Turf News

In his first four career starts at two and three, Hard Astray didn’t show much. After his convincing wire-to-wire victory at Mountaineer Park yesterday, the 5-year-old Gone Astray gelding is 5-2-0 in 12 starts since, with a two-race winning streak and four victories in his last five dating back to November.

Ajhari Williams was aboard for yesterday’s laugher, which came off the grass and went at one mile over a muddy track. Hard Astray shot to the lead, was in front by three lengths after a half mile, four lengths at the end of three quarters, and seven lengths as he cruised down the stretch. The final margin was 8 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:39.22, and was worth $10.20 at the mutuel windows. The gelding bred by JDAB Stables now has earnings of $37,474.

As expected, Gone Astray passed the $1 million mark in 2022 progeny earnings yesterday, keyed by Stormy Pattern’s convincing score at Gulfstream Park.

Red-hot Miguel Vasquez was aboard the 3-year-old colt bred by Ruben Valdes in the $$38,000 starter optional claimer at one mile. Vasquez rushed Stormy Pattern out of the gate from the No. 6 post and found himself three wide down the backstretch as they sped past the first quarter. Stormy Pattern picked it up on the turn, still very wide, took the lead into the stretch, and drew off to win by 2 1/2 lengths, paying $16.80.

The $13,000 OBS June 2-year-old raced the mile in 1:35.81 and received an “E’ speed figure of 93, best of eight races in which he has posted a record of 3-3-0. His earnings reached $113,510 while Gone Astray stands at $1,022,570, good for fifth place on Florida’s leading sire list.

On the final day of Florida’s fiscal year, Pleasant Acres’ stallions chipped in with a trifecta. Whiskey Dash (Amira’s Prince) won at Presque Isle Downs, Chiquirin (Gone Astray) won at Tampa Bay Downs and Cowboy at Heart (Ride On Curlin) scored at Charles Town.

PRESQUE ISLE: Whiskey Dash, bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, won by a length to become the third winner this year for Amira’s Prince. The 5-year-old gelding was off well in the 6 1/2-furlong race over the all-weather track, and rider Alberto Burgos eased him back to third. The $13,000 OBS June 2-year-old tracked the two leaders until the turn, where he went wide and ran them down nearing the wire, scoring by a length. He paid $8.40 and collected a check for $9,000, raising his total to $40,818.

TAMPA BAY DOWNS: Chiquirin lit up the tote board while breaking his maiden in his fourth start and lifted Gone Astray’s progeny earnings for the year to $997,644. He should pass the million-dollar mark today. With Marco Meneses up, the 3-year-old colt rebounded from three poor efforts in 2021 after a layoff of 9 1/2 months. He prepped nicely at Classic Mile, and Meneses brought him back from a 10-length deficit on the final turn to win by a nose over 2/5 favorite American Dollar. Chiquirin paid $48.20 after getting six furlongs in 1:12.03, while earning $8,690.

CHARLES TOWN: Cowboy at Heart showed plenty of heart in winning a 6 1/2-furlong race for his third victory, second of this year. The 4-year-old gelding was off second under Christiaan Hiraldo and tracked leader Stretch the Truth until the turn, where he edged into the lead, then opened up a two-length margin and held off three challengers coming to the finish. The 4-year-old gelding paid $7.20 and earned a check for $12,360, increasing his career total to $81,446.

Bucchero gained his third winner in a span of 17 days with the overpowering wire-to-wire debut performance of Gemma’s Curls at Gulfstream Park yesterday.

The filly bred by Ponder Hill jumped out of the gate with Chantal Sutherland, opened up a quick two-length lead, and extended it to five lengths at the wire without a challenge. She passed the furlong markers in :21.96 and :45.11 en route to a final clocking of :58.81 for the five furlongs.

A $25,000 OBS April purchase by Lea Farms, Gemma’s Curls paid $6.00 and earned $23,050, lifting Bucchero’s first-year total to $79,790. He’s in 10th place among all North American freshman sires.

Richard Averill is well-known in thoroughbred circles, especially around Florida, as so many of his runners are stamped with an ‘R’ as their first names. Among his foremost stars are Delaware Oaks winner R Lady Joy, earner of $581,586 and $233,688 earner R Vicarious Girl.

Among the lesser-known runners, but one of the most interesting, is R Averie Lynn, a Gone Astray filly purchased by Averill for $25,000 as a 2-year-old at OBS July. R Averie Lynn raced for Averill in partnership with ATM Racing for the first 14 starts of her career, winning three times. Last October at Delaware Park, in the 14th start, she was claimed away for $12,500 by Old Coach Farm and trainer Michael Gorham.

