Pair of Winners Send Neolithic Past $900,000

Another pair of very impressive scores on Thursday by a filly and a gelding, and Neolithic now has 20 winners in 2024; he’s almost a cinch to become the fourth active Florida stallion to reach $1 million in progeny earnings in the first five months of the season.

KIP THE DISTANCE – The 2-year-old filly had broken her maiden in her second start at Gulfstream Park after she turned in a smart second-place finish in her May 2 debut. Owned, bred and trained by Angel Rodriguez, Thursday she left from the rail in the $65,000 maiden special at 4 1/2 furlongs, tracked the leaders while under a strong hold down the backstretch, then squeezed through a small opening on the inside down the lane and won by a length.

Kip the Distance was clocked in :53.33, paid $6.80, and earned a check for $40,000, boosting her two-race total to $50,800. Neolithic’s progeny earnings stand at $919,305.

GHOST BIKE – The 4-year-old gelding scored his second victory of 2024, drawing off in the stretch at Belterra Park after tracking the leader from the outset, taking over the top spot on the turn, and going on to win by 3 1/4 lengths. The $32,000 OBS March 2-year-old bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds, Geoff Roy and Tom Fitzgerald paid $3.80 after getting a mile and a sixteenth in 1:47.48 and collected a check for $6,175. He sports a record of 3-1-4 in 20 starts with earnings of $46,348.