Bernie Dickman

The 5-year-old mare Karatbars has had a sparse racing career since she sold for $8,000 as a yearling at the October OBS sale in 2018. The daughter of Gone Astray raced just once as a 2-year-old, twice at three, and three times at four, and was just concluding a six-month layoff when she showed up in the second race at Gulfstream yesterday.

Karatbars was listed at 8-1 in the morning line for the race at 5 1/2 furlongs and trainer Juan Arias tapped Luis Reyes to guide her in her return. When the field left the gate, somebody who obviously knew something more than the average player knocked her price down to 6/5, and she didn’t disappoint.

Reyes put her on the lead and Karatbars went wire-to-wire, clocked in 1:05.85 and nearly two lengths in front. It was another nine lengths back to the third-place finisher. The victory was worth $10,400 to owner Larry Bell and his mare became Gone Astray’s 15th winner of 2022.

Splenda Gail rallied from way back in the $60,000 Acadiana Stakes at Evangeline Downs last night, and finished third at odds of 13-1 under rider C. J. McMahon. The 6-furlong race went in 1:11.32.

The 3-year-old filly by Neolithic was bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon and was a $70,000 OBS June 2-year-old. Third place was worth $6,000, and Splenda Gail’s earnings jumped to $37,430 in nine races, an average of $4,158 per race.

Bourbon Over Ice was off slowly from the No. 1 post going six furlongs at Gulfstream Park Saturday, but Edgar Perez put the 3-year-old gelding in overdrive quickly and the son of Neolithic surged to the lead on the inside before they hit the first quarter.

From there on, it was all Bourbon Over Ice, who fought off one challenge on the turn before turning the race into a rout to gain his first victory. At the wire, the 4/5 favorite bred by Belvedere Farm was 5 1/2 lengths in front, clocked in 1:13.59. He became the sixth winner this year for Neolithic, and earned a check for $11,600.

After winning at Gulfstream Park, and two races later at Parx Racing, World Gone Wild graduated to Aqueduct yesterday for an allowance race with a purse of $82,000. With Ruben Silvera riding, the 4-year-old filly by Gone Astray wired the field, winning by two lengths and collecting a check for $45,100.

Silvera sent World Gone Wild out quickly and she led past quarters of :22.91 and :46.47 with the rider sitting chilly. When they hit the top of the stretch, Silvera began working on his filly and she was never in danger, finishing with a final clocking of 1:10.94.

World Gone Wild won just once in her first 10 starts, but the $3,000 OBS October yearling has now won two in a row, three of her last four and five of her last eight, and her earnings have ballooned to $180,910.

The honor of getting the first 2-year-old winner of 2022 in Florida goes to Gone Astray, whose daughter, Luna West, wired a seven-horse field that included four colts in yesterday’s second race at Gulfstream Park, a $55,000 maiden special at 4 1/2 furlongs. To be eligible for the race, each entrant had to have already reached their actual birth date. Luna West’s is March 29.

With just two listed morning trials at the Nelson Jones Training Center – both of 38 seconds breezing – the filly bred by Long Trail Stable was sent off at 37-1, highest price on the tote board. But she rocketed out of the gate under Jose Alonso, pushed along by 4/5 favorite Cajun Hope, retained the lead through fractions of :21.55 and :46.05, and paid $76.20.

In the stretch, the favorite closed the gap late, but fell short at the wire by half a length; it was another four lengths back to the third-place finisher. The victory, achieved in :53.24, was worth $31,000 and helped Gone Astray pass the $500,000 mark in seasonal progeny earnings.

Heading into his engagement in the eighth race at Mahoning Valley yesterday, Gio Sammy had run up a record of one victory, four seconds, four thirds and two fourths in his previous 12 races. The 5-year-old Gone Astray gelding was primed for a sharp effort – and he didn’t disappoint as the 2-1 favorite.

Racing six furlongs with Luis Rivera in the saddle, Gio Sammy broke quickly from the No. 2 post, briefly engaged Hit This Town for the lead, then slid back to second during a :23.12 first quarter. After a half in :45.71, Rivera swung the gelding off the rail, went by Hit This Town in mid-stretch and won under restraint by 3 1/4 lengths.

Gio Sammy, bred in Maryland by Ocala’s Best A Luck Farm, was clocked in 1:11.50 and earned a check for $8,940. He raised his record to 4-4-7 in 25 starts while becoming Gone Astray’s 13th winner of 2022.

