Turf News

The second biggest money-winner by Amira’s Prince is Our Fantasy, who boosted her earnings to $298,014 yesterday by winning a starter optional claimer at Delaware Park, her fourth victory this year. The 6-year-old mare was bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, who are also the breeders of the stallion’s highest earner, Sister Otoole, whose bank account of $419,470 was built by a record of 4-5-5 in 22 starts.

John Hiraldo was aboard Our Fantasy, who came from last place in a six-horse field to score by a length in 1:43.35 for the mile and 70 yards. She paid $12.80 and collected a check for $10,800.

Not too far south, at Laurel Park, New Rome made it two victories in a row and three of her last four, also coming from way back under Denis Araujo to get up in time in a race at 5 1/2 furlongs over the turf course. The 3-year-old Neolithic filly bred in Kentucky by owners Michael and Suzanne Masters captured a $40,000 claimer while saddled by the No. 10 post, and racing 5-1/2 furlongs in 1:02.81. She collected a check for $26,400, raising her total to $80,860 on a record of 3-1-1 in seven starts.

Neolithic’s progeny earnings for 2023 ballooned to $998,505.

As the field was approaching the starting gate in the sixth race at Gulfstream Park on Friday, Fast Fixer was sitting at a co-favored 8/5 on the tote board. As they entered the gate, the 3-year-old gelding by Bucchero dropped to 6/5. When the gate was sprung, Fast Fixer was off second, away from the rail, and the tote board now read ‘2/5.’

In his previous start, Fast Fixer had broken his maiden racing 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta surface. He made it two in a row over the all-weather track in this one under Hector Diaz Jr., and earned a check for $12,200. He was clocked in :57.57, paid $2.80, and was claimed out of the race.

Unraced at two, the gelding bred by Good Beginnings Farm is now 2-1-1 in 11 starts with a bank account of $33,800.

Valuable Breigh is living up to her name up north; she’s won four in a row at Delaware Park and Parx Racing.

The 4-year-old daughter of Gone Astray won No. 4 at Parx, in a $31,000 starter allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs with Mychel Sanchez in the saddle. Sanchez put the filly on the lead at the break and Valuable Breigh led every step of the way with fractions of :22.76, :46.25 and 1:12.20, and holding her rivals at bay to score by one length. Her previous three victories were by 2 1/4, 4 3/4 and 7 1/4 lengths, a combined total for the four of 15 1/4 lengths.

Valuable Breigh had been claimed out of her last on Sept. 20 by big-time trainer Jamie Ness, and her first start in his barn was worth $18,000 in her bank account and $3.60 at the mutuel windows. She’s now 7-2-2 in 24 starts with earnings of $119,270.

Long On Value’s first 2-year-old winner of 2023 is Lighting Clouds, who cruised to a four-length victory racing five furlongs over the Tapeta surface at Gulfstream Park.

The colt bred by Dr. Cornelius and Doris Link was ridden by Edgard Perez, who had Lighting Clouds in a stalking position in the three path down the backstretch, swung very wide entering the stretch, then pulled away without being threatened, clocked in 59 seconds flat. He earned a check for $17,100 and became Long On Value’s sixth winner overall this season.

The weekend heroics of Anamnestic and Hydria at Gulfstream Park vaulted Bucchero to new heights; the son of Kantharos passed the $2 million mark in 2023 progeny earnings, and he now has 42 winners who have won 77 races.

ANAMNESTIC: With Edgar Perez in the irons, the 3-year-old colt bred by Belvedere Farm scored the gamest of victories in a $43,000 allowance optional claimer at a mile and 70-yards over the Tapeta course. Perez settled Anamnestic into fourth place down the backstretch, then made a three-wide move on turn and the colt took the lead into the stretch. He lost the edge at the eighth pole and appeared to have to settle for second, but he fought back gamely and regained the lead at the wire, winning by a head.

Anamnestic earned $25,800 for the victory, raising his career bank account to $103,068 on a record of 2-4-0 in 13 starts.

HYDRIA – It took the 3-year-old filly four tries over the Tapeta course until she finally put it all together for her first victory, a one-length come-from-behind score under Samuel Camacho Jr. and a check for $11,600. She paid $27.20 after getting 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:06.24.

Bucchero’s 40th winner is Barb’s Vortex, a 3-year-old Indiana-bred filly who didn’t race at two and broke her maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis in her fifth start for Brian and Aaron Reed and Keith Wexler, her owners and breeders.

