Bernie Dickman

Gulfstream Park has always been well-known for its sharp handicappers, but that group may never have gotten it as wrong as they did with Takecareofbusiness.

They may have missed that his morning trials at Palm Meadows were very respectable; they may have missed that he sold for $40,000 at OBS March just six months ago which means he must have worked pretty well the week before the sale; and they definitely missed the fact that the first crop of Bucchero has come out running, especially with first-time starters. Add to that they no doubt weren’t aware of the great success previously enjoyed by the breeding partnership of Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson

So they missed out on a $134.80 mutuel!

Heriberto Figueroa was aboard the 2-year-old gelding for his five-furlong debut over the Tapeta surface. In a $50,000 maiden special, Takecareofbusiness was off awkwardly – dead last in the field of eight. He was so far behind down the backstretch he was never in the TV picture. But Figueroa revved him up on the turn, and despite several moments when he looked green as grass, as announcer Pete Aiello noted, he took care of business with a monster late run that resulted in a half-length victory over 3-1 shot Christensen, who had put up sizzling early fractions of :21.55 and :44.83.

Takecareofbusiness raced the five furlongs in :57.67, earned $31,000 for his initial try with an ‘E’ speed figure of 80, became freshman sire Bucchero’s fifth winner, and sent the sharpies home wondering where they went wrong.

At Delaware Park, the drink of the day was Bourbon Over Ice, a $35,000 OBS October yearling who was coming off two straight seconds and still paid $19.80. The 3-year-old gelding by Neolithic sent his sire over the $600,000 mark in earnings for the year via a half-length victory with six furlongs in 1:10.06.

Jaime Rodriguez was aboard Bourbon Over Ice, who raised his record to 3-2-0 in 13 starts while receiving his best ‘E’ speed figure of 79. The gelding bred by Belvedere Farm came from off the pace, went four wide on the turn and proved best in the stretch, collecting a check for $12,000, increasing his career total to $51,980.

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Queen Drama, Ocala breeder Harold Queen’s super broodmare, became a 100% producer yesterday when Royal Attitude, a 3-year-old daughter of Gone Astray, broke her maiden at Gulfstream Park in her second start. Royal Attitude is Queen Drama’s fifth winner from five starters; her No. 1 runner is Royal Attitude’s full brother, Noble Drama, a 6-year-old Gone Astray gelding with earnings of $747,487 and still campaigning.

Kentucky Derby winner Sonny Leon was aboard Royal Attitude in a $43,000 maiden optional claimer at six furlongs. The filly was bumped leaving the gate, but Leon rushed her up between horses and she took the lead in a :22.28 quarter. She fought off one challenger through a half in :45.25 and gamely held on by half a length at the wire to become Gone Astray’s 37th winner of 2022, surviving a foul claim in the process.

Royal Attitude raced six furlongs in 1:12.01, paid $11.40 and collected a check for $26,500, raising her total for two races to $31,100.

At Pimlico, Better Call Mama looked like Silky Sullivan, coming from dead last to win her second in a row and becoming Handsome Mike’s leading earner this year. With Angel Cruz riding, the 3-year-old filly broke last in the race at five furlongs on the grass, made a monster run on the turn and into the stretch from 10 lengths back, and ran down the leaders late to score by 1 1/4 lengths in :59.08.

Better Call Mama raised her record to 2-1-3 in eight starts with earnings of $74,084; this year she’s 2-1-2 in five turf tries with a bank account of $67,000. The $20,000 Timonium May 2-year-old posted an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure over 80 in each of her last three.

John Davila Jr. took the short way home to guide Sealithic to her second straight victory yesterday at Finger Lakes.

Coming off a seven-length maiden-breaking victory with Davila in the irons on Aug. 15, the 3-year-old Neolithic filly was sent off at 6/5 in a $24,000 allowance test at a mile and 70 yards. She broke in mid-pack, tracked the pace on the inside down the backstretch, never left the rail turning for home, and ran down the pacesetter in the final 100 yards to score by 1 1/4 lengths.

The $50,000 OBS April 2-year-old bred by Susan Kahn earned $13,680 for the victory and now has collected $37,743 via a record of 2-1-0 in six starts.

Gone Astray’s success has spilled over to Puerto Rico, where Fast N Gone, a $45,000 OBS June 2-year-old, broke her maiden at Camarero Race Track in her career debut, and everyone on the island appeared to be in on it.