Track records for the various distances over the new Tapeta surface at Gulfstream Park have been falling almost weekly, and the Gone Astray gelding Meteorito added his name to the record-breaking list with a stunning performance yesterday.

The 5-year-old bred by the JDAB Stables took off like a shot with Jose Ortiz and held a one-length lead past a quarter in :24.64 and a half in :48.53. Coming to the final turn, Meteorito opened the margin to 2 1/2 lengths, and Ortiz put him on cruise control. The gelding who had finished second in his previous three races scooted away to win by 10 1/2 widening lengths with colorful announcer Pete Aiello proclaiming, “Meteorito has blown this wide open,” followed by “This one is over – it’s been over for a while now,” as the gelding lowered the Tapeta record for ‘about’ 1 1/16 miles to 1:43.63.

In becoming Gone Astray’s 13th winner of 2022, Meteorito paid $5.20 and earned a check for $14,700, increasing his total to $53,870 on a record of 2-5-1 in 16 starts. He earned an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 90, tied with his prior race for his best ever, and was claimed for the third straight time.

The success of the Pleasant Acres Stallions breeding program took another big step forward yesterday when Our Fantasy captured a $54,000 allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park.

The 5-year-old daughter of Amira’s Prince, bred by Pleasant Acres’ owners Joe and Helen Barbazon, was a $50,000 OBS April 2-year-old in 2019, and she has more than justified her purchase price. The winner’s check of $32,400 raised Our Fantasy’s career total to $195,024.

Tyler Gaffalione broke Our Fantasy running, and he quickly settled her into third place in the three-path. After stalking the top pair down the backstretch, Gaffalione sent her up on the outside on the turn and Our Fantasy ran down 4/5 favorite Smarmy in mid-stretch, then continued on to score by nearly two lengths. She was clocked in 1:38.57 for the mile, paid $7.40, and raised her record to 6-5-3 in 23 starts.

The Barbazons have now earned seven breeders’ awards in the past 27 days, three at Gulfstream and four at Tampa Bay Downs.

The term El Profe has a dual meaning today: First, a professor or teacher of Spanish, and second, the 3-year-old Neolithic colt who won Gulfstream’s sixth race yesterday and lowered the track record for ‘about’ 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta course to 1:04.38.

Gaddiel Martinez was aboard El Profe, who broke slowly from the No. 6 post, but rushed up on the outside going to the first quarter and took the lead with ease, opening up a three-length lead heading into the turn. From there on it was no contest, with El Profe geared down in deep stretch, and winning by 3 1/2 lengths as announcer Peter Aiello took him home with “El Profe wins with something in the tank.”

It was the second victory in three starts for the colt who broke his maiden in a $50,000 maiden claimer at Gulfstream in his debut back on May 6 of last year, and returned after a layoff of 8 1/2 months to finish fourth in January. He paid $9.00 and earned $20,900 yesterday, lifting his total to $51,200, and was claimed out of the race for $20,000.

Across the state at Tampa Bay Downs, Beauty Genius gave Handsome Mike his ninth winner of 2022 in a race at 1 1/16 miles over the turf course. Skyler Spanabel was aboard the 4-year-old filly owned and trained by Ocalan Robert Smith, and she turned in a well-judged ride to earn the winner’s check of $11,195. Beauty Genius was off second in the two path, stayed glued to the pacesetter down the backstretch, powered into the lead on the turn, and proved best by 1 1/4 lengths for her second victory. She was clocked in 1:43.83 and paid $14.40.

The filly bred at Pleasant Acres increased her earnings to $35,579 and added another breeders’ award to a rapidly growing list for Joe and Helen Barbazon.

Darlindiva, who comes from Handsome Mike’s first crop, showed in her last race she was ready for a big effort after registering a sharp second at Mahoning Valley. That effort was responsible for her 1/2 price on the tote board yesterday in a one-mile race over a track labeled ‘good.’

The 6-year-old mare bred by Joe and Vivi Serena enjoyed a rocking-chair ride by Charlie Oliveros as she justified the bettors’ confidence, going wire-to-wire in 1:43.72, and paying just $3. Darlindiva raised her record to 5-4-7 in 30 starts, and added $7,085 to her bank account, increasing her career total to $64,228. With her 3 1/2-length victory, Darlindiva became winner No. 8 for her sire this year.