Turf News

As if spurred on by the World Series, stallions from Pleasant Acres scored another triple on Sunday at three tracks – Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park and Mountaineer Casino and Resort.

GULFSTREAM – Major Pryce became the 43rd winner of 2023 for Bucchero, scoring a 3 1/2-length victory under Angel Morales in a race at 6 1/2 furlongs. The 3-year-old filly bred by Judy Bassett and Debora Morgan raced the distance in 1.18.60 and banked $17,200, increasing her total to $78,235 on a record of 2-3-1 in 20 tries. She paid $6.80.

LAUREL – Neolithica welcomed a drop in company to break her maiden in her fourth start, coming from behind and carrying veteran Horacio Karamanos to a one-half-length victory in a 5 1/2-furlong test which went in 1:08.07. The 2-year-old filly bred by Maria M. Haire is the 29th winner of 2023 for Neolithic, who has registered six winners between Oct. 10 and Oct. 29.

MOUNTAINEER – Guillemo Rodriguez was aboard for the 3 1/2-length victory over the sloppy track by the 6-year-old gelding by Gone Astray, who has now won three of his last five starts. He’s 9-2-1 in 30 career starts and the check for $6,380 raised his bank account to $65,352. Hard Astray received an ‘E’ speed rating of 85 in each of the last three victories. He paid $13.40 Sunday.

It’s the season of Pleasant Acres exactas, and the latest one occurred at Horsehoe Indianapolis in a $38,000 allowance race at a mile and a sixteenth.

Barb’s Vortex went wire-to-wire under Fernando De La Cruz, scoring by six lengths for her second victory in a row. The Indiana-bred Bucchero filly owned and bred by Brian and Aaron Reed and Keith Wexler, earned a check for $22,800 and paid $20.40 as the first half of the exacta. Sharon’s Grey Hope, another daughter of Bucchero, came from behind with a strong run down the inside in the stretch and got up for second at the wire by a neck, collecting a check for $7,600.

The $2 exacta paid a healthy $108.

At Gulfstream Park, Neolithic has unveiled a promising candidate for the TDN “rising star” designation – the 2-year-old filly Great Venezuela. After finishing second and first in her first two tries, and receiving a ’93’ Equibase speed figure for the victory, she came back for her third foray and scored a 5 1/4-length victory in a $51,000 allowance optional claimer at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta course under Leonel Reyes.

Great Venezuela earned $31,300 for the most recent score, raising her total to $60,900 for owner/breeder Orlyana Farm. She sat a stalking second in the two path until they hit the top of the stretch, where she drew off with ease in 1:03.95.

Two Years ago, Neolithic was Florida’s leading freshman sire with progeny earnings of $636,849. Yesterday, Short Straw broke her maiden at Fanduel Sportsbook and sent the son of Harlan’s Holiday over the $1 million mark for 2023.

Short Straw bolted out of the gate under Emmanuel Giles and was in front by four lengths before the other jockeys realized what was happening. The filly bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds hit the first quarter in :22.94 and nobody ever got close; she reached the wire 4 1/4 lengths in front in 1:15.84 for the six furlongs.

Short Straw paid $3.00 and earned a check for $6,000; she’s Neolithic’s 28th winner this year.

Bentornato proved to be as good as his 4/5 price on the tote board in the $200,000 Affirmed Stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park, second leg of the Florida Sire Stakes, winning the seven-furlong race by nearly three lengths in 1:23.50. But Mattingly finished a game second in the race and collected a check for $40,000 for Ironhorse Racing and Harlow Stables.

Two-time stakes-winner Mattingly, a $70,000 OBS March purchase and the second-leading Bucchero 2-year-old of 2023 behind Book’em Danno, increased his earnings to $187,028 on a record of 2-3-0 in five starts.

The second biggest money-winner by Amira’s Prince is Our Fantasy, who boosted her earnings to $298,014 yesterday by winning a starter optional claimer at Delaware Park, her fourth victory this year. The 6-year-old mare was bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, who are also the breeders of the stallion’s highest earner, Sister Otoole, whose bank account of $419,470 was built by a record of 4-5-5 in 22 starts.

John Hiraldo was aboard Our Fantasy, who came from last place in a six-horse field to score by a length in 1:43.35 for the mile and 70 yards. She paid $12.80 and collected a check for $10,800.

