Turf News

With the ease that Rubysa handled a sloppy track and her rivals in a six-furlong test at Tampa Bay Downs on Sunday one would never have guessed she was breaking an extended losing streak.

With Gabriel Maldonado aboard, the 6-year-old old daughter of Gone Astray broke a step slowly from the rail, gunned up to second on the inside, stalked 7-1 shot Royal to Be on the turn, then opened up into the stretch and coasted home by nearly four lengths. She was clocked in 1:12.39, paid $5.80 and earned a check for $10,850. That increased her career bank account to $89,155 on a record of 4-5-6 in 27 starts.

After Platinum Rocker had led every step of the way until the top of the stretch in the fifth race at Gulfstream on Friday, the 3-year-old Neolithic filly lost the lead to House of Melody as they headed for home. But Miguel Vasquez, who never gives an inch, kept her just inside her only rival and she battled back gamely while announcer Pete Aiello screamed into the microphone, “Platinum Rocker’s coming back now and she’s 45-1!”

At the wire, Platinum Rocker was half a length in front in a time of 1:36.99 for the one mile over the turf course. She earned a check for $19,200 and the 45-1 payoff Aiello referred to turned out to be a juicy $96.80. It was the first victory in seven starts for the filly bred at Flamingo Farm by retired 93-year-old dentist Cornelius (Sonny) Link and his late wife, Doris.

Platinum Rocker, a $20,000 OBS June 2-year-old, became winner No. 13 for Neolithic since Jan. 1 and the stallion is tied for second in that category among Florida’s general sires behind the 16 of leader Khozan. Neolithic is currently fifth on the list with progeny earnings of $313,814, less than $4,000 from fourth.

Neolithic’s early-season heroics are coming so fast and furious that the Bloodhorse stallion list and the Stallion Register statistics page hadn’t caught up with each other for several hours today. After Trumpets went wire-to-wire under Edgar Perez in the second race at Gulfstream Park yesterday to become 2024 winner No. 11, and New Rome followed with a wire-to-wire score under Javier Castellano in the ninth to become No. 12, there proved to be a discrepancy in both the number of winners column and in 2024 progeny earnings.

But just before 2 p. m., somebody discovered the errors and now Neolithic is listed with 12 winners on both lists, and earnings of $294,314. Plus, he’s moved up to fifth place on Florida’s general sire list.

Trumpets, an $8,000 OBS October yearling bred by Matalona Thoroughbreds, had finished a strong second with Perez at odds of 40-1 in her debut in December. The 3-year-old filly came back in a $50,000 maiden optional claimer going five furlongs over the Tapeta surface and scored at 4/5, winning by nearly six lengths in :55.36. That’s just .47 hundredths of a second off the course record. She earned $30,000, giving her a two-race total of $40,430.

New Rome was never threatened in her journey in a $37,000 allowance race at one mile over the turf course. The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly bred by Michael and Suzanne Masters won in her first try at Gulfstream after her first eight came at Laurel Park. With Javier Castellano riding, she went by the poles with fractions of :23.32. :47.88 and :1:11.79 en route to a 1 1/4-length score in 1:23.31 and paying $13.60. The check for $19,800 increased her bank account to $103,360 on a record of 4-1-1 in those nine starts.

Sizzling Neolithic added 2024 winner No. 10 yesterday at Gulfstream Park and moved up one more spot into sixth place on Florida’s early general sire list.

Prevent, a 3-year-old stakes-placed colt bred by Katia Perez Ozuna, went wire-to-wire under John Velazquez in a $59,000 allowance optional claimer at one mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface. He nosed out 8/5 favorite Northshore Drive at the wire, then survived a foul claim lodged by the runner-ups’ jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., the country’s leading rider. The two colts had exchanged mild bumps in mid-stretch, and it took the stewards many minutes to decide the outcome, even though it was obvious Prevent hadn’t caused the minor problem and was never in danger of coming down. He paid $8.40.

Prevent, a $15,000 OBS Winter purchase, was clocked in 1:39.11, just a little more than one second off the course record for the distance. He earned a check for $37,400, increasing his bank account to $122,460 on a record of 2-3-0 in nine starts, all made at Gulfstream.

Mr Ramirez became winner No. 9 for Neolithic since Jan.1, holding off all challenges in a 6 1/2-furlong race at Delta Downs and scoring by three widening lengths in 1:22.67.

The 3-year-old colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson was away quickly under Joel Dominguez and held a slight advantage going into the first turn. He led by about a length for much of the run down the backstretch, and left four rivals in the dust in the lane.