In Gorham’s care, R Averie Lynn finished third in her first try for the new barn, then racked up six consecutive seconds, and a fourth in her eighth start. Yesterday, the 4-year-old filly finally hit the winner’s circle at Delaware in a $24,000 starter optional claimer at 5 1/2 furlongs. With Jaime Rodriguez aboard, she sat chilly through a quarter in :21.75 and a half in :45.73, then slipped through on the inside and drove to the lead, winning by a length in 1:04.58. The winner’s check of $14,400 increased her bank account to $103,452 on a record of 4-10-2 in 23 starts. o

After Tiz No Clown was disqualified at Laurel in his second career start on May 12, the 2-year-old colt rebounded in a $46,000 maiden special yesterday and gave No Never No More his first winner.

Yomar Ortiz sent the 2-year-old colt right to the lead in the five-furlong test and Tiz No Clown didn’t clown around. The $2,200 Timonium December weanling made every pole a winning one and completed the course in :59.29, winning by 2 1/2 lengths. The colt bred in Maryland by Stephen E. Smith and Denise Jones paid $9.80 and earned a check for $27,600, lifting his total to $33,097. Currently, plans have him heading for the Maryland Million later in the season.

In his first six starts, Bourbon Over Ice was only able to muster up one third-place finish. But the 3-year-old Neolithic gelding has stepped up his game, and his victory at Delaware Park yesterday made it two winner’s circle visits in his last three tries.

The gelding bred by Belvedere Farm chased 7/5 Sutton Valley through fractions of :22.92 and :46.83, then went after the favorite on the turn, and beat him to the wire, 1 3/4 lengths in front. The $35,000 OBS October yearling negotiated the six furlongs over a sloppy track in 1:12.37 and paid $5 as second choice. He collected a check for $11,400, raising his total to $31,810, and earned his best Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 77.

Bucchero is the first Florida freshman sire to get two winners!

Red Honey, an Indiana-bred who finished second in her debut at Horseshoe Indianapolis on May 30, came back in her second try yesterday and romped in a $36,000 maiden special by nearly three lengths under Joe Ramos.

The 2-year-old filly who was a $48,000 Indiana Fall Mixed yearling, jumped out of the gate from the No. 8 post in the race at 4 1/2 furlongs, tracked the leaders in fourth down the backstretch, then made a strong move while very wide on the turn. She collared the three pacesetters at the top of the stretch and coasted into the lead without a challenge. Clocked in :53.66, Red Honey paid $4.40 and picked up a check for $21,600, raising her two-race total to $28,800.

After finishing second at Mountaineer on Dec. 8 in his final start of 2021, Yeudiel ended up on the shelf until returning yesterday to score his third victory in 23 career starts.

The 5-year-old Gone Astray gelding had been knocking on the door for six months prior to his vacation, going to the sidelines with a record of 1-5-3 in his previous 10 tries. With Luciano Hernandez aboard for his return, Yeudiel was off fifth from the one post in the one-mile race, and dropped back about eight lengths from the lead down the backstretch. He began to slowly close the gap coming to the turn, then cruised up four wide to take on 9/5 pace-setter Just Nod and Smile heading into the stretch. The two were glued to each other right to the wire, with Yeudiel getting the final nod and winning by a head.

Yeudiel was well-bet for his return and paid $6.80 as second choice. He raised his record for his 23 starts to 3-8-5 and the $4,582 check boosted his career total to $36,794. He’s the 25th winner of 2022 for Gone Astray, who inched a little bit closer to his next milestone with earnings of $954,590.

On the other side of the continent, after mustering up just one third-place finish in nine starts in the U. S., Inspiratus made it two straight victories with a romp under Chavion Chow at Assiniboia Downs in Canada. The 3-year-old daughter of Ride on Curlin, a $14,000 OBS June 2-year-old bred by Casey Seaman, was 3 1/2 lengths in front in mid-stretch and widened it to 7 1/4 at the wire, getting 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:07 flat.

In her first 16 starts, World Gone Wild visited the winner’s circle four times, for a strong winning percentage of 25. In her last five tries, the Gone Astray filly has literally gone wild with four more victories – a winning percentage of 80.

Victory No. 4 in the latest streak came yesterday at Delaware Park in a $26,000 starter optional claimer at six furlongs. With Jaime Rodriguez aboard, and carrying hi-weight of 123 pounds, World Gone Wild sped the first quarter in :22.90 seconds and continued on for a wire-to-wire score by one length, paying $3.60 and clocked in 1:11.40. She added $15,600 to her bank account, which has reached $212,360, with $116,090 coming this season at the age of four.

World Gone Wild was bred by Dr. Myron R. Wilson and was a $3,000 OBS October yearling in 2019. With her winnings, she increased Gone Astray’s progeny earnings for 2022 to $947,910.