For Sir Seamus – different payoff, same outcome

What a difference eight months can make!

When Sir Seamus made his career debut at Gulfstream Park on July 19 of last year, the son of Handsome Mike led every step of the way at odds of 81-1 and paid $164.60. Yesterday, Irad Ortiz Jr. took the 4-year-old gelding wire-to-wire again at Gulfstream, but this time the price was $3.40.

Sir Seamus shot to the lead in the one-mile race over the turf course, held a two-length for most of the trip behind sizzling fractions of :22.62, :45.68 and 1:09.23, and finished 1 1/2 lengths in front, clocked in an excellent 1:33.84.

Sir Seamus was bred at Pleasant Acres by Joe and Helen Barbazon, and was a $13,000 OBS June 2-year-old. He lifted his earnings to $48,860, while becoming Handsome Mike’s 14th winner of the year.