Mr Ramirez paid $15.20 while breaking his maiden in his third try. The victory was worth $9,600 as Neolithic moved up to seventh on the 2024 Florida sire list with earnings of $191,000. He’s third on the list with his nine winners.

Song on the Radio is as ‘Pleasant Acres’ as a thoroughbred can get.

He’s by former Pleasant Acres stallion Long On Value; was bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon; is owned by the farm’s advertising director, Tandra Downs; and competes in the colors of her Shark Pit Racing. And Song on the Radio has come out running in the expert care of trainer Ron Spatz.

The 4-year-old colt finished a ho-hum fourth in his debut at Gulfstream Park in November, appearing as though he didn’t yet comprehend what he was doing out on the racetrack. But in his next two starts he finished second (by a half length), then third, and yesterday he broke his maiden in a game effort as the 6/5 favorite in a $50,000 maiden optional claimer at a flat mile on the grass.

With veteran Joe Bravo aboard for the second time, Song on the Radio stalked the leader from the three path early down the backstretch, went up after a quarter and took over the lead without much urging, opened up two lengths on the turn, then out-nosed 2-1 second choice Flat Top Box at the wire in a photo. He was clocked in an excellent 1:34.34.

The victory was worth $30,000 and raised the colt’s 4-race earnings to a healthy $47,650.

The aptly-named Expecting a Winner closed out January by becoming winner No. 8 for red-hot Neolithic, who had more visits to the winners’ circle during the month than all Florida sires except for the incredible Khozan and Jess’s Dream, who each had nine.

Expecting a Winner is now 2-for-2 at Tampa Bay Downs with Samy Camacho in the saddle. After a 1 1/4-length score in her December debut, the 3-year-old filly bred by Patricia Generazio came right back and romped by 4 1/2 lengths in her second try with six furlongs in 1:12.02. She paid just $2.40 and earned a check for $15,550, raising her total to $27,270, and was claimed out of the race.

The filly’s victory marked the 100th visit to the winners’ circle for Neolithic’s runners, who collected $166,605 in purse money for the month.

Neolithic’s January run added a sixth United States winner on Friday, and it turns out he had one at Caymanas in Jamaica on Jan. 1, so his total for 26 days is seven.

If Not For Luck scored in a $42,000 starter allowance at Gulfstream Park under Jesus Rios and collected a check for $25,200, which brought Neolithic’s earnings for the month to $146,476. Along the way, he surpassed the $3 million mark in career progeny earnings.

The 4-year-old horse bred by Juan Rodriguez tracked a red-hot pace – :21.84, :44.51, and :56.15 – then proved best in the stretch, getting up by a neck in 1:02.11 for the 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta course. That’s just half a second off the course record held by Extendo, a son of former Pleasant Acres stallion Handsome Mike bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson.

It’s the second straight victory for If Not For Luck, who is now 3-1-2 in eight starts with a bank account of $108,600. He received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 92 for his previous victory, and added a 93 for yesterday’s, best of his eight races.

Neolithic’s January surge continued at Turfway Park on Wednesday with a sharp wire-to-wire performance by Ghost Bike, who became winner No. 5 for his sire since Jan. 1.

Under Ferrin Peterson, the 4-year-old gelding bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds, Geoff Roy and Tom Fitzgerald took the lead at the start of the race at 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track, shook off several challenges along the way, then opened up in the lane and was going away by 4 1/2 lengths at the finish. A $32,000 OBS March 2-year-old, Ghost Bike was clocked in 1:48.18, paid $42.14 and earned a check for $11,954, raising his career bank account to $39,132. He received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 92, best of his career, in which he’s 2-1-4 in 15 starts.

The temperature has been close to freezing mostly every day in January, but Neolithic has been red-hot.

Coming off his best year with progeny earnings of more than $1.4 million, the son of Harlan’s Holiday already has posted four winners in the first 19 days of the month. No. 4 is Jordi’s Dream, who turned in a game effort in an $89,000 maiden special at Gulfstream Park, and wound up in a dead heat after a furious four-horse run to the wire.

With David Egan aboard, the 4-year-old filly bred by Ian Parsard shot to the lead in the race at five furlongs on the grass, controlled a contested pace with sizzling fractions of :22.21 and :44.46, then was all out to deadlock with Street Ride at the wire. Announcer Pete Aiello speculated that it might have been Street Ride a nose in front, but the photo showed it was a tie, in a clocking of :55.96.

As an eligible for Florida bonus awards, Jordi’s Dream collected $39,750 for her maiden-breaker, while non-Florida-bred Street Ride took home just $28,350. Jordi’s Dream earned an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 89, best of her five races.