Turf News

Paco Lopez gave Henny’s Treasure the picture-perfect ride at Gulfstream Park yesterday, resulting in the 3-year-old filly breaking her maiden and becoming the 16th winner this year for Treasure Beach.

Lopez rated Henny’s Treasure in fourth place in the two-path down the backstretch in the one-mile race on the turf. He moved her coming to the turn and went three wide into the stretch, taking the lead heading down the lane and holding the closers safe to prevail by one length.

Henny’s Treasure went off as the 8/5 favorite, and earned $19,700 for owner Patricia Generazio, who bred the filly in partnership with Joe and Helen Barbazon.

Treasure Beach’s 2019 progeny earnings surpassed $400,000 yesterday when Vino went wire-to-wire racing one mile on the grass at Gulfstream Park.

The 4-year-old colt carried Nik Juarez to a 1 1/4-length victory in 1:34.04 and picked up a pair of checks for owner/breeder Mr. Amore Stable. Vino is the 15th winner for Treasure Beach since Jan. 1, and the $16,000 winner’s share increased the stallion’s earnings to $414,280.

At the second under tack session for the OBS Sale of 2-year-olds in training that begins on April 23, a colt from the first crop of Amira’s Prince shared the best clocking of the day for horses who worked a quarter of a mile. HIP No. 240, consigned by Blue River Bloodstock Inc., agent, is a dark bay or brown colt from the family of graded stakes-winning Buffalo Man. He sped a quarter in :20 1/5 seconds, one of only two runners to post that clocking on Tuesday.

Treasure Beach’s 14th winner of 2019 came at Camarero Race Track in Puerto Rico, where La Chele broke her maiden in her fifth career start. The 3-year-old filly sat in fourth place early in the six-furlong race, and when David Ortiz asked her to run on the turn, she fanned five wide and cruised past the field in the stretch, drawing off to score by 1 1/4 lengths. Bred by Frank D.Yates Jr. and Glen View Oaks, La Chele was a $10,000 2-year-old at the OBS June sale in 2018.

Don’t Spin Me spun around the track at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday in a good 1:11.53 for six furlongs to give Handsome Mike his fifth winner of 2019. The 3-year-old filly went wire-to-wire under Daniel Centeno and scored by two lengths, earning a check for $8,690. It was just the second start for Don’t Spin Me, who also earned a breeders’ award for Ed Seltzer, Beverly Anderson and Joe and Helen Barbazon.

Here Comes Jackie closed with a rush, missing second place by a neck but still posting her first stakes-placed finish in the $115,000 Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies Stakes as part of Florida Cup Day at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday.

At odds of 13-1, the 3-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike sat a good trip along the rail while stalking the leaders down the backstretch, and she got clear heading for home. It took a little time for Jose Ferrer to get her in gear at the top of the stretch, but when he did, Here Comes Jackie made a strong late surge and if the wire had come up one jump later, she would have been second. The filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon collected $10,000 for third and raised her career total to $63,700.

Pete Aiello summed it up in five simple words: “Beach Waltz in a romp.” The 4-year-old filly owned and bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey scored her third victory and became winner No.12 for Treasure Beach this year in a $51,000 allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park.

With Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard, the daughter of Treasure Beach stalked the early leaders in third place, moved three wide on the turn and turned the race into a walkover, drawing off by 13 1/4 lengths that would have been 20 if they had gone further than one mile. Beach Waltz earned $26,400 for the victory and increased her career total to $133,529.

Levy Land also scored an easy victory at Gulfstream, going wire-to-wire for owner/breeder Midwest Thoroughbreds and collecting a check for $11,000. The 3-year-old filly by Handsome Mike raced 7 furlongs in 1:25.05 under red-hot Luis Saez and was 3 1/2 lengths in front at the wire while posting her second victory in six starts.

As a 3-year-old in mid-2018, Venezuelan Forever was given a 5 1/2-month break from racing. Since then, the daughter of Treasure Beach has raced seven times and posted a record of three victories, three thirds and a fourth.

Victory No. 3 in that streak, and fourth of her career, came yesterday at Gulfstream Park, a sharp performance at a mile and one-sixteenth on the grass with red-hot Tyler Gaffalione in the irons. The filly bred by Orlyana Farm went to the lead at the start and was never headed, scoring by one-half length, earning a check for $17,300 and raising her lifetime total to $79,210. Venezuelan Forever became winner no. 11 this year for Treasure Beach.

Treasure Beach completed a highly-productive week in Argentina on Wednesday when two of his 3-year-old colts finished 1-2 in stakes company at San Isidro. Emiterio captured the Gran A Caballo and its winner’s check of $7,712, and Glorious Moment, a prior Gr. III stakes-winner, finished second.

Earlier in the week, the 2-year-old filly Lancetta broke her maiden at San Isidro, and the 3-year-old filly La Renoleta broke her maiden at Hipodromo Argentino De Palermo.

The old saying “third time’s a charm” worked wonders at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday for Best Chance Yet, her sire, and her rider. The 3-year-old filly scored in a $22,500 maiden special in her third career start, she became Handsome Mike’s third winner of 2019, and Walber Alencar made it to the winner’s circle for the third time at the meeting.

Best Chance Yet’s first outing had come on the dirt with Quincy Hamilton riding. The filly didn’t show much interest and finished 20 lengths behind at odds of 42-1. In her second start, this one at five furlongs on the grass, she had Alencar aboard and he guided her from well off the pace to finish second at odds of 43-1.

The wagering public obviously didn’t get the message and in her third try, racing one mile on the turf, Best Chance Yet was allowed to go to the post at 32-1. After a bumping incident at the break, Alencar sent her up on the outside and she took the lead easily as they headed down the backstretch. After that, nobody ever got close and Best Chance Yet won by three lengths, paid $66.80, and earned a check for $13,350 plus a breeder’s award for owner/breeder Roberta Vigil.