Fernando De La Cruz was aboard in the $36,000 maiden special going a mile over the turf course. Barb’s Vortex jumped out to the lead leaving the gate, and De La Cruz eased her back to second on the rail down the backstretch. She slipped through on the inside entering the stretch and drew off to score by nearly two lengths without being threatened, clocked in 1:40.20. She paid $9.80, and collected a check for $21,600, which raised Bucchero’s progeny earnings for 2023 to $1,975,462.

Neolithic is less than $38,000 from reaching the $1 million mark in 2023 progeny earnings following Bourbon Over Ice’s hard-earned score at Thistledown, second victory in his last three starts for the 4-year-old gelding.

David Haldar was in the saddle in the race at six furlongs, and after stalking the pace down the backstretch, he maneuvered Bourbon Over Ice between horses in the stretch and out-gamed two rivals to the wire to win by a neck, clocked in 1:12.22. The gelding bred by Belvedere Farm paid $7.80, earned a check for $10,106 and raised his career bank account to $87,116 on a record of 5-4-3 in 29 starts.

Neolithic’s progeny earnings stand at $962,556.

Dream Astray, a rare Caifornia-bred by Gone Astray, was in rare form at Presque Isle Downs yesterday in just his fourth start of 2023. The 5-year-old gelding bred by Kenneth D’Oyen carried Antonio Gallardo to a wire-to-wire victory in a mile and 70 yard test over the all-weather track.

Dream Astray paid $6.60 after defeating 7/5 favorite Tiz Tact Toe by six lengths. He was clocked in 1:41.8 and earned a check for $8,400, raising his total to $48,065 on a record of 3-3-0 in 12 starts. Gone Astray’s progeny earnings for the year climbed to $855,365.

Three 2-year-olds combined for $133,650 in purse money yesterday and lifted Bucchero’s progeny earnings for 2023 to $1,942,512, assuring him a $2 million season with just two crops at the races.

BOOK’EM DANNO – The gelding bred in New Jersey by Gregory J. Kilka and Bright View Farm followed up his victory in the Smoke Glacken Stakes at Monmouth Park with a convincing 6 1/2-length score in the $150,000 Futurity Stakes at the Belmont-at-the Big A meeting. With Jose Ortiz riding, Book’em Danno sat fourth down the backstretch behind a hot pace of :22.09, :45.27 and :57.24, moved three wide on the turn, and coasted to the wire in 1:09.47 for the six furlongs. He received an Equibase speed figure of ’96’ for the effort. The track record owned by Florida-bred Kelly Kip is 1:07.54.

Book’em Danno, unbeaten in three races, paid $2.80 and earned a check for $82,500, increasing his total to $200,625.

BUCCHERINO – In a $54,300 allowance optional claimer at 5 1/2 furlongs at Laurel, the colt bred by Blue River Bloodstock engaged in a battle on the front end in :22.52, :45.57 and :58.63, before Angel Cruz guided him under the wire to win by a neck, clocked in 1:05.87. Winner of two of his last three, Buccherino paid $4.80 and collected a check for $32,400, jumping his total to $82,900.

SHARDS – The colt bred by Craig L. Wheeler finished third in Keeneland’s $250,000 Indian Summer Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf, falling just a neck and a nose short of winning his first stakes.

The $175,000 OBS March 2-year-old added $18,750 to his earnings, which have now reached $70,750 on a record of 1-1-2 in four tries.

Buoyed by a pair of sharp winners, Neolithic picked up nearly $49,000 in purse money yesterday, and passed the $951,000 mark in 2023 progeny earnings. He has steadily been moving up on that list, and has reached No. 10 among Florida sires.

In her second start, following a runner-up finish in her debut, Great Venezuela, a 2-year-old filly owned and bred by Orlyana Farm became winner No. 26 for her sire with a 5 3/4-length romp in a $40,000 maiden special at Gulfstream Park. With Leonel Reyes in the irons, Great Venezuela stalked the early pace through fractions of :22.21 and :44.82 in the race at five furlongs over the Tapeta surface, then came wide into the stretch and drew away with ease, getting the distance in :56:87, less than two seconds off the track record. She collected a check for $24,000, lifting her two-race total to $29,600.

At Albuquerque, Loana raised her record to 3-3-1 in 12 starts with a hard-earned neck victory in a $40,400 allowance optional claimer going seven furlongs over the main track. The 3-year-old filly bred in Pennsylvania by Mary K. Haire rated just off the pace down the backstretch under Jorge Carrena, went up to duel for the lead on the turn, then out-gamed two rivals to the wire to score by a neck. Loana was clocked in a quick 1:22.23, also less than two seconds off the track record, paid $10 and earned a check for $23,432. She received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of ’86’, her best career mark during which she has collected $81,966. She’s won two in a row and three of her last four.