Turf News

Levy Land’s first victory at Gulfstream Park this year came on March 29 and was a wire-to-wire beauty – a 3 1/2-length score at seven furlongs. Yesterday, the 3-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike went one better, getting her second victory of the year – and third lifetime at Gulfstream – this time with a 5 1/2-length, wire-to-wire romp at a flat mile with Jairo Rendon riding.

The filly bred by Midwest Thoroughbreds earned $10,400 for her effort, and lifted her career total to $50,360 after just nine races, an average of $5,595 per start.

Treasure Beach’s wide-ranging influence in Argentina continued this week with another Gr. I stakes-placed runner added to his ledger, along with another 2-year-old winner.

At San Isidro, the 3-year-old colt Glorious Moment finished second in the Gr. I Gran Premio 25 De Mayo, while the 2-year-old colt Trae El Efectivo scored at Hipodromo Argentino De Palermo.

Closer to home, Treasure Mine broke his maiden at Presque Isle Downs, and became winner No. 21 for Treasure Beach this year. The 4-year-old gelding slipped through on the inside on the turn under Walber Alencar and drew off late to win by 3 1/4 lengths, getting 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:18.09.

Bodie Cody broke his maiden in his fifth start for owner Frank Bertolino yesterday at Gulfstream Park in a game performance racing one mile on the grass. The 3-year-old gelding became the ninth winner this year for Handsome Mike, who is sitting in fourth place among Florida’s second-crop sires.

Miguel Vasquez sent Bodie Cody out quickly from the No. 9 post and settled the 8/5 favorite onto the rail in third place, about seven or eight lengths behind the pacesetter. He moved the gelding up on the outside midway down the backstretch, picked off the top two horses on the turn, and took the lead entering the stretch while being dogged by 2-1 second choice Alperes. But Bodie Cody held off Alperes all the way to the wire to score by half a length.

The victory was worth $11,600 to Bertolino’s Monarch Stable, which purchased Bodie Cody for $25,000 at the OBS June sale in 2018.

Paul Mouttet’s Love Daddy overcame a layoff of more than five months and broke her maiden yesterday with a strong stretch run in her third career start at Woodbine. The 3-year-old filly by Handsome Mike had finished second and third in her previous two starts, and was sent off at 7/5 in the 1 1/16-mile turf race.

Kazushi Kimura settled Love Daddy in mid-pack along the rail, and the filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon broke free heading into the stretch. She proved best in the final sixteenth, winning by three-quarters of a length.

The disparity in U. S. vs. Canadian currency became apparent when the winner’s check of $19,500 in Canadian funds was translated into $14,475 in U.S. dollars. Mouttet bought Love Daddy for $9,000 at the OBS June sale in 2018. All told, she’s earned $28,317 in the former currency and $21,097 in the latter, so her owner is in good shape – he lives in Canada.

Treasure Beach’s away-from-home success continued this week with another pair of victories at his favorite venues, Puerto Rico and Argentina.

Going to the Beach won his second straight at Camarero Race Track, battling on the pace between horses throughout, then drawing off to prevail by four lengths in the mile and one-eighth race. The 4-year-old gelding bred by Adam and Suzette Parker and Leverett and Linda Miller had taken his previous race by 6 3/4 lengths. Despite the minute purse structure in Puerto Rico, Going to the Beach has banked $58,528.

The 3-year-old filly La Renoleta also made it two straight down south, scoring at Hipodromo Agentino De Palermo in races just 17 days apart.

Treasure Beach added two more winners to his ledger yesterday, a filly scoring at Gulfstream Park and a gelding at the abbreviated Suffolk Downs meeting.

Galileo’s Affair made it two in a row at Gulfstream, getting up by a neck under a well-timed ride by Jeffrey Sanchez. The 4-year-old filly sat four or five lengths off the pace for much of the one-mile trip, and still had four lengths to make up in mid-stretch, which she did to post her fifth career victory. The $37,000 OBS April 2-year-old is 5-3-7 in 24 starts and her earnings jumped to $135,080.

Pirate Beach shipped to Boston from Tampa Bay Downs for a $43,500 starter optional claimer at about 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass. With Dyn Panell aboard, the 4-year-old gelding stalked the pace behind 8/5 Boppin Anda Weavin, then out-gamed the favorite to the wire by a head. Pirate Beach collected $21,500, increasing his take to $83,940 on a record of 3-3-4-5 in 20 starts. He became his sire’s 20th winner of 2019.

Handsome Mike celebrated perhaps his easiest winner of 2019 last night when Saint Michael romped in a six-furlong race at Penn National. With David Cora enjoying a trip made in heaven, the 3-year-old colt went head-and-head for the lead through a :22.32 first quarter, then began to pull away on the turn, widening his lead from the top of the stretch home without Cora ever raising his whip.

Saint Michael’s winning margin was six lengths over a 6/5 favored entry who finished second and third. He was clocked in a swift 1:10.67 while picking up his second career victory and giving Handsome Mike his sixth winner this year.

Ed Seltzer, Beverly Anderson, and Joe and Helen Barbazon are the breeders of Nymue’s Treasure, a 4-year-old filly who won at Belterra Park yesterday and became winner No. 19 this year for Treasure Beach.

Sonny Leon was aboard Nymue’s Treasure, who sat second for most of the one-mile trip before wearing down the pacesetter in the stretch and going on to a 2 1/2-length score. It was the third career victory for the filly, who has finished in the top four in six consecutive races.

Treasure Beach added another South American winner when the 3-year-old Argentine-bred colt Indian Maharaja broke his maiden on May 4 at Hipodromo De Monterrico in Peru.

Treasure Hunter is now a 4-year-old, and the Kentucky-bred gelding by Treasure Beach is in the midst of enjoying his best season. With Eswan Flores in the irons yesterday, Treasure Hunter raised his record since Jan. 1 to 2-1-1 in four starts, running down 8/5 favorite Cabin John down the lane to score by a length in a one-mile race at Santa Anita.

The gelding bred by Norman Houston earned $27,600 for the score, lifting his bank account to $142,910, and $57,960 of the total has come via his four starts this year. He boosted his overall record to 4-7-3 in 22 tries, as Treasure Beach’s progeny earnings jumped to $520,041.

Running for Riz lived up to his name at Gulfstream Park yesterday, running right to the winner’s circle for co-owner and breeder Linda Riznick. The 3-year-old son of Handsome Mike shot to the lead out of the gate, and continued there for the entire six-furlong trip with Miguel Vasquez, reaching the wire 3 1/4 lengths in front.

Running for Riz posted fractions of :22.50, :45.07 and :57.22 en route to an excellent final time of 1:10.27. At odds of 6/5, he became Handsome Mike’s sixth winner this year and added $28,900 to his bank account, which has now jumped to $87,925 after just six races.