Bernie Dickman

A strong two-day performance by Neolithic’s runners at Gulfstream Park has the red-hot stallion just a stone’s throw away from second place on Florida’s general sire list.

It began on Friday, when Trumpets won the fifth race and collected a healthy check for $38,100, followed by a runner-up finish by Neophyte in the eighth worth $5,450. On Saturday, Prevent won the third race and a check for $40,500, and Brawn finished fourth in a $75,000 handicap, earning $3,330. In the 10th race, Neoequos finished second in the $100,000 Dr. Fager for an additional $20,000. Adding a few odds and ends, and Neolithic’s take came to $107,560, lifting his sensational season’s progeny earnings to $1,991,027, less than $4,000 from second as he heads for his first $2 million year.

PREVENT – The 3-year-old colt bred by Katia Perez Ozuna was a $15,000 OBS Winter purchase, and he’s now earned $239,997, of which $155,477 has come in eight starts in 2024. He’s been stakes-placed three times, including in his latest, the Bear’s Den. In Saturday’s race at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface, Edgard Zayas had him right on the pace down the backstretch, put him in gear on the turn, and Prevent was up at the wire to prevail by a neck in 1:41.70. He received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 90, his fourth straight race in a row at 90 or better.

TRUMPETS – The 3-year-old filly bred by Matalona Thoroughbreds, an $8,000 OBS October yearling, raced once at two and finished second, and is now 3-1-0 in five starts at three. In a $61,000 allowance optional claimer at five furlongs over the Tapeta after the race came off the grass, Edgar Perez took her wire-to-wire, putting up fractions of :21.87 and :45.12 and continuing on to score by nearly two lengths in :56.93, while receiving her best ‘E’ figure – 91. She’s 3-2-0 in her six tries with earnings of $121,910.

NEOEQUOS – After getting a DNF in his first start, the 2-year-old colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon and Matalona Thoroughbreds coasted to an easy score under Miguel Vasquez in a maiden special. Back for his third try in the $100,000 Dr. Fager, he was second best in a sharp performance behind coming superstar Rated By Merit, who was the 2/5 favorite and raced six furlongs in 1:09.45. Neoequos has earned $65,400.

Neolithic is about to pass $2 million in 2024 progeny earnings, and $5 million lifetime.

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Attorney David Romanik and trainer Ron Spatz’s great success with Pleasant Acres stallions shows no letup as first-time starter Most Handsome broke his maiden in a $63,900 maiden special at five furlongs over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface.

The 2-year-old gelding by Neolithic had Drayden Van Dyke aboard and Most Handsome trailed by six or seven lengths heading down the backstretch. He made a strong move on the turn, then ran down 6/5 favorite Itza Boss in deep stretch, winning by a length in 1:04.50. The gelding bred by Julie Ann Jackson paid $11.80 and collected $45,000 for the Romanik/Spatz stable.

Neolithic is less than $18,000 from reaching $1.9 million in 2024 progeny earnings. He now has 38 winners from 69 starters, best percentage (55%) among Florida’s Top 15 sires this year.

Neolithic had two runners on the tab in the midwest yesterday and both won, as the son of Harlan’s Holiday continues his run toward his first $2 million season.

At Fanduel, the old Fairmount Park in Illinois, Short Straw exploded out of the gate under Reynier Arrieta and opened up an incredible 9-length lead with a first quarter in :22.99, then coasted the rest of the way, winning by nearly three lengths with six furlongs in 1:12.95. It was the third victory in 14 starts for the 4-year-old filly bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds; she paid $7 and earned a check for $4,800.

At Thistledown in Ohio, Bourbon Over Ice, who hasn’t been worse than fourth in his last 13 races, raised his record to 7-5-6 in 38 starts with a 1 3/4-length score in a 5 1/2-furlong test under Roberto Perez. The 5-year-old gelding, a $35,000 OBS October yearling who was coming off three straight thirds, pressed the pace in the two path before taking over in the stretch and receiving his best career Equibase ‘E’ speed figure, an 88. The check for $7,560 increased his total to $110,946. He paid $17.20.

With the pair of victories, Neolithic surpassed $1.8 million in 2024 progeny earnings.

