Bernie Dickman

One definition of messiah is: “a leader or savior of a particular group or cause,” and that’s just what the 3-year-old Anthony’s Cross colt Messiah did for his backers at Fair Grounds yesterday after he was nearly taken out of the race rounding the first turn. Sent off as the 3-1 second choice in a $42,000 maiden special at “about” one mile on the grass, Messiah and rider James Graham were pushed about eight wide heading into the turn, a position few horses have the ability to recover from. But Graham settled his colt into seventh place down the backstretch, swung wide on the final turn, and Messiah gamely oufought the remaining two leaders to the wire, winning by a neck in a three-horse photo. Messiah had finished second, third and fourth in his three previous tries, closing in each. His first career victory was worth $22,800, raising his total to $35,780.

A switch in tactics by jockey Malcolm Franklin proved to be no problem for Nymue’s Treasure, who made it 2-for-2 yesterday with a come-from-behind victory racing 6 1/2 furlongs at Turfway Park. The 3-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach had broken her maiden with a 3 1/2-length, wire-to-wire score in her career debut on Jan. 26. This time, the filly bred by Ed Seltzer, Beverly Anderson and Joe and Helen Barbazon broke slowly and was seventh after a quarter of a mile. But Franklin sent her up five wide on the turn and Nymue’s Treasure responded with a strong burst through the lane, drawing off by 1 1/2 lengths at the wire.

Poseidon Warrior’s sixth winner of 2018 came at Parx Racing yesterday, and it may have been his easiest score. Navy Commander, bred in Pennsylvania, proved to be a ton the best in a $46,474 starter allowance at seven furlongs. The 3-year-old gelding had broken his maiden by 3 1/2 lengths on Nov. 21 with Frankie Pennington aboard, and the two were paired again. Navy Commander broke sharply from the No. 6 post and wound up on the outside of a three-horse battle down the backstretch. Midway around the turn, Pennington asked him for more and Navy Commander sprinted away from the other two, reaching the wire 7 1/4 lengths in front. The victory was worth $30,240 to owner/breeder Swilcan Stables and raised Navy Commander’s bank account to $55,208. Poseidon’s Warrior leads Florida’s second-crop sire list with earnings of $274,457, and he’s sixth on the general sire list.

In just her second career start, Treasure for Gold became stakes-placed at Gulfstream Park, finishing third in the $75,000 Melody of Colors Stakes. The 3-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach had been successful in her initial try for trainer Todd Pletcher in a $60,000 maiden special back on July 2, and had not started since.

With Tyler Gaffalione riding, Treasure for Gold was off second in the five-furlong turf race and stalked a suicidal  pace – :21.49 for the quarter and :43.66 for the half. The pace took its toll on the filly, and she wound up earning $7,350 for third, which boosted her earnings for the two races to $47,350 for owner breeder Robyn Thompson.

On Feb. 2, Oh My Warrior finished second at Gulfstream Park, three-quarters of a length behind the winner, and three and three-quarters of a length ahead of the fourth horse, favored Hard Way Winner. Despite that, when the two met again yesterday racing 6 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream, the bettors sent Hard Way Winner and jockey Luis Saez off at 5/2 and Oh My Warrior and Leonel Reyes off at 10-1. It proved to be a big mistake.

Reyes moved the Poseidon’s Warrior ridgling off the rail on the turn and Oh My Warrior exploded in the stretch for a 2 1/2-length score over Hard Way Winner, becoming his sire’s fifth winner this year, paying $22.60 and earning a check of $21,000 for owner/breeder Just For Fun Stable. Poseidon’s Warrior now has $243,367 in 2018 progeny earnings, and is the leader among Florida’s second-crop sires.

Treasure Beach played his part in Gulfstream Park’s 11-stakes program yesterday, with Beach Waltz winning the $60,000 Mrs. Presidentress and Seattle Treasure finishing a fast-closing third in the $60,000 Sage of Monticello, both races contested at about 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass.

Beach Waltz, the 8/5 favorite, was off well from the No. 1 post and was right with the pace but was forced to steady down the backstretch and dropped back to fourth. Jose Ortiz swung the 3-year-old filly wide for the drive and she proved to be much the best, drawing off to score by 1 1/4 lengths. Beach Waltz, owned by leading owners and breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey and bred by them in Kentucky, earned $35,712 for the victory, bringing her total to $72,222 on a record of 2-2-0 in four starts. She fell a neck short in her previous start, preventing her from being on a three-race winning streak.

