Aug. 8th, 2020: An unforgettable day for Handsome Mike

By the margins of a nose, a neck and 1 1/4 lengths, Aug. 8, 2020 will always be remembered at Pleasant Acres Stallions as the day Handsome Mike missed having his greatest day as a sire.

Here’s the timeline:

1st race, Gulfstream Park: Circle 8 Ranch’s 2-year-old filly Yafa makes her second career start in a $65,000 maiden special at one mile on the grass. She steps in the gate with Ronnie Allen Jr. at odds of 21-1, but drops to 13-1 soon after the race begins. She sits a good trip along the inside and makes a monster run down the lane only to miss by a neck. Yafa pays $13.40 to place and $7.80 to show and earns a check for $11,600.

2nd race, Delaware Park: La Flamenca sits second all the way under Robbie Albarado Jr. and finishes there by 1 1/4 lengths. The 3-year-old filly collects a check for $3,200 and is now 2-3-3 in 16 starts with earnings of $44,390.

6th race, Delaware Park: John’s Promise goes wire-to-wire at 5 1/2 furlongs with Raul Mena, putting up early fractions of :22.16 and :46.34. The 4-year-old gelding gets his second career victory, pays $9.40 and earns $9,000.

7th race, Gulfstream: Sir Seamus shoots out of the gate from the No. 9 post in an allowance optional claimer at a flat mile on the turf with Samy Camacho in the irons. The 4-year-old gelding bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon is four lengths in front at the quarter and the half, and by two turning for home. He outgames two fast-closing rivals to win by a nose, even though announcer Pete Aiello calls Til the End as the winner. Sir Seamus has won three in a row and four of his last five, and the $13,000 check for his fifth career victory boosts his total to $104,840.

9th race, Gulfstream: In a field of seven in the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes at one mile on the turf, Blue Mistress is the longest price on the board at 18-1 even though she finished third in the Portofino Bay Stakes in her previous start. The other six fillies are all 6-1 or lower. Marcos Meneses fires her out of the gate and the 3-year-old filly bred by the Barbazons and trained by nephew Lester Barbazon III is eight lengths in front at the quarter. The field predictably cuts into her margin, but she’s still in front by a length as they begin the run down the stretch. She holds on gamely, but is nailed by Lucky Polly on the last jump. It takes about two minutes for the placing judges to decide the winner, and the photo shows Blue Mistress lost by an inch of becoming her sire’s first stakes-winner.

Blue Mistress collects $19,600 for second, and the five finishes are worth $72,100 to Handsome Mike’s progeny earnings, which jump to $751,154. He moves from 11th to ninth on Florida’s sire list, right behind Treasure Beach and The Big Beast.