Turf News

The first 2025 winner for Curlin’s Honor is Carroll’s Honor, a 3-year-old filly owned and bred by Donald L. Ming who made it two victories in three starts with a rail-skimming beauty under Israel Rodriguez at Tampa Bay Downs.

In the race at six furlongs, Rodriguez was able to get good position along the inside with Carroll’s Honor, who moved into a contending position heading into the turn, swung to the three path for the run to the wire, and drew off by nearly four lengths late, getting the distance in 1:11.88. She paid $5.80 and collected $17,350, bringing her three-race total to $33,770.

Ater 20 starts in South Florida, resulting in three victories at Tampa Bay Downs and one at Gulfstream Park, Big Bucksalot made his next appearance in a new barn on Tuesday at Mahoning Valley – seven months later – and notched victory No. 5.

Now racing in the colors of owner/trainer Jay Bernardini, the 5-year-old gelding became Neolithic’s sixth January winner, and the check for $7,260 increased his sire’s career progeny earnings to $5,983,734, with $6 million a virtual certainty in a matter of days.

Angel Diaz was aboard for the Mahoning Valley score, which came in a race at six furlongs. Diaz sent Big Bucksalot up for the lead and they were in front after a quarter in :22.62. The gelding was pressed the rest of the way, and after posting a half in :45.53, he drew off late to win by 3 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:11 flat and paying $5.80. He’s now 5-1-2 in 21 starts with earnings of $67,555.

It was all Pleasant Acres in a $54,000 allowance test at Gulfstream Park on Thursday. The winner was Neoequos, a highly-promising 3-year-old colt by Neolithic bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon in partnership with Matalona Thoroughbreds. The runner-up was Latch the Hatch, a son of Curlin’s Honor.

Neoequos came into the race after strong seconds behind Rated By Merit in the Affirmed Stakes and the Dr. Fager, and was sent off at odds of 1 to 5 under Drayden Van Dyke. He took the lead at the outset, posted fractions of :22.41, :45.61 and :57.92 over the sloppy surface, and was 3 1/2 lengths in front at the wire in a clocking of 1:10.98. The $22,000 OBS October yearling paid $2.40 and earned a check for $32,400, increasing his 5-race total to $137,800.

(1) The Neolithic – Curlin’s Honor exacta paid $8.60. (2) Latch the Hatch earned $11,880 for second. (3) Neolithic is just $34,000 short of the $6 million mark in career progeny earnings.

After finishing a strong second on the 2024 Florida general sire list, Neolithic has gotten off to a good start in 2025, with Ladys Chant breaking her maiden and becoming January winner No. 4 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Ladys Chant had finished third in her previous two tries, and the 4-year-old filly owned and bred by Martin and Emily Goodell was bet down to even-money favoritism in a race at a mile and 40 yards. Ronnie Allen Jr. was in the saddle – he had been aboard two races back, getting her home third at odds of 26-1, beaten less than a length. She was off well from the rail, raced close-up down the backstretch, made her move on the turn, then won a three-way battle down the lane to win by a neck.

Ladys Chant earned a check for $10,250, boosting her total to $36,005 on a record of 1-3-6 in 15 starts. She received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 68, best of her 15 races.

It only took just one race – on Dec. 19 – for Edgar Perez to get acquainted with Peppermint Man at Gulfstream Park, the Neolithic gelding finishing a non-threatening fifth at odds of 21-1. It was a different ballgame in their return engagement on Friday, with Peppermint Man sprinting to the lead, being challenged just about every step of the way and holding on to win by a nose in the race at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface.

Peppermint Man, bred by Dennis Manning and owned by former Gulfstream and Hialeah Park attorney David Romanik and trained by Ron Spatz, went off at 12-1 for this one and paid $26 after getting the distance in 1:41.70, earning a check for $16,200. He’s the third winner in January for Neolithic, who is less than $78,000 from reaching the $6 million mark in career progeny earnings after having his best year in 2024, finishing second on Florida’s general sire list.

Jockey Leonel Reyes did everything right aboard Great Venezuela in Gulfstream’s $75,000 Sunshine Filly & Mare Stakes, he just had no way of knowing that 7-1 shot Ashima was up for a career best in the race at one mile over the turf course.

Great Venezuela, a 4-year-old Neolithic filly, came in riding a four-race winning streak, and Ashima had won three in a row, but not in nearly as good company. When Ashima took the early lead, Reyes was content to put his filly in perfect position, glued to Ashima’s right flank. Ashima flew through fractions of :23.36, 47:16, 1:10:45 and 1:22.01, and Great Venezuela couldn’t close on her through the lane. The race went in 1:33.73 and the final margin was 1 1/4 lengths, with Ashima notching an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 92, best of her 13-race career.

Great Venezuela earned $14,700 for second, raising her career total to $192,900 for owner/breeder Orlyana Farm on a superior record of 6-2-1 in nine starts.

Neolithic’s second January winner is Cajun Vibes, a 4-year-old gelding bred by Curtis Mikkelsen and Patricia Horth whose recent record was good enough to send him off at 4/5 in a six-furlong race at Penn National.

With Jorge Gonzalez in the irons, Cajun Vibes was off a step slowly leaving the gate, but he began a strong run down the backstretch and surged into contention down the lane. He won going away by nearly two lengths with six furlongs in 1:12.26 and paid $3.60. The $9,600 check increased Cajun Vibes’ total to $28,900 on a record of 2-2-1 in six starts.

Neolithic’s final winner of 2024, and his first of 2025, both came at Camarero Race Track in Puerto Rico.

SOUND OF WAR – The 3-year-old colt owned and bred by L&D Thoroughbreds beat the New Year by a few days, winning a six-furlong test by a length and a quarter in 1:14.27 under J. C. Diaz Jr. It was just his third start and he paid $7.00, while earning a check for $3,480. He gave Neolithic an even 50 winners for the year from 76 starters, for a 66 percentage.

DREAM V – The 5-year-old mare bred by Y-Lo Racing was a $30,000 OBS June 2-year-old and if she had raced anywhere but in Puerto Rico, her 40-7-8-10 record would have her listed as a great bargain. But, as the $3,480 check from her latest score shows, she’s been far from a financial success with total earnings of $46,416. Victory No. 7 was a $55.50 stunner, with Carlos Rodriguez getting her up for a neck victory over a 3/10 favorite. She was clocked in 1:06.26 for the 5 1/2 furlongs, and received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 65, her best ever.

Right Angle became Gunnevera’s second winner in January, and his first runner to win two races, using a strong late run under Miguel Vasquez for a 5 1/2-length score in a $38,000 starter optional claimer over the Gulfstream Park Tapeta surface.

The 3-year-old filly was off sixth and raced in sixth place down the backstretch before beginning a three-wide run coming to the turn. She continued wide into the stretch and ran down 2-1 Blond Jak at the wire, winning by three-quarters of a length. Right Angle was clocked in 1:03.50, paid $24.80, and earned a check for $22,800, lifting her three-race total to $42,560.

Right Angle was bred by Tom MCrocklin and Frank Mermenstein, giving the former two Gunnevera victories in a week; McCrocklin is also a co-breeder of Princess Vera, Gunnevera’s New Year’s Day winner at Parx Racing.

After a late-season surge that gave Gunnevera six winners in his freshman crop, Princess Vera made it seven on New Year’s Day with a “last-to-first” effort at Parx Racing in her career debut.