Juan Diaz was aboard the 3-year-old filly bred by JDAB Stables, who went to the post in the six-furlong maiden special at odds of 2/5. Fast N Gone came out running, passed the furlong markers in :23.63 and :47.12 and cruised to the wire seven lengths in front without being tested. She was clocked in 1:12.97 over a sloppy track, earned an excellent 84 Equibase speed figure, and collected $6,380 for the Sonata Stable. She is Gone Astray’s 36th winner of 2022.

At Delaware Park, the consistent Gone Astray filly R Averie Lynn won for the second time this year and fifth overall, carrying Daniel Centeno to victory by three-quarters of a length in a six-furlong starter allowance. The 4-year-old filly, a $25,000 OBS July 2-year-old, sports a record of 5-10-2 in 26 starts and earnings of $119,602, with $67,183 coming this year. She broke on the lead, dropped back to third briefly along the backstretch, moved up after a :22.54 quarter and took the lead on the turn, then held the field safe down the lane. She was clocked in 1:12.10, paid $16.20, and collected a check for $15,000.

After finishing second in her previous two starts, Diamonds for Lily turned in a gem to the delight of the favorite players at Finger Lakes yesterday.

The 3-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike, who didn’t race at two, broke her maiden in her fifth start with Oscar Gomez in the saddle. Gomez sent her right to the lead and Diamond for Lily controlled the pace for the entire mile and 70 yards, opening up daylight on the final turn and coasting home by three lengths in 1:47.81. She paid $4.90 while earning a check for $7,560.

The filly bred by Randy Andrews is Handsome Mike’s 21st winner this year.

The addition of the veteran Gone Astray to the Pleasant Acres stallion roster late last year has worked out extremely well for all concerned. The son of Dixie Union was very well-received during the recent breeding season at his new home, and he continues to have great success at the racetrack.

Gone Astray has added two more winners, The Isabel Astray, who made it 35 for the stallion this year with her debut victory at Monmouth Park, and Felon, who inched closer to the $100,000 mark at Arapahoe Park.

Jose Ferrer was aboard The Isabel Astray, who was fouled leaving the gate in her six-furlong first try and was off sixth and last down the backstretch. The 3-year-old filly bred by Inversiones Inc. began to move up after a quick :22.09 quarter, went three wide on the turn, then mowed ’em down with a powerful finish, winning by 4 1/2 lengths. Clocked in 1:11.64, she was responsible for two highly coincidental numbers – a winner’s check for $10,800 and a payoff of $10.80.

The 6-year-old Felon went wire-to-wire and prevailed by 2 1/2 lengths in Colorado, getting 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.80 for his second victory this year and paying $12. The gelding bred by SCF Inc. raised his earnings to $83,320 on a record of 5-7-12 in 54 starts.

In his career debut at Gulfstream Park, Carabinero was forced to steady down the backstretch, got back on stride, then made a good run down the lane to finish fourth, just 1 1/4 lengths out of second. The 2-year-old Neolithic gelding went off at odds of 6-1 that day.

For his second try, Carabinero was bet down to 4/5 under Emisael Jaramillo, and leaving the gate from the No. 3 post, was soundly bumped from the pair of rivals in the 2 and 4 posts. His knees buckled briefly, but Jaramillo was still able to shoot him to the lead in a :22.34 first quarter. It was strictly no contest after that, with Carabinero widening at every pole, and jogging to the wire 6 1/2 lengths in front.

Neolithic’s first 2-year-old winner this year and 15th overall paid $3.80, clocked in 1:13.56 for the six furlongs, and earned a check for $11,700.

Sept. 3: After enjoying a series of three-bagger Saturdays, Pleasant Acres stallions struck for a home run that included three maiden-breakers – at Monmouth Park, Delaware Park and Gulfstream.

MONMOUTH: Handsome Playboy kicked off the afternoon in the first race at 12:19, breaking his maiden in his career debut for owners/breeders Gerald and Mary Bennett and giving Handsome Mike his first 2-year-old winner of 2022.

Samy Camacho was aboard the colt in a $53,900 maiden special contested at one mile over the turf course. Handsome Playboy was away well from the rail and took up a good position in third place on the inside. He slipped through on the turn and swung out to mid-track for the stretch run, as announcer Frank Mirahmadi chimed in with, “Handsome Mike storms to the front and opens up with authority . . . Handsome Mike will get his picture taken.” The margin of victory was four lengths and the colt paid $12.20, while collecting a check of $33,000 for the Bennetts.

