Bernie Dickman

There were just a few similarities between the victories posted by two veteran runners yesterday that catapulted Gone Astray up one spot into sixth place on Florida’s leading sire list with 2022 progeny earnings of $1,247,804. Both begin with a ‘W’ – World Gone Wild and Wink and a Nod – and both broke a little slowly, rushed into contention early on the backstretch. took the lead going to the first quarter, then drew off to score handily without being threatened. World Gone Wild cruised to the wire by 3 1/2 lengths, Wink and a Nod by 3 3/4.

The differences in the duo were many: World Gone Wild is a 4-year-old filly who was going five furlongs over the turf course at Parx Racing; Wink and a Nod is a 6-year-old gelding who went six furlongs over the main track at Mountaineer Casino & Resort.

The purse for World Gone Wild at Parx, which is supported by a casino, was $46,000, and the winner’s check for $27,600 raised her career total to $247,725 on a record of 9-3-1 in 25 starts. She received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 87. Despite the presence of the casino at Mountaineer, the purse was a meager $8,051, and added just $4,814 to Wink and a Nod’s bank account, increasing it to $87,531, even with his excellent record of 9-12-5 in 45 tries. His ‘E’ speed figure was 69. Unfortunately, 28 of his races have come at Mountaineer, in West Virginia.

One has to wonder what the purses would be like at Mountaineer if there was no casino.

Add owner Lisa Beige and trainer Patrick Nuesch to the long list of those who adhere to the nearly 200-year-old adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

Beige and Nuesch have been trying to win a race with New York-bred Ballyhoo Prince for five years, and the 6-year-old gelding finally made the grade yesterday in the seventh race at Colonial Downs, a $40,000 maiden claimer at one mile over the inner turf course.

Jevian Toledo was aboard the son of Handsome Mike, who paid $7.60, winning by 2 1/2 lengths over favored Uncle Berley, clocked in 1:38.08. Ballyhoo Prince raised his record to 1-6-5 in 22 tries and his earnings to $99,452, with $34,620 coming in just three starts this year following a vacation of 7 1/2 months.

Bucchero’s stock continues to rise.

With yesterday’s maiden-breaking victory by Dance Step at Monmouth Park, the freshman sire by Kantharos now has four runners who have won and placed in their two starts, two stakes-placed horses, three who have finished second and one who has been third. He’s third on Florida’s first-crop money list with progeny earnings of $199,400.

Dance Step finished second in her first start but still went to the post at odds of 7-1 in the $45,000 maiden special. She bobbled slightly leaving the gate with Samuel Marin riding, then settled into fifth place in the field of eight. On the turn, Dance Step put it in another gear, making up six lengths in the stretch and getting up at the wire by a length, clocked in :59.07 for the five furlongs.

The $27,000 OBS April 2-year-old bred by Andy and Susy Cant paid $16.60 and earned a check for $27,000, lifting her two-race total to $36,000.

Sister Otoole came from last place to win yesterday’s listed $101,500 CTT and TOC Stakes and she now has won races at three of the most prestigious meetings in North America – Del Mar, Belmont Park and Gulfstream Park.

The 5-year-old Amira’s Prince mare bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon made a wide run on the turn in the race at 1 3/8 miles on the turf, and seemed to give up momentarily approaching the stretch. But Umberto Rispoli never gave up and he rallied her to a half-length victory and a check for $60,000.

Sister Otoole received a ’94’ Equibase speed figure for her effort, following a second place in the Robert B. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park, in which she received a ‘101.’ Clocked in 2:15.27, she has now earned $298,032 on a record of 3-5-3 in 17 starts.

Sealithic sent her sire, Neolithic, past the half-million-dollar mark in earnings for 2022 with a dominating performance yesterday in a $32,100 maiden special at Finger Lakes.

The 3-year-old filly bred by Susan Kahn went wire-to-wire under John Davila Jr., getting the mile and 70 yards in 1:48.82. She was 3 1/2 lengths in front after three-quarters of a mile, stretched it to 5 1/2 in mid-stretch, and seven at the finish.

The $50,000 OBS April product paid $6.50 while earning a check for $15,960. She became Neolithic’s 14th winner of 2022 from 26 starters, and the stallion by Harlan’s Holiday had his progeny earnings jump to $506,168.

