With a little luck, Neolithic Passes $2.5 million

After a solid second-place finish in the $100,000 NYRA Bets Sprint at Tampa Bay Downs in March, If Not For Luck was given 7 1/2 months off by trainer Carlos Luis Perez. The 5-year-old son of Neolithic made his return Sunday at Gulfstream Park in a five-furlong, $61,000 allowance optional claimer on the grass, and showed he hasn’t lost any of the form he displayed in his previous three races in which he received Equibase ‘E’ speed figures of 93, 93 and 92.

If Not For Luck left from the No. 11 post with Jesus Rios and was in good early position down the backstretch. Rios swung him four wide on the turn, and in what looked like the Charge of the Light Brigade down the lane, the $35,000 OBS purchase out-gamed a host of rivals to score by a head; the fifth-place finisher lost it all by a length.

If Not For Luck was clocked in :54.71, just over one second off the course record, and received an ‘E’ figure of 89. He paid $22.80 and earned a check for $33,100, boosting his career total to $161,700, with $78,300 coming in 2024.

Neolithic’s progeny earnings for the year have reached $2,532,761.