder, and John and Leslie O’Neill. Attack was purchased for $300,000 at the 2024 OBS March Sale by D. J. Stable from the Ocala Stud consignment after breezing in :21 2/5. At Hastings, Peter Redekop’s Avana (Vino Rosso-Revealing Moment by After Market) drew clear late for the victory in the $50,000 BC Cup Distaff Handicap for trainer Barbara Heads. She was purchased by Mike Ryan, agent, for $150,000 at the 2023 OBS March Sale from consignor Cary Frommer after breezing in :10 2/5.
HALLANDALE BEACH - A pair of upcoming Group 1 turf stakes at Goodwood Racecourse in England will earn the winners an automatic berth on the 2026 Pegasus World Cup Day program January 24 at Gulfstream Park. The one-mile Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes for 3-year-olds and up July 30 will serve as a qualifier for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), while the 1 ¼-mile Visit Qatar Nassau Stakes for fillies and mares 3 and older is a qualifier for the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2). Held in late January on a card headlined by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) for older horses on dirt, the Pegasus Turf is contested at 1 1/8 miles and the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf run at 1 1/16 miles. Among 26 entries for the Sussex is millionaire Carl Spackler, a winner of eight of 12 races in the U.S. including three Grade 1 stakes before being sold privately to China’s Yulong Investments to race overseas. Carl Spackler made his first two career starts at Gulfstream, the second a maiden triumph in February 2023. He was sixth in the June 17 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) in his European debut. The Nassau drew 22 horses including Crimson Advocate, who parlayed a win in Gulfstream’s 2023 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies to a next-out triumph in the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot. She has remained in Europe since returning to Royal Ascot last summer, winning the Conqueror Stakes May 3 at Goodwood and most recently finishing third in the Falmouth Stakes (G1) July 11 at Newmarket. European-based horses have made their mark in the Pegasus Turf since its debut in 2019. Magic Wand ran second in both 2019 and 2020 before Warm Heart captured the 2024 edition in a track-record time of 1:44.45 in the finale of her esteemed career. Both Irish-bred mares were facing males for trainer by Aidan O’Brien. Connections Weigh Options for G2-Placed Anna’s Promise Bell Racing’s Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) runner-up Anna’s Promise, scratched as the program favorite from the July 12 Azalea, is being brought along slowly as trainer Carlos David seeks the next spot for his star 3-year-old filly. Claimed out of a Feb. 5 maiden win at Gulfstream, Anna’s Promise has worked twice since her most recent start, when she was third of four horses behind Grade 1-placed Take Charge Milady and 2024 champion 2-year-old filly champion Immersive in the 1 1/16-mile Monomoy Girl June 14 at Churchill Downs. Most recently, Anna’s Promise went a half mile in 49.10 seconds July 6 on the main track at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. David opted to give her some more time before breezing her back this weekend. She worked the week before [the Azalea] and I didn’t like the way she came out of it,” he said. “She left some feed and she wasn’t 100 percent, so we took a step back. It was the right thing to do. She’s doing good now.” Bell Racing’s William Belford spent $50,000 to claim Anna’s Promise after she finished second twice in five prior starts. She stretched out to two turns to win a March 6 optional claiming allowance next time out and earn her a shot in the Gulfstream Park Oaks, where she ran behind front-running Five G.
From there Anna’s Promise took on the country’s best in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), running fifth at odds of 29-1 as millionaire Good Cheer extended her unbeaten streak to seven races. Among the horses finishing behind Anna’s Promise were multiple graded-stakes winners La Cara and Quietside; Grade 1-placed subsequent Iowa Oaks winner Quickick; Virginia and next-out Delaware Oaks (G3) winner Fondly; Gazelle (G3) winner Ballerina d’Oro; Take Charge Milady and Fantasy (G2) runner-up Simply Joking.
