Turf News

Pleasant Acres stallions led the way at Gulfstream Park on Friday with a pair of winners on the nine-race program, both going one mile on the grass and both posting their best-ever Equibase ‘E’ speed figures.

The second race was won by Quizler, a 3-year-old Curlin’s Honor colt who broke his maiden guided by Paco Lopez in his seventh start, a $50,000 maiden special. The $15,000 OBS June 2-year-old bred by Belinda Kitos at SCF Inc. raced up close down the backstretch, then was involved in a three-horse battle to the wire which he won by half a length in 1:35.32 for the mile. Quizler paid $7.20 and collected $30,000, lifting his earnings to $56,220 on a record of 1-3-1 in his seven tries. His speed figure best is now 84.

Three races later it was Neolithic’s turn, and his 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare New Rome made a return from a 10 1/2-month vacation in mid-season form with Javier Castellano aboard. New Rome hadn’t raced since April of 2024, but she had several sub-49-second works for trainer Jena Antonucci, and was sent off at odds of 2-1. She was sent right to the lead, and put up fractions of :23.59, :46.89 and 1:10.21 en route to winning by nearly three lengths in 1:34.15 for the mile. She picked up a check for $19,200, ballooning her total to $144,469 on a record of 6-1-1 in 12 starts. Her new best-ever speed figure is 96.

Big Bucksalot became the third runner by Neolithic to win twice in 2025 with a wire-to-wire score over a sloppy track at Mahoning Valley.

With Brandon Tapara in the saddle, the 5-year-old gelding bred by Julie Jackson cruised past the markers in :22.91 and :46.68 and was drawing off nearing the wire to win by nearly three lengths in 1:04.96 for the 5 1/2 furlongs. Big Bucksalot paid $5.60, earned a check for $7,800 and is now 6-1-2 in 24 starts with a bank account of $75,802. Before his pair of victories in Ohio, he had previously won three times at Tampa Bay Downs and once at Gulfstream Park.

The gelding was claimed out of the race.

At odds of 14-1, Neoequos led for more than three-quarters of a mile in the Gr. II, $415,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, then held on to finish third, less than three lengths behind winner Sovereignty and runner-up River Thames.

The 3-year-old Neolithic colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon and Matalona Thoroughbreds collected a check for $41,250, which increased his earnings to $179,050. After losing his rider in his career debut last July, Neoequos has posted a record of 2-2-1 in five starts, including seconds in both the Dr. Fager and Affirmed stakes. He was a $22,000 OBS October yearling.

At odds of 14-1, highest in the field, Irad Ortiz Jr. took Neoequos away quickly from the No. 7 post, and he took the lead in a :23.12 quarter with River Thames glued to his side. They continued that way through fractions of :47.07 and 1:10.68 and into the stretch before Neoequos tired to finish third.

Great Venezuela, who had previously been stakes-placed twice, captured her first black-type race Saturday and extended her unblemished record: she hasn’t been worse than third in her 10 career starts.

The 4-year-old Neolithic filly, owned and bred by Ocala’s Orlyana Farm, won the $125,000 Lightning City Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs under Leonel Reyes and extended her record to 7-2-1, including five victories in her last six starts. She had finished second in her previous start in the Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park.

Great Venezuela came from back in the pack at Tampa, made a five-wide sweep into the stretch and was going away at the finish, winning by two lengths in :55.75 for the five furlongs on the grass. The clocking is less than two seconds off the course record and afforded her an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 100, best of her 10 starts. She paid $6.20 and earned a check for $77,500, raising her bank account to $270,400.

Over the years, several track announcers have spiced up their race calls with patented lines that became familiar to every racegoer in North America. To name a few, there was multi-track Dave Johnson’s “And down the stretch they come,” Chicago’s Phil Georgeff with his “Here they come, spinning out of the turn,” Calder’s Phil Saltzman’s “And they’re not gonna get him today,” and Trevor Denman’s “And (so-and-so) can see them all,” referring to the last horse in the field, a call that several of today’s announcers have adopted for themselves.

The latest addition to the group is Gulfstream Park’s Pete Aiello, who, when faced with a stretch cavalry charge with five or six horses in contention, always bellows his patented line, “Who do you like here?”

Pete’s call is now etched in history with co-owner/breeder Breeze Easy LLC’s naming of the now 3-year-old filly Whodoyoulikehere, a daughter of Curlin’s Honor who broke her maiden at Delta Downs on Friday in her sixth career start. A $45,000 OBS October yearling, she made up eight lengths on the turn under Alex Birzer and went on to win a stretch battle by a head with 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:24.26. She paid $14.40 and earned a check for $9,600.

Cajun Vibes became the first runner by Neolithic to win twice in 2025 with a sharp ‘last-to-first’ performance in a six-furlong race at Penn National last night.

