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.

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