Bernie Dickman

In his first five career starts, Pluma Roja had the services of four different jockeys, never raced longer than six furlongs, and never finished better than sixth. At Gulfstream Park yesterday, trainer Nestor Cascallares made two changes – he picked new rider Jose Morelos to take the 2-year-old gelding a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface. Result: Pluma Roja looked like a different horse.

The son of Amira’s Prince was away fifth on the inside down the backstretch and remained there until the turn. A good eight or nine lengths behind midway on the turn, Pluma Roja appeared to have no chance to even make the board. But he put it in another gear and closed a huge gap, then remained on the rail in the stretch and ran over the leaders to win by a neck, clocked in 1:42.99. He paid $58.

Pluma Roja became the eighth winner from 11 starters for Amira’s Prince, earning a check for $14,700 and getting another breeders’ award for Joe and Helen Barbazon.

Ohio-bred Kid Russell is the latest Gone Astray runner to pass the $100,000 mark in career earnings after his hard-fought victory over an off-track at Mahoning Valley yesterday.

The 5-year-old gelding bred by W. John Bourke jumped out of the gate quickly and took up a position in second place, tracking one length behind the pacesetter in the two path. After a quarter in :23.55, Kid Russell ranged up on the outside, took the lead entering the stretch, then out-gamed Honor the D to the wire by half a length to nail down his second victory of 2022.

The check for $10,440 increased Kid Russell’s bank account to $101,072 on a record of 4-6-1 in 29 starts, with $38,142 coming this year.

Bucchero remained one winner behind Awesome Slew on Florida’s freshman sire list when Miss Bellimbusto won the eighth race at Golden Gate Fields last evening in her second start.

The 2-year-old filly bred by Blue River Bloodstock, a $40,000 OBS April 2-year-old, became winner No. 11 for her sire. With her $18,000 paycheck, Bucchero surpassed $500,000 in progeny earnings for the year.

Armando Ayuso put Miss Bellimbusto in perfect stalking position on the inside down the backstretch in the $34,860 maiden special race at 5 1/2 furlongs over the all-weather track. The filly closed the gap on the turn and Ayuso shifted her into the two path between horses at the head of the stretch. From there, she proved best, winning a cavalry charge to the wire by a neck, clocked in 1:04.65.

Adding a late result coming in from Puerto Rico, it turns out that Gone Astray’s runners have now won 600 races.

Amor Elviva, a 7-year-old mare bred by Walter Stipa, scored at Camarero Race Track last week and raised her record to 9-10-6 in 51 races. But with the dearth of big money available in PR, she has earned just $51,985.

Francisco Maysonett rode Amor Elviva, who carried highweight of 120 pounds in the race at 5 1/2 furlongs. He kept his mare pressed to the flank of the leader in the two path, took over in the stretch and she went on to score by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:08.33, paying $3.10. She had been off for more than a year until Nov. 6, and this was just her second outing since returning.

Gone Astray’s 600 winning rides have been accomplished by 197 winners, with 47 winners coming this year

Penn National’s handicappers watched Gone Dreaming shoot right to the front in the fourth race last night, then never saw her again until she cruised under the wire 10 1/4 lengths in front. In between, the field was enveloped by dense fog and was virtually invisible as they headed down the backstretch of the mile and 70-yard race.

The 4-year-old filly became Gone Astray’s 47th winner of 2022, and her check for $6,480 sent the son of Dixie Union over the $1.8 million mark in 2022 progeny earnings. In addition, Gone Dreaming’s first victory of the year left Gone Astray’s runners one short of making 600 career visits to the winners’ circle. The filly bred by Tom McCrocklin paid $4.80 after getting the distance in 1:45.82 over a sloppy track.

Sir Seamus will turn seven in 27 days, but he doesn’t seem to have lost any of his speed or toughness.