The 4-year-old gelding bred by Curtis Mikkelsen and Patricia Horth was off seventh under Angel Rodriguez, who decided to send Cajun Vibes after the leaders midway down the backstretch. They made it up to third with a wide sweep on the turn, and proved best in the lane, winning by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:12.21 and paying $4. The gelding has now won three of his last five tries and has an overall record of 3-2-1 in eight starts. The winner’s check of $7,200 boosted his earnings to $36,400.

Neolithic is in fourth place on the early Florida general sire list with progeny earnings of $303,468.

It’s possible that Bold N Breezy and Honor Her were buddies as kids at Pleasant Acres – Bold N Breezy is by Gunnevera and was foaled in April of 2022, while Honor Her is by Curlin’s Honor and was foaled two months earlier.

In any event, they may have had a reunion after Bold N Breezy won the second race at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday and was headed back to the barn, while Honor Her was on the way to the paddock for the third race, which she also won 20 minutes later.

BOLD N BREEZY – The 3-year-old colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon in partnership with Matalona Thoroughbreds, a $50,000 OBS October yearling, was glued to the hip of 9-1 shot Peppermint Man for most of the trip in a 1 1/16-mile, $30,000 starter optional claimer over the Tapeta surface. When Irad Ortiz Jr. let him out, Bold N Breezy drew off and scored by nearly four lengths. He paid $3.60 and picked up a check for $18,000 after covering the distance in 1:44.36. He’s now 2-1-0 in five starts with earnings of $41,620.

HONOR HER – The 3-year-old filly bred by Jeff Lovelady Jr. was a $35,000 Timonium May 2-year-old. With Javier Castellano aboard, she was fourth, about eight lengths off the pace heading down the backstretch in the race at five furlongs over the Tapeta surface. Castellano swung her off the inside and guided her between horses in the lane and she was up in time to break her maiden by three-quarters, clocked in :58.04. Honor Her paid $6.40 and collected $16,200. She was claimed for $17,500 by trainer Dan Hurtak.

Neolithic added a pair of winners on Sunday, one at Laurel Race Course and one at Tampa Bay Downs, giving him 11 for the new year, third best thus far for 2025 among Florida’s stallions.

NEOLITHICA – The 4-year-old filly bred in Maryland by Maria M. Haire went wire-to-wire under Victor Carrasco in a $27,120 starter optional claimer at six furlongs. She passed the furlong markers in :22.96 and :47.45 en route to a 4 1/2-length score in 1:13.04 and collected a check for $16,560, increasing her career total to $103,840. A $30,000 Timonium October yearling, Neolithica paid a healthy $45.80, while raising her record to 5-1-1 in 14 starts.

NOTABLE EXCHANGE – In her seven-furlong career debut in Oldsmar, the 3-year-old filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon trailed near the rear of the pack down the backstretch, made a strong surge approaching the turn, then won a three-horse battle down the lane by a neck. Her final clocking was 1:24.76 and her first score was worth $9.20 at the windows and $13,300 in the bank.

Neolithic has already run up $297,931 in progeny earnings in 1 1/2 months and is fourth on Florida’s general sire list.

Pleasant Acres stallions struck twice on Saturday with eye-catching scores in Florida and Louisiana.

LADY’S CHANT – The 4-year-old filly by Neolithic had veteran Ronnie Allen Jr. in the irons for the mile and 40-yard trip over the main track at Tampa Bay Downs. Despite having won her last, she was allowed to go off at odds of $13-1, and she paid $29.40.

The filly owned and bred by Martin and Emily Goodell was off quickly, then was eased back to second for the run down the backstretch. Allen slipped her through on the inside and she took the lead entering the stretch, then put it in overdrive and coasted to the wire nine lengths in front, clocked in 1:40.84. She raised her record to 2-3-6 in 16 starts, and the check for $10,500 jumped her total to $46,505. She received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 77, best of her 16 starts.

HONOR THAT DUDE – The bred by Maverick Stables in Louisiana broke his maiden at Delta Downs in his ninth start. David Cardoso had him in a stalking position early, sent him to the lead on the turn, and he drew off to win by nearly six lengths in 1:28.61 for the seven furlongs. The $10,000 OBS October yearling collected $16,200 for the score.

Scarecrow gave Neolithic a big boost in his quest to remain near the top of the Florida general sire list, winning a $97,000 allowance race at Gulfstream Park and reaping the big payoff that goes along with it.

The 3-year-old colt bred by Endsley Oaks Farm benefited from a top-flight ride by Edgard Zayas in the race at 1 1/16 miles over the Tapeta surface. Zayas had Scarecrow in a close stalking position down the backstretch, sent him three wide on the turn, and they prevailed by a neck after a head-and-head stretch battle. Scarecrow paid $9 after getting the distance in 1:43.44 and earned a healthy check for $59,700, boosting his total to $112,710 on a record of 2-0-2 in five starts.

In 38 days, Neolithic has racked up 2025 progeny earnings of $246,821.