Neolithic still on fire – he’s now 4th on Florida’s sire list

Neolithic’s parade toward his best season continued unabated yesterday as two razor-sharp 3-year-olds went wire-to-wire in back-to-back races at Gulfstream Park and accounted for a miniscule daily double price of $10.60.

TRUMPETS – The filly bred by Matalona Thoroughbreds is a charter member of the list of Neolithics who have proven to be a great bargain with just three races under her belt. She was an $8,000 OBS October yearling, and has already racked up a bank account of $71,230 for owner/trainer Joe Catanese III.

With Edgar Perez aboard in a $48,000 allowance test at five furlongs over the Tapeta surface, from the No. 1 post Trumpets hit the gate at the break, but she recovered quickly and rushed up to take the lead. She put up sizzling fractions of :21.73 and :45.18 and left the field behind late to score by four lengths in :57.58. She paid $3 as favorite and the check for $30,800 raised her 2024 earnings for two winning races to $60,800.

PREVENT – The colt bred by Katia Perez Ozuna and owned by Brian Cohen has been a major bargain – a $15,000 OBS Winter Mixed Sale purchase. Coming off a runner-up finish in the $110,000 Equistaff Sophomore Turf Stakes, with Edgard Zayas in the saddle he led all the way in a $61,000 allowance optional claimer at one mile on the turf course, and outgamed the closers at the wire by a nose, clocked in 1:34.14. He paid $6.40 and the check for $38,600 lifted his total to $181,060 on a record of 3-4-0 in 11 starts.

The two winners, plus a third-place finish by Big Bucksalot at Tampa, helped Neolithic move into fourth place on Florida’s general sire list with $723,322 in the till.