Turf News

After finishing fourth in the Gr. III Waya Stakes at Belmont Park in her last start, Sister Otoole stepped it up two notches yesterday with a flying finish and a sharp second-place effort in the $150,000, Gr. III Maple Leaf Stakes at Woodbine. Amira’s Prince’s leading money-winner collected a check for $23,903 ($30,000 in Canada), raising her lifetime total to $172,059.

The 4-year-old filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon was off last in the mile and a quarter race on the all-weather track, and Kazushi Kimura was content to let her relax there for three-quarters of a mile, about seven lengths off the leaders. When he sent her through on the rail on the final turn, Sister Otoole put it another gear, split horses at the top of the stretch, and blew by all but the winner in the run to the wire.

Sister Otoole, who was sent off at 8-1 on the tote board, is 1-3-0 in six starts this year and has collected $127,934. She has proven to be at home at all tracks and on all surfaces, Woodbine making the ninth venue at which she has competed while posting a career record of 2-4-3 in 11 races.

If there were a popularity contest featuring all the 2021 runners by Pleasant Acres’ stallions, Hard West would have to be a top contender. The 4-year-old son of Gone Astray has been a resident of so many barns this season, he no doubt feels like a foster child being shunted from one home to another.

The colt bred by JDBA Stables scored a wire-to-wire victory at Parx Racing yesterday, raising his career record to 5-2-4 in 24 starts. The winner’s check of $10,800 boosted his earnings to $74,306. This year alone, Hard West is 2-2-3 in 15 tries, with earnings of $39,311. As for his homes, he’ll have another this week via a claim out of yesterday’s race, after previously having been claimed on Jan. 20, June 7, Sept. 7 and Oct. 19.

Jeremy Laprida was aboard in Hard West’s latest victory, guiding the colt through fractions of :23.02, :46.48 and :58.18 and leaving his rivals in the dust as he crossed the finish line nearly five lengths in front, clocked in 1:04.39 for the 5 1/2 furlongs.

The first winner for Gone Astray since the son of Dixie Union arrived at Pleasant Acres is the 2-year-old Chasing Happiness.

The filly owned and bred by Ocalans Bill and Lynn Rainbow scored at Gulfstream Park yesterday in a $55,000 maiden special – her first start after a solid second-place debut. She earned a check for $34,000, which raised her total to $43,900.

Sent off at even money, Chasing Happiness fought off several challenges in the early going, then put it another gear in the stretch with Emisael Jaramillo and drew off to prevail by 6 1/2 lengths. She raced seven furlongs in 1:26.18 and paid $4.20. In her runner-up debut, she finished 16 lengths ahead of the third-place runner.

Gone Astray is currently in sixth place on Florida’s leading sire list with progeny earnings of $1,932,759. He has 50 winners this year who have won 83 races, and Chasing Happiness is his fourth 2-year-old winner. All told, Gone Astray has had 179 winners who have won 509 races and earned $12,856,563, a welcome addition to the Pleasant Acres stallion roster.

When Make It Big broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park by 8 1/2 lengths on Oct. 9, the Brunetti family at Red Oak Farm received their first return on the son of Neolithic – $27,000. It came just five months and nine days after they had paid $120,000 for him at the OBS April sale.

The dividends reached $63,828 yesterday when the colt from Neolithic’s first crop became the initial stakes-winner for the stallion by Harlan’s Holiday, winning the $60,000 Ocala Stud Juvenile despite a troubled trip at Gulfstream.

After his sharp debut, Make It Big was 4/5 on the tote board as the field left the gate for the seven-furlong race. However, leaving from the No. 1 post, Make It Big made a right turn and brushed the gate, getting out last in the field of six. Edgard Zayas quickly straightened him out and Make It Big cruised up on the inside to take a spot in third, stalking pacesetter Just Leo, a full brother to millionaire Firenze Fire.

Coming to the turn, Zayas found himself in a box and took back briefly into fourth before swinging his colt wide and out to mid-track as they began the run down the lane. It took Make It Big a few strides to get untracked, and when he did, he blew by the leaders without so much as taking a deep breath, reaching the wire 2 1/2 lengths in front in 1:24.62, and collecting $36,828.

The colt bred by SHH Stables became the second stakes horse among the five winners for Neolithic. Previously, Cattin finished third in the $400,000 In Reality.

John’s Promise raised his record to 6-7-2 in 26 starts with a hard-earned victory in a $22,000 starter allowance in the mud at Delaware Park yesterday. The gelding by Handsome Mike is enjoying his 5-year-old season; in his last nine tries, he’s posted a record of 2-5-0-1.

