Handsome Mike colt is everybody’s daddy

Handsome Mike is in second place by himself with eight winners on the Florida freshman sire list after the eye-catching wire-to-wire performance of Notcho Daddy at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday. The colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon was making his career debut at seven furlongs with Jose Ferrer and was sent off at odds of 3-1. 

Ferrer shot Notcho Daddy out of the gate from the No. 9 post and the colt did the rest, opening up by daylight coming to the turn, and increasing the margin to seven lengths in mid-stretch. He coasted home in 1:25.53 and collected a check for $8,690, plus another breeders’ award for the Barbazons. Handsome Mike is two winners from the Florida lead with 30 days remaining to narrow the gap.