Handsome Mike added two more winners to his January ledger yesterday, giving him six for the month and tieing him for first place among Florida’s active sires. He just missed a third, which would have given him the outright lead.
At Tampa Bay Downs, Darlindiva made it two victories and a second in three starts at the meeting, scoring by one-half length over fast-closing West Horizon with a mile and 40 yards in a good 1:42.34. After beginning her career with four off-the-board finishes, the 4-year-old filly owned and bred by Joe and Vivi Serena is 3-3-1 in her last eight. She earned a check for $6,460, and paid $7 as second choice.
In the evening, Saint Michael went wire-to-wire in a 5 1/2-furlong race at Penn National, holding on by a length under David Cora despite sizzling fractions of :22.05, :46.15 and :58.56 en route to a final clocking of 1:05.17. The 4-year-old colt, a $9,500 OBS Winter yearling, is 4-2-2 in 18 starts with earnings of $60,895.
La Flamenca made a valiant effort at Gulfstream Park to give Handsome Mike three winners for the day, battling an even-money favorite all the way to the wire before succumbing by three-quarters of a length. Handsome Mike’s progeny earnings for the month stand at $106,129.