Turf News

Congratulations are in order for veteran horseman Miguel Feliciano, who for decades has split his time between Tampa Bay Downs in the winter and Ohio in the summer. On March 30, Feliciano claimed Raise a Warrior for $8,000 out of a mile and one-sixteenth race at Tampa. Just 12 days later, he raised the son of Poseidon’s Warrior to $25,000, at the same time turning him back to seven furlongs. The 3-year-old colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon was more than up to the task after causing some problems prior to the start by breaking through the gate.

Down the backstretch, Jose Bracho kept Raise a Warrior close to the pace in the two-path, then the colt rallied on the outside to wear down the 4/5 pacesetter, edging away late to score his first career victory. The margin was 1 1/4 lengths and was worth $9,290 to Feliciano. Raise a Warrior became the ninth winner this year for his sire, who is rapidly approaching $500,000 in progeny earnings.

Poseidon’s Warrior surpassed the $1 million level in career progeny earnings yesterday when Firenze Fire finished a closing fourth in a field of nine in the $1 million, Gr. II Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. The 3-year-old colt earned $65,000 for his finish, and has now reached $669,100 for his nine career starts. His sire has earnings of $1,058,813, and the $460,347 for this year alone has elevated Poseidon’s Warrior into fourth place among Florida’s leading active sires, even though he’s the only one with just one crop at the races. Firenze Fire’s $220,000 bank account for 2018 is also best among all runners by Florida stallions.

Farmer Phil had to overcome rain and a sloppy track in his career debut at Oaklawn Park yesterday, but the 3-year-old gelding by Poseidon’s Warrior was up to the task. Farmer Phil broke well with veteran Jon Court aboard, then stalked the early pace before swinging wide into the stretch and getting up at the wire by one-half length. He earned a check for $13,200, and not only became his sire’s eighth winner of 2018, he vaulted Poseidon’s Warrior to within less than $7,000 of the million-dollar mark in progeny earnings with his first crop. Reaching that milestone could happen today when stakes-winning Firenze Fire takes on several other Kentucky Derby hopefuls in the $1 million, Gr. II Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

The 2-year-olds are running in Argentina and it turns out that Treasure Beach has two fillies who have visited the winner’s circle in March. Although information is limited, Betty Rose broke her maiden at Hipodromo Argentino De Palermo on the 26th, earning $11,385, and Mirta broke hers at San Isidro on the third, earning $6,655.

On the closing day of Gulfstream Park’s championship meeting, Forty Fathoms broke out on top under Nik Juarez, put up a fraction of :22.48 for the first quarter while opening up a three-length lead, and never looked back while scoring an eye-catching victory in just his second career start. The 3-year-old colt by Poseidon’s Warrior increased the margin to 6 1/2 lengths in the stretch before coasting home by nearly 13, clocked in 1:12.12 for the six furlongs. Forty Fathoms, bred by Mary Robinson, became the seventh winner for his sire this year, and the $17,000 winner’s check boosted his seasonal earnings to $372,777. Sometime this month, Poseidon’s Warrior will reach the $1 million mark in progeny earnings with his first crop; he currently stands at $971,243.

Navy Commander and jockey Frankie Pennington have formed the perfect union in Pennsylvania, the pair teaming up for three victories in their last four races for owner/breeder Swilcan Stables. Pennington guided the 3-year-old Poseidon’s Warrior gelding to a blockbuster score at a flat mile on Tuesday, worth $38,640 out of the allowance purse of $61,220. Pennington took the PA-bred away quickly from the No. 5 post and immediately engaged Jw’strickymischief for the lead. They raced as a team down the backstretch, but Navy Commander put his rival away and began to draw off on the turn. With his rider sitting still, the gelding galloped away in the last eighth to score by 10 3/4 widening lengths. Ironically, Navy Commander had won his first two races by a combined total of 10 3/4 lengths (3 1/2 and 7 1/4). Poseidon’s Warrior is Florida’s leading second-crop sire and Navy Commander is poised to become his second $100,000 earner with a total of $93,848.

After making her debut at Gulfstream Park in September, Blouberg Beach was laid up for six months by co-owner/trainer Ian Hemingway, returning in a one-mile turf race at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday. Hemingway chose Ademar Santos to handle the 3-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach and the long shot specialist more than lived up to his reputation. At odds of 35-1, Santos guided Blouberg Beach to a hard-fought maiden victory by one-half length, worth $8,270 to Robert Lloyd and Hemingway Racing. The filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon and the Treasure Beach Syndicate rewarded her backers to the tune of $73.

Pirate Beach has won two of his last three starts at Gulfstream Park after he turned in a strong performance at 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass yesterday. With Jose Batista aboard, the 3-year-old Treasure Beach gelding broke well from the No. 9 post but was pushed wide going to the first turn. Batista didn’t take back, though, sending Pirate Beach to an easy lead as the field entered the backstretch. There was never a serious threat after that, and Pirate Beach continued on to a 2 1/4-length score over 2-1 favorite Remember the Maine with an excellent clocking of 1:29.83. The victory was worth $17,800 to the gelding’s owner, Shade Tree Thoroughbreds.

One definition of messiah is: “a leader or savior of a particular group or cause,” and that’s just what the 3-year-old Anthony’s Cross colt Messiah did for his backers at Fair Grounds yesterday after he was nearly taken out of the race rounding the first turn. Sent off as the 3-1 second choice in a $42,000 maiden special at “about” one mile on the grass, Messiah and rider James Graham were pushed about eight wide heading into the turn, a position few horses have the ability to recover from. But Graham settled his colt into seventh place down the backstretch, swung wide on the final turn, and Messiah gamely oufought the remaining two leaders to the wire, winning by a neck in a three-horse photo. Messiah had finished second, third and fourth in his three previous tries, closing in each. His first career victory was worth $22,800, raising his total to $35,780.

A switch in tactics by jockey Malcolm Franklin proved to be no problem for Nymue’s Treasure, who made it 2-for-2 yesterday with a come-from-behind victory racing 6 1/2 furlongs at Turfway Park. The 3-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach had broken her maiden with a 3 1/2-length, wire-to-wire score in her career debut on Jan. 26. This time, the filly bred by Ed Seltzer, Beverly Anderson and Joe and Helen Barbazon broke slowly and was seventh after a quarter of a mile. But Franklin sent her up five wide on the turn and Nymue’s Treasure responded with a strong burst through the lane, drawing off by 1 1/2 lengths at the wire.