Seattle Treasure, at odds of 5-1, had a very eventful trip leaving from the 7 post in his race, beginning with being pinballed leaving the gate by the horses on either side of him. Irad Ortiz Jr. had to take back and the 3-year-old colt was a good 10 lengths behind heading down the backstretch. Ortiz began moving him up coming to the turn and at the top of the stretch swung the colt five wide for the drive. Seattle Treasure was eating up ground and bearing down on the two leaders inside the eighth pole, when the second horse, King Angelus, bore out, bumped him soundly, and pushed him even wider. Ortiz got him going again when King Angelus pushed him out a second time, and Seattle Treasure could only get within a neck of him at the wire. There was no inquiry. Seattle Treasure, stakes-placed for the second time and his sire’s leading money-winner, picked up $5,640 for third and is now 1-2-3 in nine starts with earnings of $87,045.

Puertorican Style became the first repeat winner of 2018 for Poseidon’s Warrior when he scored his second victory in a month at Gulfstream Park yesterday. It took every bit of the considerable ability of top rider Irad Ortiz Jr. to get the 3-year-old colt up at the wire. Puertorican Style, who was a $95,000 OBS April 2-year-old, was away third in the 6 1/2-furlong race and remained there until the turn. Then, Ortiz swung him three wide heading into the stretch and the colt ran down 7/10 favorite Admiral Jimmy to win by one-half length in 1:18.44, giving Ortiz winner No. 1,781 in his relatively short career. Despite his initial victory on Jan. 15, Puertorican Style was allowed to go to the post at 7-1; he earned $14,700 for the victory.

Poseidon’s Warrior surpassed the $200,000 mark in progeny earnings after the game, come-from-behind victory of Bella El Milagro at Parx Racing yesterday. In her previous start, while looking for her maiden score, the 3-year-old filly was nailed at the wire after leading every step of the way. But Frankie Pennington changed the tactics for this one, with Bella El Milagro sitting a stalking third down the backstretch in the 5 1/2-furlong race contested over a track labeled “good.” Pennington swung her three wide into the stretch and Bella El Milagro wore down the leaders, getting up at the wire by a head in a three-horse photo. The filly bred by Moreau Bloodstock picked up $12,600 and now sports a record of 1-2-0-2 in five starts. Poseidon’s Warrior leads Florida’s second-crop sire list with earnings of $201,780.

Firenze Fire finished a solid second in the Gr. III Withers Stakes at Aqueduct yesterday, and the four Kentucky Derby points he earned tied him at the top of the list on the road to Louisville. The 3-year-old son of Poseidon’s Warrior and Good Magic head the Derby hopefuls with 24 points each.

In the 1 1/8-mile Withers, Firenze Fire chased home even-money favorite Avery Island, winner of the Gr. II Nashua last season and second in the Gr. II Remsen, and earned $50,000 of the $250,000 purse for the effort. He has now banked $589,100 as he strives to give his sire a millionaire in his first crop. Current plans call for Firenze Fire’s next start to come in the Gr. III Gotham Stakes on March 10 at Aqueduct, a race offering Derby points of 50-20-10-5.

Poseidon’s Warrior leads Florida’s second-crop sire list with progeny earnings of $183,110 and is in fifth place on the state’s general sire list.

South Florida trainer David Fawkes has long been known for possessing a keen eye for searching out runners on the rise and yesterday at Gulfstream Park, he picked out a Treasure Beach colt who appears to fit right in the mold. Fawkes claimed Seattle Treasure for $35,000 out of a mile and one-sixteenth turf race in which the 3-year-old colt overwhelmed the opposition.

Red-hot jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard Seattle Treasure, who had finished third in the Juvenile Turf Stakes at Gulfstream West in November. The colt broke smoothly from the No. 4 post and settled into fifth place along the rail down the backstretch. Midway on the final turn, Ortiz swung him to the outside and in a matter of just a few seconds, Seattle Treasure inhaled the field and galloped away by four widening lengths.

Favored Seattle Treasure had been 1/9 on the first flash of the tote board and eventually went off at even money, paying $4.20. He raised his record to 2-1-2 in eight starts and the $21,000 winner’s share boosted his earnings to $81,405.