Turf News

With Saturday’s third-place finish in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park added, Neoequos now has four of the stakes-placed variety through his first seven races.

The 3-year-old Neolithic colt bred by the partnership of Joe and Helen Barbazon and Matalona Thoroughbreds held a slight lead at the top of the stretch in the race at a mile and one-eighth, and held on for a big piece of the purse after being passed by 2-1 Tappan Street and 8/5 favorite Sovereignty in the final sixteenth.

Third place was worth a healthy $112,000 to the colt’s quartet of owners, and raised the earnings of the $22,000 OBS October yearling to $291,050, third best among all Neolithic runners. He has compiled a record of 2-2-2 in his seven tries.

Neolithic is currently third on Florida’s general sire list for 2025 with progeny earnings of $780,276.

After finishing second in three straight races at Sunland Park, it came as no surprise that Scorpion Shot would be 8/5 in the morning line for his next effort, which came on Friday. The surprise came when the 4-year-old Neolithic gelding was right around that number getting into the gate, but when the field headed for the first quarter and the tote board changed for the last time, he was down to 2/5.

With leading rider Alfredo Juarez Jr. in the irons, Scorpion Shot was away slowly and was a good 10 lengths back early down the backstretch in the race at six furlongs. He began picking up horses coming to the turn, and was still five lengths back in mid-stretch. But a strong final sixteenth powered him to the lead and he drew off to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:11.88.

It’s the first victory for Scorpion Shot in eight starts and the check for $6,900 boosted his earnings to $18,300. Neolithic is third on Florida’s general sire list with $633,166 in 2025 progeny earnings, and third in number of winners with 18.

With only his third crop at the races in 2023, Neolithic generated more than $1.4 million in progeny earnings. Last year, with four crops, he doubled that with more than $2.8 million.

Less than three full months into 2025, the son of Harlan’s Holiday has already run up $647,824 in earnings, and at that pace he would end up somewhere around last year’s total. But he has 42 named 2-year-olds in the hole, and without complications, could easily wind up well past the $3 million mark.

Neolithic’s latest two winners are Notable Exchange, who lit up the tote board at Tampa Bay Downs to earn another healthy breeders’ award for Joe and Helen Barbazon, and Cajun Vibes, who continued an eye-catching 2025 season with a popular victory at Penn National.

NOTABLE EXCHANGE – The 3-year-old filly didn’t start at two, but has raced three times in the last 40 days and picked up two victories. In her latest, at odds of 18-1, Jesus Castanon had her way back in the pack early, out of the TV picture, but put her in gear coming to the turn and she made a strong run between horses, then was up late to win by half a length. She was clocked in 1:37.17 for the mile on the grass, paid a juicy $38 and earned a check for $19,500, boosting her three-race total to $34,600.

CAJUN VIBES – When two scratches trimmed the field to four, it made it that much easier for Maical Inirio to negotiate the six furlongs with the 4-year-old gelding bred by Curtis Mikkelsen and Patricia Horth. Cajun Vibes proved to be much the best down the lane and won by three lengths in a time of 1:12.35, paying $3.40. He’s now 4-3-1 in 10 starts with earnings of $50,800, and 3-1-0 in five starts this season with a bank account of $31,500.

Neolithic is third on Florida’s general sire list and has 16 winners of 23 races this year.

Fulanito returned to action after a three-month vacation and came close to a five-furlong track record in a $54,000 allowance optional claimer over the Tapeta course at Gulfstream Park.

The 4-year-old Neolithic gelding bred by Angel Roman, a $50,000 OBS June 2-year-old, drew the No. 1 post with Luis Saez and exploded out of the gate to take the early lead. He posted sizzling fractions of :21.14 and :43.84, and coasted to the wire one length ahead of fast-closing Fast Fixer, clocked in :55.80 seconds, just nine-tenths off the record.

Fulanito became the 16th winner for his sire since Jan. 1, and paid $6.60. His check for $32,400 boosted his earnings to $77,360 on a record of 2-1-2 in seven starts.

R Morning Brew appeared to be in a little over her head in the $115,000 Any Limit Stakes at Gulfstream Park, and the fans agreed. The 3-year-old filly by Curlin’s Honor went off as the 12-1 fifth choice in the field of six going six furlongs.

But rider Edgard Zayas didn’t elect to contest the hot pace, and R Morning Brew was sixth and last after half a mile. She had already more than paid back the $30,000 owner Richard Averill paid for her at the last OBS April Sale, via victories in the Desert Vixen and Susan’s Girl, and fourth in the rich My Dear Girl. This time, although she was no match for the first two finishers, Zayas was able to bring her from behind to finish third, good for a check of $11,900. She’s now 2-0-2 in six tries with earnings of $140,900.

