Bucchero’s girls spark huge Gulfstream payoffs

Daughters of Bucchero played a major role in several major payoffs on the front end of the Gulfstream Park program Sunday. Clay Soldier boosted her record to 2-for-2 by winning the third race and paid $21.20, followed by Sherlyn Go Go’s maiden-breaker in the fourth race at $6.00. The 50-cent Pick 3 on races 2-3-4 paid $1,422; the Pick 4 on races 2-3-4-5 paid $4,221, and the Pick 5 on races 1 through 5 was through the roof – $94,330.

CLAY SOLDIER – The 2-year-old filly owned and bred by retired Ocala dentist Sonny Link captured a $39,000 Starter Optional Claimer under Leonel Reyes, stalking a :21.80, :44.73 pace until the top of the stretch, then proving easily best in the lane to score by two lengths. She raced the five furlongs over the Tapeta surface in :57.17 and collected a check for $23,800, boosting her two-race total to $41,600. She’s the first of red-hot Bucchero’s runners to win twice in the stallion’s freshman season.

SHERLYN GO GO – In his first trip aboard her, former Eclipse Award winner Tyler Gaffalione piloted the filly bred by Dominique Damico and Fly By Breeding to her first victory in four starts, giving Bucchero winner No. 13 and putting him one ahead of Awesome Slew for the Florida freshman lead with less than two weeks remaining in the chase. He’s also tied for first with former Pleasant Acres stallion Brethren for number of 2-year-old winners among all Florida sires. The $22,000 OBS October yearling won by a neck and earned $31,800, increasing her total to $59,400. She raced a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta course in 1:41.75 after the race came off the grass.