The Handsome Mike gelding bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon scored his seventh career victory yesterday at Woodbine, and it was a thing of beauty. With Rafael Hernandez in the irons, Sir Seamus sailed past the furlong markers in :22.49, :44.66 and 1:09.25 en route to a 2 1/4-length victory in 1:22.86 for the seven-eighths over the all-weather track.

It was worth $33,070 in U. S. currency and raised his career earnings to $241,483 on a record of 7-4-4 in 35 tries. Sir Seamus paid $8.60, has been in the top four in nine straight races, and has posted five straight Equibase ‘E’ speed figures in the 90s.

With a victory and a third to show for his first three starts, it would seem Carabinero would have had some measure of tote board support in his fourth try. But yesterday’s Gulfstream crowd wasn’t in agreement, and the 2-year-old Neolithic gelding was sent off at a healthy 20-1, and his second victory was worth $42.60.

Carabinero was ridden by Jose Morelos in the $54,000 allowance race at six furlongs, and they got away fifth, tracking the leaders from about four lengths behind down the backstretch. After a quarter in :22.15 and a half in :45.35, Morelos took the colt bred by Lotts Creek Farm six wide into the stretch and he proved best by three-quarters of a length, clocked in 1:11.62. The check for $32,400 lifted the gelding’s total to $48,220 for his four tries, nearly reaching his purchase price of $55,000 at the March OBS sale.

Another Neolithic runner was making her first start Sunday, and 11-1 New Rome finished second to a heavy favorite in a $54,300 maiden special at Laurel Race Course. She earned $10,400.

As his freshman season nears a close, Bucchero continues to impress; he added winner No. 10 yesterday at Tampa Bay Downs, and his top earner edged closer to $100,000 at Fair Grounds.

Adios Buccaneer: The sharp handicappers who have been feasting on Bucchero’s early prowess made another score at Tampa when the 2-year-old colt bred by Curtis Mikkelsen and Patricia Horth won in his debut and paid a generous $30.40. Skyler Spanabel settled Adios Buccaneer in fourth along the inside in the race at 1 1/16 miles on the grass, swung him out for the stretch drive and he proved best late, winning by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:44.32. He earned $11,250.

Aside from his 10 winners among 26 starters, Bucchero also has eight others who have finished second or third.

Toddchero: The colt bred by GDS Stable finished third in a $51,000 allowance optional claimer at Fair Grounds and collected $5,610, raising his leading total among his sire’s runners to $85,600.

Neolithic surpassed the $800,000 mark in 2022 progeny earnings despite having just 35 runners when Mister Abarrio out-gamed Leavenworth by a head in a $35,000 maiden claimer at Gulfstream Park yesterday.

Mister Abarrio, a $30,000 OBS October yearling bred by Dr. Tiffany Atteberry and Scott Brown, became winner No. 19 for his sire this season in his fourth start. With Heriberto Figueroa riding, the 2-year-old colt covered a mile and 70 yards on the Tapeta track in 1:41.49, coming from eight lengths back early in the race, moving up with a strong burst coming to the turn, taking the lead in the stretch and prevailing by a head bob at the wire. He paid $7.40 and collected a check for $19,600.

In his second season, Neolithic’s progeny earnings have reached $818,840.

Bucchero is tied for the Florida freshman sire lead with nine winners after the maiden-breaking victory of Clay Soldier at Gulfstream Park yesterday.

Leonel Reyes was aboard the filly who was making her career debut in the rain for Dr. Cornelius (Sonny) Link in a 5 1/2-furlong test over the Tapeta surface. Clay Soldier tracked the leaders in the two path down the backstretch, began cutting into the lead on the turn, sliced between horses at the top of the stretch and went on to score by 1 1/2 lengths. She was clocked in 1:05.82 and earned a check for $17,800 for the retired dentist.

Despite a series of good works leading up to her debut as has been the case with so many of Bucchero’s runners, Clay Soldier went off at 7-1 and paid $17.80.

Bucchero lost his bid for his first stakes-winner when Anamnestic finished first in a $60,000 stakes race at Gulfstream but was disqualified and placed fifth for causing interference to several horses in the stretch.