Bernie Dickman

The weekend heroics of Anamnestic and Hydria at Gulfstream Park vaulted Bucchero to new heights; the son of Kantharos passed the $2 million mark in 2023 progeny earnings, and he now has 42 winners who have won 77 races.

ANAMNESTIC: With Edgar Perez in the irons, the 3-year-old colt bred by Belvedere Farm scored the gamest of victories in a $43,000 allowance optional claimer at a mile and 70-yards over the Tapeta course. Perez settled Anamnestic into fourth place down the backstretch, then made a three-wide move on turn and the colt took the lead into the stretch. He lost the edge at the eighth pole and appeared to have to settle for second, but he fought back gamely and regained the lead at the wire, winning by a head.

Anamnestic earned $25,800 for the victory, raising his career bank account to $103,068 on a record of 2-4-0 in 13 starts.

HYDRIA – It took the 3-year-old filly four tries over the Tapeta course until she finally put it all together for her first victory, a one-length come-from-behind score under Samuel Camacho Jr. and a check for $11,600. She paid $27.20 after getting 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:06.24.

Bucchero’s 40th winner is Barb’s Vortex, a 3-year-old Indiana-bred filly who didn’t race at two and broke her maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis in her fifth start for Brian and Aaron Reed and Keith Wexler, her owners and breeders.

Fernando De La Cruz was aboard in the $36,000 maiden special going a mile over the turf course. Barb’s Vortex jumped out to the lead leaving the gate, and De La Cruz eased her back to second on the rail down the backstretch. She slipped through on the inside entering the stretch and drew off to score by nearly two lengths without being threatened, clocked in 1:40.20. She paid $9.80, and collected a check for $21,600, which raised Bucchero’s progeny earnings for 2023 to $1,975,462.

Neolithic is less than $38,000 from reaching the $1 million mark in 2023 progeny earnings following Bourbon Over Ice’s hard-earned score at Thistledown, second victory in his last three starts for the 4-year-old gelding.

David Haldar was in the saddle in the race at six furlongs, and after stalking the pace down the backstretch, he maneuvered Bourbon Over Ice between horses in the stretch and out-gamed two rivals to the wire to win by a neck, clocked in 1:12.22. The gelding bred by Belvedere Farm paid $7.80, earned a check for $10,106 and raised his career bank account to $87,116 on a record of 5-4-3 in 29 starts.

Neolithic’s progeny earnings stand at $962,556.

Dream Astray, a rare Caifornia-bred by Gone Astray, was in rare form at Presque Isle Downs yesterday in just his fourth start of 2023. The 5-year-old gelding bred by Kenneth D’Oyen carried Antonio Gallardo to a wire-to-wire victory in a mile and 70 yard test over the all-weather track.

Dream Astray paid $6.60 after defeating 7/5 favorite Tiz Tact Toe by six lengths. He was clocked in 1:41.8 and earned a check for $8,400, raising his total to $48,065 on a record of 3-3-0 in 12 starts. Gone Astray’s progeny earnings for the year climbed to $855,365.

Three 2-year-olds combined for $133,650 in purse money yesterday and lifted Bucchero’s progeny earnings for 2023 to $1,942,512, assuring him a $2 million season with just two crops at the races.

BOOK’EM DANNO – The gelding bred in New Jersey by Gregory J. Kilka and Bright View Farm followed up his victory in the Smoke Glacken Stakes at Monmouth Park with a convincing 6 1/2-length score in the $150,000 Futurity Stakes at the Belmont-at-the Big A meeting. With Jose Ortiz riding, Book’em Danno sat fourth down the backstretch behind a hot pace of :22.09, :45.27 and :57.24, moved three wide on the turn, and coasted to the wire in 1:09.47 for the six furlongs. He received an Equibase speed figure of ’96’ for the effort. The track record owned by Florida-bred Kelly Kip is 1:07.54.

Book’em Danno, unbeaten in three races, paid $2.80 and earned a check for $82,500, increasing his total to $200,625.

BUCCHERINO – In a $54,300 allowance optional claimer at 5 1/2 furlongs at Laurel, the colt bred by Blue River Bloodstock engaged in a battle on the front end in :22.52, :45.57 and :58.63, before Angel Cruz guided him under the wire to win by a neck, clocked in 1:05.87. Winner of two of his last three, Buccherino paid $4.80 and collected a check for $32,400, jumping his total to $82,900.

SHARDS – The colt bred by Craig L. Wheeler finished third in Keeneland’s $250,000 Indian Summer Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf, falling just a neck and a nose short of winning his first stakes.

The $175,000 OBS March 2-year-old added $18,750 to his earnings, which have now reached $70,750 on a record of 1-1-2 in four tries.