Not too far south, at Laurel Park, New Rome made it two victories in a row and three of her last four, also coming from way back under Denis Araujo to get up in time in a race at 5 1/2 furlongs over the turf course. The 3-year-old Neolithic filly bred in Kentucky by owners Michael and Suzanne Masters captured a $40,000 claimer while saddled by the No. 10 post, and racing 5-1/2 furlongs in 1:02.81. She collected a check for $26,400, raising her total to $80,860 on a record of 3-1-1 in seven starts.

Neolithic’s progeny earnings for 2023 ballooned to $998,505.

As the field was approaching the starting gate in the sixth race at Gulfstream Park on Friday, Fast Fixer was sitting at a co-favored 8/5 on the tote board. As they entered the gate, the 3-year-old gelding by Bucchero dropped to 6/5. When the gate was sprung, Fast Fixer was off second, away from the rail, and the tote board now read ‘2/5.’

In his previous start, Fast Fixer had broken his maiden racing 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta surface. He made it two in a row over the all-weather track in this one under Hector Diaz Jr., and earned a check for $12,200. He was clocked in :57.57, paid $2.80, and was claimed out of the race.

Unraced at two, the gelding bred by Good Beginnings Farm is now 2-1-1 in 11 starts with a bank account of $33,800.

Valuable Breigh is living up to her name up north; she’s won four in a row at Delaware Park and Parx Racing.

The 4-year-old daughter of Gone Astray won No. 4 at Parx, in a $31,000 starter allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs with Mychel Sanchez in the saddle. Sanchez put the filly on the lead at the break and Valuable Breigh led every step of the way with fractions of :22.76, :46.25 and 1:12.20, and holding her rivals at bay to score by one length. Her previous three victories were by 2 1/4, 4 3/4 and 7 1/4 lengths, a combined total for the four of 15 1/4 lengths.

Valuable Breigh had been claimed out of her last on Sept. 20 by big-time trainer Jamie Ness, and her first start in his barn was worth $18,000 in her bank account and $3.60 at the mutuel windows. She’s now 7-2-2 in 24 starts with earnings of $119,270.

Long On Value’s first 2-year-old winner of 2023 is Lighting Clouds, who cruised to a four-length victory racing five furlongs over the Tapeta surface at Gulfstream Park.

The colt bred by Dr. Cornelius and Doris Link was ridden by Edgard Perez, who had Lighting Clouds in a stalking position in the three path down the backstretch, swung very wide entering the stretch, then pulled away without being threatened, clocked in 59 seconds flat. He earned a check for $17,100 and became Long On Value’s sixth winner overall this season.

The weekend heroics of Anamnestic and Hydria at Gulfstream Park vaulted Bucchero to new heights; the son of Kantharos passed the $2 million mark in 2023 progeny earnings, and he now has 42 winners who have won 77 races.

ANAMNESTIC: With Edgar Perez in the irons, the 3-year-old colt bred by Belvedere Farm scored the gamest of victories in a $43,000 allowance optional claimer at a mile and 70-yards over the Tapeta course. Perez settled Anamnestic into fourth place down the backstretch, then made a three-wide move on turn and the colt took the lead into the stretch. He lost the edge at the eighth pole and appeared to have to settle for second, but he fought back gamely and regained the lead at the wire, winning by a head.

Anamnestic earned $25,800 for the victory, raising his career bank account to $103,068 on a record of 2-4-0 in 13 starts.

HYDRIA – It took the 3-year-old filly four tries over the Tapeta course until she finally put it all together for her first victory, a one-length come-from-behind score under Samuel Camacho Jr. and a check for $11,600. She paid $27.20 after getting 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:06.24.

Bucchero’s 40th winner is Barb’s Vortex, a 3-year-old Indiana-bred filly who didn’t race at two and broke her maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis in her fifth start for Brian and Aaron Reed and Keith Wexler, her owners and breeders.

Fernando De La Cruz was aboard in the $36,000 maiden special going a mile over the turf course. Barb’s Vortex jumped out to the lead leaving the gate, and De La Cruz eased her back to second on the rail down the backstretch. She slipped through on the inside entering the stretch and drew off to score by nearly two lengths without being threatened, clocked in 1:40.20. She paid $9.80, and collected a check for $21,600, which raised Bucchero’s progeny earnings for 2023 to $1,975,462.