“She ran a respectable race,” David said. “It was definitely a great experience. I was there with my family and we had a great time. The owners were happy to be there, so it was all good.” Anna’s Promise stayed in Kentucky for the Monomoy Girl, finding herself on the lead through six furlongs in 1:12.10 until being overtaken by the top two entering the stretch and tiring through the lane under jockey Luis Saez, who had been up for both her allowance win and the Gulfstream Park Oaks. “The last race it was a four-horse field and I felt like Luis just kind of forgot there was only four horses and when they loaded the fourth horse, he was still getting ready when they opened the doors,” David said. “She missed the break a little bit and kind of rushed up and ended up getting tired at the end. She’s good. She’ll be back.” David has nothing picked out yet for Anna’s Promise but is keeping an eye on the calendar. David entered her in a Thursday allowance at Parx that serves as a prep for the one-mile, 70-yard Cathryn Sophia there Aug. 19, but said he was unlikely to run. A strong possibility is the seven-furlong Audubon Oaks Aug. 10 at Ellis Park, David said. Among other upcoming spots are the Test (G1) Aug. 2 at Saratoga and Charles Town Oaks (G2) Aug. 22, both also at seven furlongs, and six-furlong Prioress (G2) Aug. 30 at Saratoga. “We’ve been trying to look at our options. It’s kind of limited with 3-year-old fillies right now here,” David said. “We were thinking about running her [in the Azalea] and then going back up north, but that didn’t work out so now we have to go back to the drawing board. “There’s the Test in Saratoga but that’s a Grade 1 and it might be a little too tough for her,” he added. “I like her going seven-eighths, but there’s other options. Some of these tracks have those Oaks races around so we might go in one of those again.” Sovereignty in Jim Dandy (G2) Saturday, Next Mandatory Rainbow 6 Payout Aug. 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner, Sovereignty, winner of the Fountain of Youth (G2) and second in the Florida Derby (G1) this winter, faces four others Saturday in Saratoga’s Jim Dandy (G2). Fans can watch and wager on all of Saratoga’s races at Gulfstream throughout the summer…The next mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 will be Sunday, Aug. 3…Gulfstream’s weekend begins with Edgard Zayas leading all jockeys with 80 wins. Emisael Jaramillo is 20 wins behind…Saffie Joseph Jr. leads all trainers with 43 wins. Jose D’Angelo is second with 36 and Carlos David is third with 34…Ken Ramsey is currently the leading owners with 11 victories, followed by Amaty Racing with 10 and Arindel with nine. Arindel is leading all owners in money won.
HALLANDALE BEACH - The $200,000, Gr. III Princess Rooney Invitational, a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ event, will highlight the 2025 Sunshine Meet stakes schedule of 17 races worth $1.625 million in purses at Gulfstream Park. The seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares, which offers the winner a fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar, will be renewed Sept. 20. Last year, Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Soul of an Angel captured the Princess Rooney by 3 ¼ lengths before going on to rally from last to prevail in the seven-furlong Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint by a half-length at Del Mar. Michael McCarthy-trained Ce Ce won the 2021 Princess Rooney before going on to score in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar. Ce Ce returned to Gulfstream to win the 2022 Princess Rooney, but was unsuccessful in her defence of her Breeders’ Cup title at Keeneland. Both Soul of an Angel and Ce Ce were honored with the Champion Female Sprinter Eclipse Award after winning the Princess Rooney and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. The stakes action for the Sunshine Meet (Sept. 5 through Nov. 23) will be kicked off by the first leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds, Florida-breds. The $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager, a six-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds, and the $100,000 FSS Desert Vixen, a six-furlong dash for juvenile fillies, will be run on Sept. 6. FSS action will resume Oct. 18 with the $150,000 FSS Affirmed, a seven-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds, and the $150,000 FSS Susan’s Girl, a seven-furlong stakes for juvenile fillies.
The $100,000 Gil Campbell Memorial, a mile stakes for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up, will also be featured on the Oct. 18 program. Campbell, the late president of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, owned Stonehedge Farm South in Williston, FL with his wife Marilyn, who is still very much active in breeding and owning Florida-breds. Seven stakes are scheduled to be conducted on a turf course that is currently undergoing renovation. The $75,000 Bob Umphrey Sprint, a five-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up, and the $75,000 Ginger Punch, a mile stakes for fillies and mares, will kick off the turf stakes action on the Princess Rooney Invitational undercard on Sept. 20.
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.” . 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.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Trainer Victor Barboza Jr. visited the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle following the $75,000 Back as expected, not with the previously undefeated 1-5 favorite, Here Comes Francis, but with 25-1 outsider Mati Gol. “The horse that won was a surprise at 25-1, but for me, the horse wasn’t a big surprise,” Barboza said. “The horse has been improving all the time.”