Raul Mena was aboard John’s Promise, who was sent to the lead in the six-furlong affair and held off two early challengers until they hit the top of the stretch. Then, the gelding bred by the McLaughlin Family Partnership drew off to score by 1 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:12.19. He paid $6.60 and earned a check for $13,200, increasing his career total to a healthy $130,743.

Owner Joseph Besecker and trainer Jamie Ness had to know there was very little chance that Where U B would not be claimed out of yesterday’s sixth race at Laurel Park. The 3-year-old gelding by Ride On Curlin went into the 5 1/2-furlong race with a record of 3-2-0 in six starts this year. He had won his last two at Delaware, receiving his highest Equibase ‘E’ speed figure – 75 – on September 15, and improving it to 84 with his victory on October 4.

With Angel Suarez aboard, Where U B made it three straight, going wire-to-wire in a quick 1:04.21, winning by 4 1/4 lengths and paying $7.40. He earned a check for $10,200, which boosted his total to $45,325, not bad for a horse Besecker purchased for $5,000 at the OBS July sale in 2020.

And, of course, the gelding bred by Marco Medina will be running in the colors of Mi Patria Racing when he attempts to stretch his winning streak to four.

It only took Erik Barbaran one prep race to get the goods on Indy Princess Koko. In his first try at Thistledown aboard the 4-year-old filly, he finished well to get third with the daughter of Amira’s Prince. Yesterday, he guided her to an eye-catching victory, making it look she has better things in store.

Barbaran shot Indy’s Princess Koko out of the gate and allowed her to settle into third place down the backstretch, three lengths behind the battling leaders. Nearing the turn, Barbaran sent her up on the outside and Indy Princess Koko responded with a flourish, sweeping to the front and drawing off with a burst to score by 3 1/2 widening lengths.

The filly bred by Jeannine Strauss McGinn earned a check for $6,420 after getting her second victory with five furlongs in 1:00.04.

With just 10 runners, Amira’s Prince has six winners this year, and his progeny earnings of $316,807 are 18th best among all Florida active sires.

Neolithic became the first Florida freshman sire to reach five winners this year when Make It Big more than lived up to his name in a $45,000 maiden special at Gulfstream Park yesterday.

The 2-year-old colt bred by SHH Ventures had Edgard Zayas in the irons in the race at seven furlongs, and he was sent off as the 4/5 favorite after his final breeze on Oct. 3 – five furlongs in :59.87. Make It Big was off a step slowly, but Zayas rushed him up on the inside and he opened up by two lengths in a :22.40 quarter. He went to the half by himself in :45.89 and was three in front heading down the stretch. By the time he hit the wire, Make It Big had salted away the winner’s check for the Brunetti family’s Red Oak Stable, who purchased him for $120,000 at the OBS April sale.

The final margin was a widening 8 1/2 lengths and Make It Big was clocked in 1:24.62, receiving an 86 “E” speed figure from Equibase, an excellent number for a juvenile in his debut at the distance. He earned $27,000, raising Neolithic’s first-season progeny earnings to $217,005.

Despite a game half-length victory in his last race, and a record of 2-2-0 in five starts, the bettors on Delaware Park racing allowed Where U B to go off at 9-1 yesterday in a race at 5 1/2 furlongs.

As the non-believers ripped up their tickets after the 3-year-old gelding by Ride On Curlin won a stretch-long battle by a head, Where U B’s followers cashed in to the tune of $20.60.

Jaime Rodriguez was aboard again as Where U B collected a check for $8,400 while getting the distance in 1:04.55, and receiving his highest Equibase ‘E’ figure – an 85. He’s now 3-2-0 in six tries with earnings of $35,125.

Here Comes Bullet was a slow learner for Handsome Mike, and, after his first three races produced just one third-place finish, he went to the sidelines for 13 months.

The 4-year-old gelding bred by Thomas L. Croley returned this year and he’s proven to be a different horse. With his victory in a one-mile race at Gulfstream Park yesterday, Here Comes Bullet has won three of his last five.

With talented Edwin Gonzalez contributing a picture-perfect ride, Here Comes Bullet earned a check for $11,600 and raised Handsome Mike’s progeny earnings for 2021 to $979,707; it won’t be long before he celebrates his third straight million-dollar season. He’s currently in eighth place among active stallions on Florida’s general sire list.

Here Comes Bullet broke well from the No. 8 post and Gonzalez moved him up to third down the backstretch, battling the two leaders while three wide every step of the way. The gelding moved up to second coming to the final turn, then put away the leader under confident handling as they straightened out in the lane. He was never threatened in the final eighth and won by two lengths, clocked in 1:38.92. He paid a generous $20 and raised his earnings to $49,760.