Buoyed by a pair of sharp winners, Neolithic picked up nearly $49,000 in purse money yesterday, and passed the $951,000 mark in 2023 progeny earnings. He has steadily been moving up on that list, and has reached No. 10 among Florida sires.

In her second start, following a runner-up finish in her debut, Great Venezuela, a 2-year-old filly owned and bred by Orlyana Farm became winner No. 26 for her sire with a 5 3/4-length romp in a $40,000 maiden special at Gulfstream Park. With Leonel Reyes in the irons, Great Venezuela stalked the early pace through fractions of :22.21 and :44.82 in the race at five furlongs over the Tapeta surface, then came wide into the stretch and drew away with ease, getting the distance in :56:87, less than two seconds off the track record. She collected a check for $24,000, lifting her two-race total to $29,600.

At Albuquerque, Loana raised her record to 3-3-1 in 12 starts with a hard-earned neck victory in a $40,400 allowance optional claimer going seven furlongs over the main track. The 3-year-old filly bred in Pennsylvania by Mary K. Haire rated just off the pace down the backstretch under Jorge Carrena, went up to duel for the lead on the turn, then out-gamed two rivals to the wire to score by a neck. Loana was clocked in a quick 1:22.23, also less than two seconds off the track record, paid $10 and earned a check for $23,432. She received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of ’86’, her best career mark during which she has collected $81,966. She’s won two in a row and three of her last four.

Neolithic doesn’t have anywhere near the number of runners as the other top tier of Florida stallions, but the son of Harlan’s Holiday has logged 10 winners since September 2, and his 2023 progeny earnings just edged over $900,000. His latest 10 include six maidens, two more of the allowance variety, and one handicap winner.

New Rome scored at Laurel Park yesterday, making a huge late run under Denis Araujo to win by nearly three lengths in a 5 1/2-furlong race on the grass, raising her record to 2-1-1 in six starts. The 3-year-old filly was bred in Kentucky by her owners, Michael and Suzanne Masters, and she earned a check for $16,200, increasing her total to $54,460. New Rome has won two of her last three, paying $5.40 in this one, while getting the distance in 1:03.22 and receiving her best Equibase ‘E’ speed figure, a 71.

Bucchero marches on.

The son of Kantharos moved another step closer to the $2 million mark in progeny earnings for 2023, with the wire-to-wire victory of Orphan Exchange, who broke her maiden at Presque Isle yesterday in her seventh start. The 3-year-old filly bred in Tennessee by Dr. Ross Russell became winner No. 39 this year from 75 Bucchero starters.

Gaddiel Martinez was aboard Orphan Exchange, who paid $7.40 after scoring by 1 1/2 lengths, clocked in 1:12.00 for six furlongs over the all-weather track. She earned a check for $9,000 for the Russell family.

Neolithic’s run toward the $1 million mark in 2023 progeny earnings moved forward with the convincing victory of Dancing N Dixie under a picture-perfect ride by Miguel Vasquez in a $50,000 maiden special at Gulfstream Park on Sunday.

Vasquez positioned the 2-year-old filly bred by former NFL player Freddy Hyatt comfortably on the rail down the backstretch, two lengths from the lead. With a strong hold on Dancing N Dixie, the talented rider waited patiently until the field hit the turn in the race at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface, swung her three wide entering the stretch, and she ran away and hid nearing the wire, breaking her maiden by nearly four lengths.

The $35,000 OBS June 2-year-old paid $8.80 and earned a check for $34,000, winning in her third start. She was clocked in 1:42.06 and became winner No. 25 from 48 starters for Neolithic, whose earnings for the year rose to $885,712.

At Caymanas Park in Jamaica, the 4-year-old Jamaican-bred colt Neo Star added to Neolithic’s resume, winning his second in a row in the span of two weeks.

Mattingly captured the $90,000 Hollywood Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday and accomplished the following: he became the third stakes-winner for Bucchero this year, second-best among Florida sires behind Jess’s Dream, who has four; boosted Bucchero into fifth place on Florida’s general sire list with 2023 earnings of $1,777,010; and moved into first place among all Bucchero runners with earnings of $147,028, which is second best among all of Florida’s 2-year-olds this year.

With Samy Camacho in the irons, the 2-year-old colt bred by Lance Colwell stalked the early pace down the backstretch in the race at five furlongs over the Tapeta surface, swung wide turning into the stretch, and proved to be much the best at the wire, scoring by nearly two lengths. He was clocked in :56.67, just 1 1/2 seconds off the Tapeta record for the distance, and collected a check for $64,000.

Owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable and Bucchero’s owner, Harlan Malter, Mattingly raised his record to 2-2-0 in four starts. His resume includes second-place finishes in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream and the Victoria at Woodbine. He was a $70,000 OBS March 2-year-old.