Here Comes Francis, who won his first two career starts in commanding front-running fashion, again went right to the front in the Carry Back, a seven-furlong test for 3-year-olds. He went on to set blistering fractions of :21.80 and :43.99 during the first half-mile over a sealed sloppy track, opening up on his five rivals by four lengths under Emisael Jaramillo. Meanwhile, Mati Gol settled far back in fourth under Jose Morelos along the backstretch. While the sizzling pace would prove to be the undoing of Here Comes Francis, it certainly benefited late-running Mati Gol, who accelerated on the far turn while hugging the rail before swinging to the outside entering the stretch. Here Comes Francis had no answer for the fresh legs that carried Mati Gol to a commanding 3 ½-length victory. “The race set up perfect. I was riding the horse the way the trainer told me – to stay off the speed. In the stretch, the horse came on strong on the outside to win the race. That was the plan, and we surprised everyone,” Morelos said. “The favorite was going very fast, so I was happy the pace was extremely fast. My horse was relaxed in the back of the pack, and I knew it was perfect for him to close.”
The Tiny Equestrian Group’s Mati Gol, who had finished a late-closing third in the five-furlong Roar on turf last time out, ran seven furlongs in 1:23.25. Insurmountable closed from off the pace to finish second, 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Forged Steel, who nosed out a tired Here Comes Francis for third. Mati Gol ($59.80) often ran into trouble while winning one of his first five starts but couldn’t have gotten a better trip than he received under a hot-riding Morelos. Here Comes Francis, a $250,000 2024 OBS April purchase, overcame early bumping to grab control of his March 15 Gulfstream debut and went on to score a 1 ½-length victory over next-out winner Pursuitneversleeps, earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure while running six furlongs in 1:09 2/5. He came right back to run away with a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance April 26 at Tampa Bay Downs by a handy 5 ¼ lengths. Both victories came over fast tracks. “It’s too soon to have an analysis of his race. Was it the sloppy track, the 43-second half, the no Lasix? All very important,” Barboza said. “I need to check on the horse tomorrow.”
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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1/ST joins the entire Thoroughbred community in mourning the loss of Hall of Fame legend D. Wayne Lukas. With a career that spanned seven decades and redefined excellence, Wayne stood as a true icon of the sport. Throughout his storied career, Wayne’s notable accomplishments included: 20 Breeders’ Cup victories including the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park with Cat Thief. 15 Triple Crown race winners including seven Preakness Stakes triumphs Four Santa Anita Derby wins at Santa Anita Park Two Florida Derby wins at Gulfstream Park
In 2024, at 88 years old, he became the oldest trainer ever to win a Triple Crown race, securing the 149th Preakness Stakes with Seize the Grey.
Beyond the victories and trophies, Mr. Lukas inspired generations with his relentless work ethic, sharp eye for talent, and unwavering belief in what was possible. His legacy lives on not only in the horses he trained and the records he broke, but also in the many horsemen and women he mentored and elevated along the way Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and the countless lives he touched. Though we’ve lost a legend, the sport he shaped remains richer for his presence, and his rich legacy will endure.
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.
Six years after his sire stepped foot in the OBS sales pavilion and set his high-level career into motion, a son of Yaupon took his own turn in the ring at the 2025 OBS June Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale - and departed with a highlight moment of his own. The opening session of the OBS June sale showcased both market strength and the demand for one its most famous graduates. Hip 104, a dark bay or brown colt by Grade 1 winner and Spendthrift stallion Yaupon, sold to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. for $300,000 to lead the first day of the final major 2-year-old sale of the year, which posted gains in average and median. With a stakes winner already to his credit, Yaupon – who sold at the 2019 OBS June Sale - has gotten off to hot start in his burgeoning stud career. The same precocity he showcased as a juvenile has shown itself in his offspring thus far with the session-topping colt the latest example of such. Out of the winning mare After the Party, by OBS grad Into Mischief, the Yaupon colt was originally entered in the OBS March Sale where he breezed in :9 4/5 but had a minor ankle issue. He duplicated that effort during the under-tack show for June, covering an eighth in :9 4/5 once more for consignor Julie Davies. “We came up here expecting him to sell well,” said Davies. “How well, you don’t