Turf News

The aptly-named Expecting a Winner closed out January by becoming winner No. 8 for red-hot Neolithic, who had more visits to the winners’ circle during the month than all Florida sires except for the incredible Khozan and Jess’s Dream, who each had nine.

Expecting a Winner is now 2-for-2 at Tampa Bay Downs with Samy Camacho in the saddle. After a 1 1/4-length score in her December debut, the 3-year-old filly bred by Patricia Generazio came right back and romped by 4 1/2 lengths in her second try with six furlongs in 1:12.02. She paid just $2.40 and earned a check for $15,550, raising her total to $27,270, and was claimed out of the race.

The filly’s victory marked the 100th visit to the winners’ circle for Neolithic’s runners, who collected $166,605 in purse money for the month.

Neolithic’s January run added a sixth United States winner on Friday, and it turns out he had one at Caymanas in Jamaica on Jan. 1, so his total for 26 days is seven.

If Not For Luck scored in a $42,000 starter allowance at Gulfstream Park under Jesus Rios and collected a check for $25,200, which brought Neolithic’s earnings for the month to $146,476. Along the way, he surpassed the $3 million mark in career progeny earnings.

The 4-year-old horse bred by Juan Rodriguez tracked a red-hot pace – :21.84, :44.51, and :56.15 – then proved best in the stretch, getting up by a neck in 1:02.11 for the 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta course. That’s just half a second off the course record held by Extendo, a son of former Pleasant Acres stallion Handsome Mike bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson.

It’s the second straight victory for If Not For Luck, who is now 3-1-2 in eight starts with a bank account of $108,600. He received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 92 for his previous victory, and added a 93 for yesterday’s, best of his eight races.

Neolithic’s January surge continued at Turfway Park on Wednesday with a sharp wire-to-wire performance by Ghost Bike, who became winner No. 5 for his sire since Jan. 1.

Under Ferrin Peterson, the 4-year-old gelding bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds, Geoff Roy and Tom Fitzgerald took the lead at the start of the race at 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track, shook off several challenges along the way, then opened up in the lane and was going away by 4 1/2 lengths at the finish. A $32,000 OBS March 2-year-old, Ghost Bike was clocked in 1:48.18, paid $42.14 and earned a check for $11,954, raising his career bank account to $39,132. He received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 92, best of his career, in which he’s 2-1-4 in 15 starts.

The temperature has been close to freezing mostly every day in January, but Neolithic has been red-hot.

Coming off his best year with progeny earnings of more than $1.4 million, the son of Harlan’s Holiday already has posted four winners in the first 19 days of the month. No. 4 is Jordi’s Dream, who turned in a game effort in an $89,000 maiden special at Gulfstream Park, and wound up in a dead heat after a furious four-horse run to the wire.

With David Egan aboard, the 4-year-old filly bred by Ian Parsard shot to the lead in the race at five furlongs on the grass, controlled a contested pace with sizzling fractions of :22.21 and :44.46, then was all out to deadlock with Street Ride at the wire. Announcer Pete Aiello speculated that it might have been Street Ride a nose in front, but the photo showed it was a tie, in a clocking of :55.96.

As an eligible for Florida bonus awards, Jordi’s Dream collected $39,750 for her maiden-breaker, while non-Florida-bred Street Ride took home just $28,350. Jordi’s Dream earned an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 89, best of her five races.

Neolithic is off to a fast start in 2024, getting his third winner with an eye-opening performance at Turfway Park yesterday.

Neoking, with Andres Ulloa in the saddle, was sitting four or five lengths off the pace early and was actually retreating on the turn, appearing to have lost all chance in the race at six furlongs over the all-weather track. But Ulloa rallied the 4-year-old gelding with a strong move on the inside, he caught the leaders in mid-stretch and was nearly two lengths in front at the wire. The gelding owned and bred by long-time Pleasant Acres client Just For Fun Stable was clocked in 1:20.52 and paid $33.32. He collected a check for $11,954, raising his total to $28,498 on a record of 2-2-1 in nine starts.

Neoking received a 72 Equibase ‘E’ speed figure, best of his career.

The first winner by Amira’s Prince in 2024 is Indy Princess Koko, a newly-turned 7-year-old mare bred by Jeannine Strauss McGann who has displayed her best form racing at all the Ohio tracks.

Luis Rivera was aboard Indy Princess Koko for her six-furlong trip at Mahoning Valley. She sat a stalking third through fractions of :22.74, :45.81 and :58.46, rallied five wide on the turn, and proved best in the run to the wire, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:12.05. She paid $7.40 and collected a check for $6,540, lifting her career total to $78,798 on a record of 6-3-10 in 36 starts.

In her initial three career starts, Neolithica finished seventh, second and 11th under three different jockeys, and trainer Damon Dilodovico got the picture. He tabbed veteran Horacio Karamanos, who had been aboard for the lone second-place finish, to handle the Maryland-bred filly for her upcoming races.

The move proved to be right on the money; Karamanos has won three in a row at Laurel Park with the newly-turned 3-year-old by Neolithic. No. 3 came yesterday in a seven-furlong test, and the $30,000 Timonium yearling went wire-to-wire, winning by five lengths in 1:25.69, paying $7 and collecting a check for $22,770. She received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 72, best of her six efforts.

Neolithic’s second winner of 2024 is now 3-1-0 with earnings of $69,450.

Bucchero was recently relocated to New York, but he has already made his mark with his two crops to race from his time at Pleasant Acres.

His latest stakes-winner, Book’em Danno, has compiled one of the best records in the country among newly-turned 3-year-olds. In his fifth career start, the 3-year-old gelding obliterated the field in the $50,000 Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, winning by 12 1/2 lengths with seven furlongs in 1:23.26 to raise his record to 4-1-0, and the $30,000 paycheck lifted his earnings to $260,625. He has received Equibase ‘E’ speed figures in the 90s in four consecutive races, including a 92 in the Pasco, and he’s already won three stakes.

Book’em Danno, who arrived in New York and immediately moved into the No. 3 spot on the Empire State’s general sire list, wasn’t listed among the top choices on the first two Kentucky Derby Future lists, but that appears to be ready for a change.

Neolithic’s first winner of 2024 is Aloha Man, who broke his maiden at Tampa Bay Downs in his fourth career start.

The 3-year-old colt bred by Maria M. Haire was ridden by Charlie Marquez in the race at one mile over the turf course, and they enjoyed an inside trip early, swung three wide on the turn, and got up in the final strides to score by half a length in 1:38.63. The $12,000 OBS June 2-year-old paid $19.20 and earned a check for $12,760.

Neolithic wound up 2023 in ninth place on Florida’s general sire list with progeny earnings of $1,422,736.

As the 2023 season winds down, it looks as though Neolithic’s best season will fall just short of $3 million.

Bib Bucksalot made it two straight with a convincing victory at Tampa Bay Downs and will end up the year with a record of 4-1-1 in 14 starts. The 3-year-old gelding bred by Julie Jackson scored by 1 3/4 lengths under veteran Jose Ferrer and earned a check for $14,000, bringing his total for the year to $54,130; he didn’t race at two.

Ferrer had Big Bucksalot in a stalking position while three wide down the backstretch, and moved the gelding as they neared the turn. He took the lead, opened up daylight and held it to the wire, clocked in 1:23.38 for the seven furlongs.

With three days remaining, Neolithic’s progeny earnings stand at $2,942,451.