A profitable day for Neolithic

Neolithic enjoyed a fruitful day at four tracks around the country on Sunday, highlighted by a pair of seconds in $110,000 stakes on the Festival Cup program at Tampa Bay Downs. The total amount of purse money earned was $82,060, and it moved Neolithic up to fifth place on Florida’s general sire list at $497,734.

PREVENT — At odds of 7/2, the 3-year-old colt led all the way in the Equistaff Sophomore Turf Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth on the grass, and was nailed in deep stretch by Live Oak Stud’s even-money favorite, Crystal Quest. Prevent finished three-quarters of a length behind, and collected a check for $20,000, raising his career total to $142,460 on a record of 2-4-0 in 10 starts.

IF NOT FOR LUCK – The 5-year-old horse finished well under Jesus Rios in the six-furlong NYRA Bets Sprint Stakes, finishing second at odds of 12-1. The race went in 1:09.82. If Not For Luck had won his previous two races, and the $20,000 check boosted his earnings to $128,600 on a record of 3-2-2 in nine tries.

TRUMPETS – The 3-year-old filly was making her second start at Gulfstream Park after a second-place finish in her debut. She went wire-to-wire under Edgar Perez in a $50,000 maiden optional claimer at five furlongs, putting up sizzling fractions of :21.73 and :44.17 and scoring by 5 3/4 lengths in the near track-record time of :55.36 – the record is :54.89. She paid $3.60, and the $30,000 winner’s check increased her two-race total to $40,430.

SHORT STRAW – After seven starts without winning, the 4-year-old filly bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds made it two victories in a row with a 2 3/4-length, wire-to-wire score at Hawthorne, getting five furlongs in :58.82 under Israel Hernandez. She paid $5.80, collected $6,600 and became Neolithic’s 14th winner of 2024.

MY BROTHER MIKE/MISTER ABARRIO – My Brother Mike finished fourth in a maiden claiming race at Oaklawn and added $1,500 to the day’s take. Mister Abarrio was third at Gulfstream at 1 1/16-miles on the Tapeta course in a race that came off the grass. He earned $3,960 and was claimed out of the race for $35,000.