know but he did have plenty of action. A lot of people liked his breeze and liked him on the shank. He’s very classy so he came out like he owns the place. He’s got a good mind to him, and he just presents himself well.” From the female family of Grade 1 winners Callback, Girolamo, and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver, the Yaupon colt first caught Joseph’s eye back in March and the Grade 1 winning trainer was grateful for the opportunity to add him to his barn. “If I like them, I buy them and then I worry about selling them after,” Joseph said. “I had seen this horse in March and obviously, he worked fast there. He came back and duplicated it and for me, if he can duplicate that time, that means you’re pretty good.” The opening session got off to a strong start when Hip 35, a bay son of Constitution consigned by Cortez Racing & Sales, sold for $280,000 to Sleeper Thoroughbreds & Full of Run Racing LLC. Out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Traffic Blimp, the colt is a half-brother to graded stakes-placed winners Allworthy and Miss Mattie B and is from the female family of multiple Grade 1 winner Bellafina. The colt galloped during the under-tack show. “He’s a super nice horse. We brought him here in April and he bruised his foot in a workout,” said Alex Cortez of Cortez Racing & Sales. “But everyone was on him. I did the right thing for the horse, I gave him time off and he came over here and I told everyone about him. Thank God everyone listened. (The price) was not surprising, because I know how good he is.” Two youngsters posted the day’s third highest price: Hip 120, a chestnut colt by Munnings consigned by Paul Sharp, and Hip 410, a bay colt by Twirling Candy consigned by Tom McCrocklin, both of whom sold for $250,000. The Munnings colt, who breezed in :10 1/5, was purchased by trainer Dallas Stewart on behalf of John Hall. The colt is out of the Tapit mare Amagansett and is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner and OBS grad Tenma. The son of Twirling Candy, who worked in :20 4/5, was purchased by Case Clay Thoroughbred Management. He is out of the Speightstown mare Brooke and Emory, who is out of multiple Grade 1 winner Hard Not to Like. Hip 421, a dark bay or brown colt by Charlatan consigned by Wavertree Stables, elicited the next highest price when he sold for $240,000 to JPM Bloodstock. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the winning Scat Daddy mare Elandess, who is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Peace Achieved. Hip 399, a chestnut colt by Gun Runner consigned by Top Line Sales, brought the session’s fifth highest price when he was purchased for $220,000 by Salli Foushee. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the graded stakes winning After Market mare Volcat and is a half-brother to graded stakes placed winner Dream Friend, an OBS grad.
The session saw a total of 11 horses sell for $150,000 or more including:
Hip 390, a chestnut colt by Midshipman consigned by Top Line Sales who sold for $170,000 to Sean S. Perl Bloodstock LLC. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the Gemologist mare The Girls, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Wink. The colt is a three-quarter sibling to Wink.
Hip 50, a bay colt by Vekoma consigned by Envision Equine who sold for $160,000 to Robert Hess Jr. The colt, who breezed in :10 1/5, is out of the Yes It’s True mare Twelve Jewels, a half-sister to Canadian champion Inglorious and graded stakes winner Dixie Strike.
Hip 174, a chestnut colt by Tiz the Law consigned by Navas Equine who sold for $160,000 to D. J. Stable. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the winning Bernstein mare Blake’s Magic, who is a half-sister to Canadian champion Mobil.
Hip 16, a dark bay or brown colt by Caracaro consigned by Global Thoroughbreds who sold for $150,000 to Tonja Terranova, agent. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the Purge mare Texas to a Tee and is a half-brother to graded stakes winner Mississippi Delta.
Hip 125, a dark bay or brown colt by Rock Your World who sold for $150,000 to Jim Divito. Consigned by Cardozo’s Brothers, the colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of winning, stakes-placed Tribal Rule mare Anniversary Kitty. The strong returns yielded by the 2-year-old market this season added another notch to its belt Tuesday. The overall gross came in at $9,758,500 from 222 head sold while the average improved from $37,755 last year to $43,957 this session. The median came in $26,000, up from $20,000 one year ago.
The sale is being held over two days compared to last year’s auction which took place over three sessions. “Good solid day,” said Tod Wojciechowski, Director of Sales for OBS. “It felt like horses were moving and changing hands and there was good depth of buyers. Given the strength of the market coming in, we were hopeful and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.” Top Line Sales led all consignors by gross with 12 head sold for $832,000. C.H.P.R was the leading buyer with 32 purchased for $422,500.
