Back-to-back improving winners at Gulfstream for Pleasant Acres stallions

A pair of 3-year-olds won back-to-back at Gulfstream Park yesterday – one by Handsome Mike and the other by Treasure Beach – both continuing to show great improvement after slow career beginnings.

In the second race, Took a Cab went virtually wire-to-wire for long-time Florida owner/breeder Joel Sainer and trainer David Braddy, despite Edgar Prado losing his whip on the turn for home and hand-riding to the wire. The 3-year-old Handsome Mike gelding opened up by three lengths in mid-stretch and won it by 2 1/2, clocked in 1:12.24 for the six furlongs. He paid $17.60 and earned a check for $11,600. In his first 16 starts, Took a Cab went 0-1-5; in his last four, he’s 1-2-1 and has now earned $40,720.

In the next race, Josefa also led from the start with Paco Lopez, winning the “about” 7 1/2-furlong turf test by 1 1/4 lengths and paying $7.60. She earned $14,700 after getting the distance in 1:28.91, just two seconds off the course record. The 3-year-filly by Treasure Beach began her career with one third-place finish in her first seven tries; she’s 2-2-1 in her last six. Treasure Beach is sixth on Florida’s leading sire list and is less than $18,000 from reaching $1.5 million in progeny earnings this year.