The wholesale lack of runners countrywide has had a major effect on the pari-mutuel handle, but for many owners at most of the smaller tracks it’s proved to be a monetary boon. The smaller fields have made it easier for sound runners to compete more often and bulk up their bank accounts.

In yesterday’s eighth race at Mountaineer Casino & Resort, three scratches reduced the field for the one-mile race to five, which included Yeudiel, the 5-year-old by Gone Astray. The gelding bred by SJT Racing Stables returned from a long vacation on June 20 and has now raced four times in 2022, posting a record of 2-0-2. In two of those races, he faced just five others, and in the other two, which includes yesterday, he faced just four.

Luciano Hernandez was aboard Yeudiel for yesterday’s effort, who battled for the early lead in the race at one mile, took over on the backstretch, opened up by four lengths heading home, and coasted to the wire nearly three lengths in front. In his last seven tries, Yeudiel has racked up two victories, two seconds and three thirds. He raised his record to 4-8-7 in 26 starts, paid $22.20 and earned $4,698 from Mountaineer’s miniscule purse fund.

It took her until start No. 14, but Splenda Gail’s victory at Evangeline yesterday was worth $13,800 to her bank account and she now has more than paid back the $70,000 price she sold for at the 2021 OBS June sale.

The 3-year-old filly by Neolithic bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon came from five lengths behind on the backstretch, looped the field on the turn, and out-finished the lone remaining contender by a neck at the wire. She was clocked in :58.63 for the five furlongs over a sloppy track after the race came off the grass.

The winner’s check raised the filly’s total to $76,830 on a record of 3-2-1 in those 14 tries for owner Norman Stables, which has owned Splenda Gail from the beginning. She paid $6.40 and has posted a record of 2-2-1 in her last six starts.

As Galileta took her place in the second slot in the gate in yesterday’s eighth race at Belterra, the 5-year-old mare was sitting at 2-1 on the tote board; Arcelor was 8/5 from post four. When the latch was sprung, within seconds Galileta dropped to 6/5, while Arcelor drifted up to 5/2.

The bettors who were responsible for the switch were right on the money. Galileta, a 5-year-old Amira’s Prince mare, had a dream trip with Santiago Gonzalez, while Arcelor, after breaking sharply, steadily dropped back to next to last. Gonzalez guided Galileta into the lead entering the stretch, and Arcelor used the rail to close a big gap and engage her, with Galileta proving best by a head at the wire.

Galileta was clocked in 1:13.99 for the six furlongs and paid $4.60. The check for $5,520 raised her earnings to $68,709 on a record of 5-2-2 in 21 starts.

As the field hit the first quarter in :23.97 in the second race at Mountaineer yesterday, Hard Astray was on the lead, in front by three lengths. That’s the closest anybody got to the 5-year-0ld Gone Astray gelding in the race at one mile, originally scheduled for the turf.

Hard Astray, with Ajhari Williams up, increased his advantage to five lengths after a half in :47.40, had four lengths after three quarters in 1:12.68, seven lengths in the stretch, and 5 3/4 at the wire. The gelding bred by JDAB Stables kicked off his career in South Florida and won once in seven starts. At Mountaineer, he’s won three of his last four and five of his last seven.

Despite the West Virginia track sporting the name “Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort,” the casino obviously doesn’t contribute much to the purse structure. Hard Astray earned just $6,380, less than what many runners-up collect via Gulfstream’s casino. The gelding owned and trained by Yendri Pena is now 6-2-0 in 18 starts with a disappointing bank account of $44,564.

Bucchero’s first crop has come out running, following in the footsteps of his ultra-successful sire, Kantharos, when he arrived at Ocala Stud. Following are Bucchero’s stats after Gemma’s Curls finished second in the $100,000 Desert Vixen, opening event on the Florida Sire Stakes schedule at Gulfstream Park yesterday.

Bucchero has had 10 starters in his initial crop: he has three winners, two of whom have come back to finish second in stakes – Gemma’s Curls and Toddchero; four others who finished second in their debuts; one who finished third, and just two who were off the board.

Gemma’s Curls, at odds of 7-1, was away in third in the Desert Vixen, went up for the lead after a quarter in :22.09, took over entering the stretch, but was unable to hold off Lynx, a daughter of former Pleasant Acres stallion Brethren who was closing like an express train. Gemma’s Curls has earned $43,050 in her two starts.

Bucchero is the first Florida freshman to have two stakes horses thus far in 2022.