HALLANDALE BEACH - Monster lived up to his name today at Gulfstream Park, graduating by nine lengths with a sizzling gate-to-wire performance in a five-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-olds on turf. The Jose D’Angelo-trained colt also continued the impressive early-season success of Pleasant Acres' first-crop sire Leinster, while cutting out fractions of :20.82 and :43.21 seconds for the first half mile on his way to a final clocking of :55.14 under Edgard Zayas. Arindel’s Monster was making his third career start and his first on turf. He debuted at Keeneland with a troubled fourth-place finish at 4 ½ furlongs on April 7 at Keeneland. The Florida-bred colt showed speed while prompting the pace before fading to sixth in the five-furlong Kentucky Juvenile on May 1 at Churchill Downs. Monster, the 7-10 favorite in a field of eight, prepared for the stellar effort with a five-furlong breeze in 33 seconds on the turf at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. “I really liked this horse from Day 1 – that’s why I brought him to Kentucky. He didn’t run the way I was expecting,” D’Angelo said. “I said, ‘Lets bring the horse back to Florida and work him on the grass.’ The horse worked in 33, showing he’s 100-percent grass.” Leinster was 100-percent grass, himself, winning four graded-stakes on turf, including his career finale in the 2021, Gr. III Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint. The Rusty Arnold-trained son of Majestic Warrior had finished third in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in his prior start. Leinster is also the sire of Lennilu, who captured the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, and Squire, the runner-up in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile, on the Gulfstream Park turf course. Leinster stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Morriston, where his 2025 stud fee was $2,500. Mandatory Rainbow 6 Payout Set for Sunday The 20-cent Rainbow 6 went unsolved at Gulfstream Park Thursday on the second racing day
following Sunday’s jackpot hit for $185,237.
A mandatory payout of the pool is scheduled for Sunday. Should the multi-race wager go unsolved
until Sunday, the pool is expected to grow to an estimated $750,000.
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.
Ocala - Mystic Lake has been named the 2024 Florida-bred Horse of the Year in a vote by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association board of directors and announced at the FTBOA Awards Gala held Monday night at the Circle Square Cultural Center. Bred by Peggy Costanzo and owned by C2 Racing Stable and Stefania Farms, Mystic Lake was also named the Florida-bred Champion 3-Year-old Filly and Florida-bred Champion Female Sprinter after winning the Gr. II Charles Town Classic, Gr. III Miss Preakness at Pimlico, Sugar Swirl (Listed) at Gulfstream Park and Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies at Tampa Bay Downs. Costanzo was also presented the Needles Award, recognizing the Small Breeder of the Year in Florida. The Florida Breeder of the Year goes to Marilyn Campbell’s Stonehedge Farm, which boasts earnings of $2,929,004 from 33 wins, 67 seconds and 67 thirds in 601 starts. This is the fifth time Stonehedge has been recognized as the Breeder of the Year, also being honored in 1997, 2013, 2016 and 2023. Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation was named the leading owner of Florida-breds by earnings with $1,683,452 from 31 wins, 25 seconds and 18 thirds. This is the seventh time Live Oak has earned the title, previously topping the standings in 2011, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Live Oak took home the trophy as the owner of Champion Older Male and Champion Male Turf Horse, Forever Souper. For a record fifth consecutive year, Khozan is Florida Stallion of Year with progeny earnings of $5,679,578. He earned the titles in 2020 ($3,521,813), 2021 ($3,671,794), 2022 ($4,513,950) and 2023 ($6,292,158). Khozan passes Montbrook (2002, 2003, 2008, 2009) and Wildcat Heir (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014) with four titles each going back to 1991. Khozan stood the 2024 season at Journeyman Stud and for the 2025 season he's at Ocala Stud. Khozan was represented by three stakes-winners and his leading earner with $144,897 was Wildwood Bye. He is property of Al Shaqab Racing and Stonehedge. Ocala Stud’s Win Win Win is the leading freshman sire and leading juvenile sire with progeny earnings of $797,233. His leading money earner with $218,950 was multiple stakes-winner Win N Your In. He is also represented by graded stakes-winner Nooni ($212,400), the Florida-bred Champion 2-Year-Old Filly. Win Win Win is property of Live Oak Stud, Brereton Jones and Ocala Stud. Other Florida-bred Champions recognized are 2-Year-Old Male Rated by Merit, Bentornato the 3-Year-Old Male and Male Sprinter; Spirit Wind Older Female, and Female Turf Horse, Dancing N Dixie. Points of Grace, the dam of Florida-bred Arthur’s Ride, winner of the Gr. I Whitney at Saratoga Race Course, is the Florida Broodmare of the Year. She is currently owned by Joe and Helen Barbazon, owners of Pleasant Acres Stallions in Morriston, who bred Arthur’s Ride with the Tapit Syndicate. The Joseph M. O’Farrell Memorial Award presented by Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company went to Tom McCrocklin and Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield, consignors of Florida-bred Horse of the Year Mystic Lake. Summerfield consigned her at the 2022 OBS October Yearling Sale while McCrocklin sold her at the 2023 OBS March Sale. Saffie Joseph Jr. is honored as the leading trainer of Florida-breds by black-type wins (10), total wins (83) and Florida-bred earnings ($3,446,942.)