DELAWARE: A little more than an hour later, Handsome Mike 3-year-old Better Call Mama broke her maiden in her seventh start, with a clocking of :52.46 for the ‘about’ five furlongs on the grass popping up on the tote board at the end of the race, which she won by two lengths with a powerful closing kick. But it turned out to be an error of some kind with the teletimer and what would have been a course record was erased. The Equibase chart wound up minus fractions or a final time.

The filly bred by Jeanne Clermont earned $25,200 in the $42,000 maiden special, raising her total to $48,284. She paid $2.80 as the prohibitive favorite.

GULFSTREAM: Rough Enough was the third maiden-breaker of the day, winning in her 19th start for owner/breeder/trainer Gerald James and collecting a check for $11,600. The 3-year-old Gone Astray filly paid $7.80, scoring by 1 1/2 lengths under Jose Morelos with a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface in 1:44.18. Rough Enough was 0-1-4 for 16 tries before Morelos came on board and guided her to a first, second and third in her last three races.

A week before his name was scheduled to come up on the monthly calendar, Septemberten scored his first victory of the year, and boosted his career record to 5-7-10 in 39 tries. The 6-year-old Gone Astray gelding earned a check for $15,400 and increased his career total to $226,575. The $3,500 OBS October yearling was bred by OBS employee Randell Edwards and his wife, Lucy, and all Septemberten’s races have come in South Florida, making for a healthy breeders’ awards haul. The gelding won by 6 1/2 lengths in 1:23.31 for the seven furlongs, receiving an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 104, his best ever.

Gone Astray now has 34 winners in 2022.

John’s Promise debuted as a 3-year-old at Timonium on Aug. 23 of 2019 and broke his maiden by 2 1/2 lengths. The 6–year-old gelding then campaigned with success at Delaware Park, Charles Town, Laurel Park, Penn National and Monmouth Park for his next 31 starts.

Yesterday, the son of Handsome Mike returned to Timonium for the first time in three years and he’s now 2-for-2 at the track north of Baltimore.

Jean Alvelo was aboard John’s Promise for the $49,740 allowance optional claimer at ‘about’ 6 1/2 furlongs. He broke well from the No. 6 post and was engaged between horses in a three-way battle going to the first quarter, which went in :23.28. He was head-and-head with Jimmy the Kid after a half in :46.79, then edged away on the turn and hooked up in another battle with Flank Speed, winning it by a head bob at the wire despite track announcer Dave Rodman briefly calling the other horse as the winner.

The check for $28,800 raised John’s Promise’s earnings to $181,993 on a record of 7-9-4 in 33 tries. He paid $9, became Handsome Mike’s 18th winner of 2022, and in his last 12 starts hasn’t finished worse than fourth, sporting a record of 2-5-2-3 in that span.

There were just a few similarities between the victories posted by two veteran runners yesterday that catapulted Gone Astray up one spot into sixth place on Florida’s leading sire list with 2022 progeny earnings of $1,247,804. Both begin with a ‘W’ – World Gone Wild and Wink and a Nod – and both broke a little slowly, rushed into contention early on the backstretch. took the lead going to the first quarter, then drew off to score handily without being threatened. World Gone Wild cruised to the wire by 3 1/2 lengths, Wink and a Nod by 3 3/4.

The differences in the duo were many: World Gone Wild is a 4-year-old filly who was going five furlongs over the turf course at Parx Racing; Wink and a Nod is a 6-year-old gelding who went six furlongs over the main track at Mountaineer Casino & Resort.

The purse for World Gone Wild at Parx, which is supported by a casino, was $46,000, and the winner’s check for $27,600 raised her career total to $247,725 on a record of 9-3-1 in 25 starts. She received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 87. Despite the presence of the casino at Mountaineer, the purse was a meager $8,051, and added just $4,814 to Wink and a Nod’s bank account, increasing it to $87,531, even with his excellent record of 9-12-5 in 45 tries. His ‘E’ speed figure was 69. Unfortunately, 28 of his races have come at Mountaineer, in West Virginia.

One has to wonder what the purses would be like at Mountaineer if there was no casino.