Bodexpress added a pair of first-time winners to his resume on back-to-back days over the weekend on the West Coast, both bred in California by Richard Barton Thoroughbreds. Hothead went wire-to-wire at Santa Anita, while Hellova Louella scored convincingly at Los Alamitos.

HOTHEAD -In a $67,000 maiden special, the 3-year-old gelding put up fractions of :22.19, :45.07 and :56.92 en route to his nearly three-length turf victory under Ricardo Gonzalez, with a final six-furlong clocking of 1:09.16. The $17,000 RNA as a Fasig-Tipton California yearling, also owned by Barton, paid $13 and earned a check for $39,000, raising his total to $60,860. He received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 92, best of his six-race career.

HELLOVA LOUELLA – The 3-year-old filly was successful in her fourth start, stalking the early pace through a :22.75 first quarter with Francisco Ramirez, then cruising to the lead and going on to win by 2 1/2 lengths. She raced 4 1/2 furlongs in :53.78 and paid $33.20.

Big Bucksalot became Neolithic’s first three-time winner of 2025 with a convincing victory in a six-furlong, $18,600 starter allowance at Mahoning Valley.

The 5-year-old gelding bred by Julie Jackson broke well with Luis Batista and went with pacesetter Khakfani down the backstretch. Batista sent him after Khalfani coming to the turn and Big Bucksalot took the lead into the stretch, then drew off to win by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:11.96, paying $3.20. He’s won two in a row, three of his last four, and raised his record to 7-1-2 in 25 starts.

The winner’s share of $10,560 boosted his earnings to $86,362.

After their twin victories at Gulfstream Park on Friday, Neolithic and Curlin’s Honor repeated the performance on Sunday at Tampa Bay Downs and Fair Grounds.

TAMPA BAY DOWNS – All handicappers with a German heritage got this one – Das Ist Alles Ally made it two victories in her last three starts and became Neolithic’s 14th winner of 2025. The 3-year-old filly owned and bred by Terry Bruner was off slowly in the race at one mile on the turf and was still ninth and last after half a mile. Sam Marin revved her up on the inside nearing the turn and Das Ist Alles Ally bulled her way through traffic in the stretch to get up by a nose in a head bob finish, then had to survive a foul claim before they put up her number. She raced the mile in 1:37.41, paid $4.80 and her owner collected $16,500, raising her seven-race (2-0-2) total to $34,680.

FAIR GROUNDS – Honor That Dude has also won two of his last three after his 6 1/4-length romp in New Orleans. The 3-year-old Curlin’s Honor colt bred by Maverick Stables, a $10,000 OBS October yearling, earned a check of $9,000 for owner/trainer Angel Rodriguez and has now banked $$35,640. Honor That Dude paid $5.00 after getting six furlongs in 1:11.52 with Jareth Loveberry aboard. He has won his two races by a combined total of 12 lengths.

Pleasant Acres stallions led the way at Gulfstream Park on Friday with a pair of winners on the nine-race program, both going one mile on the grass and both posting their best-ever Equibase ‘E’ speed figures.

The second race was won by Quizler, a 3-year-old Curlin’s Honor colt who broke his maiden guided by Paco Lopez in his seventh start, a $50,000 maiden special. The $15,000 OBS June 2-year-old bred by Belinda Kitos at SCF Inc. raced up close down the backstretch, then was involved in a three-horse battle to the wire which he won by half a length in 1:35.32 for the mile. Quizler paid $7.20 and collected $30,000, lifting his earnings to $56,220 on a record of 1-3-1 in his seven tries. His speed figure best is now 84.

Three races later it was Neolithic’s turn, and his 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare New Rome made a return from a 10 1/2-month vacation in mid-season form with Javier Castellano aboard. New Rome hadn’t raced since April of 2024, but she had several sub-49-second works for trainer Jena Antonucci, and was sent off at odds of 2-1. She was sent right to the lead, and put up fractions of :23.59, :46.89 and 1:10.21 en route to winning by nearly three lengths in 1:34.15 for the mile. She picked up a check for $19,200, ballooning her total to $144,469 on a record of 6-1-1 in 12 starts. Her new best-ever speed figure is 96.

Big Bucksalot became the third runner by Neolithic to win twice in 2025 with a wire-to-wire score over a sloppy track at Mahoning Valley.

With Brandon Tapara in the saddle, the 5-year-old gelding bred by Julie Jackson cruised past the markers in :22.91 and :46.68 and was drawing off nearing the wire to win by nearly three lengths in 1:04.96 for the 5 1/2 furlongs. Big Bucksalot paid $5.60, earned a check for $7,800 and is now 6-1-2 in 24 starts with a bank account of $75,802. Before his pair of victories in Ohio, he had previously won three times at Tampa Bay Downs and once at Gulfstream Park.

The gelding was claimed out of the race.