HALLANDALE BEACH - Lennilu, owned by Amy Dunne, Caitlin Dunne, Brenda Miley, Jean Wilkinson, Hoffman Family Racing, Tranquility Lake Farm, Maury Harrington and Christopher Harrington, punched her ticket to Royal Ascot in impressive fashion, overcoming some early trouble to romp by 3 ¾ lengths as the favorite in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream Park. The race co-headlined the program with the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile, both sprinting five furlongs on the grass. Each race winner earns an automatic berth in one of six juvenile stakes during the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in mid-June, plus a $25,000 travel stipend. “The plan is Royal Ascot as long as she is healthy and everything goes right,” winning trainer Patrick Biancone said. “But I don’t see why it would be a problem.” With two-time Championship Meet leading rider Luis Saez in town for the race, Lennilu ($3.60) completed the distance in :56.99 seconds over a firm turf course. It was her second race following a one-length debut triumph going 4 ½ furlongs over a sloppy main track on April 6 at Keeneland. “Luis loved her from the day he rode her at Keeneland. He said he wanted to ride her at Ascot and I said, ‘Easy, we have to do one stop at Gulfsteam first,’” Biancone said. “She’s a machine. She’s very relaxed. She traveled to Keeneland, it was bad weather. She shed-rowed two days, jogged one day and ran like a monster,” Biancone said. “The father [Leinster] was a very good sprinter on turf so I had a lot of confidence in her coming into this race. The plan all along was to get to Ascot. That’s why so many partners joined in for that trip.” Saturday’s race saw Wesley Ward-trained Satisfied Mind, a 3 ¼-length winner of her April 16 unveiling at Keeneland, break running and establish the early lead after an opening quarter-mile in :22.03 seconds. Lennilu, who bumped with Satisfied Mind at the break, pressed in second joined by 50-1 shot Le Sunshine to her immediate outside in third. The half-mile went in :45.25 seconds as Lennilu came off the far turn racing two wide to take over the top spot and powered through the lane to separate from her rivals while under a hold from Saez. Bibi Dahl, a $1.35 million yearling making her first start, got up for second, 3 ¾ lengths ahead of Strada Del Sogno in third. “She’s a very nice filly,” Saez said. “She broke from there well [and] put herself in a good position. At the top of the stretch she was a little green first time on turf, but she’s got a lot of ability. I had a lot of horse at the end. I was pretty confident after I rode at Keeneland. She won that race very professionally. I had a lot of horse left that day, too. Now I’m looking forward to going to Ascot. That’s why we came here today.”
The connections are hoping to follow in the footsteps of inaugural Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies winner Crimson Advocate, who used the race as a steppingstone to victory in the 2023, Gr. II Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot for trainer George Weaver and jockey John Velazquez. “We were on the one hand very confident, because all the horses she beat at Keeneland won their next start, but that makes you a bit anxious, too,” Biancone said. “She’s a baby, but she will learn. She was a little bit green coming to the stretch, but she’s learning and, hopefully, she’ll be even better in six weeks.”
Aside from half the field having received their early training at Ocala farms, here are the Kentucky Derby entrants who have current Marion County ties.
1. Citizen Bull (Into Mischief). Has 10 owners, one of them Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stable, which owns a branch in Summerfield.
2. Neoequos (Florida-bred by Neolithic). Bred at Pleasant Acres Stallions by the farm's owners, Joe and Helen Barbazon, in partnership with Matalona Thoroughbreds.
4. (Scratched). Rodriguez (Not This Time). Same 10 owners as Citizen Bull, including Stonestreet Stables.
8. Journalism (3-1, by Curlin). Has 5 owners, including Ocala's Bridlewood Farm (John & Leslie Malone).
15. Render Judgment (Blame). Trained by Ken McPeek, owner of the Summerfield Training Center.
17. Sandman (Tapit). Trained by Ocalan Mark Casse, owner of the Casse Training Center.