Del Rosario’s career debut at Gulfstream Park turned into a veritable nightmare early. The 2-year-old filly by Gunnevera proved to be a handful while loading, then was bumped leaving the gate. She still showed early speed, but backed up in the run down the lane and was beaten 14 lengths.

It was a different story with rider Melvis Gonzalez yesterday in the pouring rain at Gulfstream. At surprising odds of 2-1, she was off last in a field of six going a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface. Del Rosario was literally out of the picture until Gonzalez get her in gear coming to the final turn, and she caught the pack, went very wide into the stretch, and ran down the leaders late. She won by three-quarters of a length and became the first winner for her freshman sire.

Del Rosario paid $6.00 and collected a check of $21,700 for owner/breeder Just For Fun Stable, a longtime Pleasant Acres client.

Neolithic remains the leader among Florida’s top 15 stallions with 56 percent winners to starters in 2024. Zizka became winner No. 37 from 66 starters, capturing a $45,000 maiden special at Gulfstream Park.

The 2-year-old colt owned and bred by John Minchello had Leonel Reyes in the saddle for the race at 6 1/2 furlongs. Zizka was off in mid-pack, on the inside, three lengths off the pace, and remained there until Reyes slipped him through on the rail and Zizka never looked back, winning by a neck over a 25-1 shot. He paid $26.40 for his first victory in five starts, and earned a check of $29,000 for Minchello.

Neolithic is less than $15,000 away from reaching the $1.8 million mark in progeny earnings in his best season.

Neolithic still leads the top 15 Florida sires in percentage of 2024 winners to starters, with I Love Venezuela becoming winner No. 36 via a sharp wire-to-wire performance at Penn National. The filly by Harlan’s Holiday has had 66 starters and he leads at 54.5 percent. Only one other stallion in the top 15 has reached 50 percent, and he’s at 52.

With Jean Aguilar in the saddle, I Love Valenzuela broke her maiden in her seventh start, passing the poles in :23.15 and 46.24, and reaching the wire by a widening 8 1/4 lengths with five furlongs on the turf in :57.62. The 3-year-old filly owned and bred by Orlyana Farm paid $10.80 and earned a check for $11,400.

Neolithic is on another of his familiar winning streaks, with Fulanito, (at Gulfstream Park) and Miss Neo (at Monmouth Park) added to the victory list on Sunday. His 2024 progeny earnings have soared to $1,734,369 as he closes in on second place on Florida’s general sire list, while rapidly heading for his first $2 million season.

FULANITO – With Emisael Jaramillo aboard, the 3-year-old gelding bred by Angel Roman jumped to the lead in a $43,000 maiden special at five furlongs over the Tapeta surface, passed the poles in a sizzling :21.65 and :44.25, then was all out to win by a nose. The $50,000 OBS June 2-year-old was clocked in :56.60 and paid $3.80. He earned a check for $25,800 and is the only Florida sire in the top 15 who is over 50 percent with 35 winners from 66 starters in 2024.

MISS NEO – The 4-year-old filly bred by the highly successful partnership of Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson, was coming off a second-place finish on July 21 and like Fulanito, was sent off at 4/5. From the rail with Jorge Gonzalez in the irons, she was off last in a field of six, some five lengths from the lead. But Gonzalez wasted little time making his move, sending Miss Neo up five wide before the turn. She looped the field in a few strides and went on to an easy score by nearly nine lengths as track announcer Matt Dinerman chimed in with “Miss Neo has turned on the afterburners from the three-eighths pole – from last to first.”

Miss Neo collected $10,500 for her second 2024 score, boosting her earnings to $31,275.

Neolithic edged closer to second place on Florida’s 2024 general sire list via the victory of Neoequos in a five-furlong, $63,600 maiden special at Gulfstream Park yesterday. It was the second start for the 2-year-old colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon in partnership with Matalona Thoroughbreds after his July 21 debut in which he was bumped leaving the gate and dumped rider Drayden Van Dyke. Ironically, the race was won by a Rogueish colt bred by the Barbazons, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson.

For his second try, Neoequos had Miguel Vasquez in the irons, and the colt broke quickly from the No. 9 post. He then rushed up to vie for the lead while four wide, battled into the stretch with Macho Music, then drew off to defeat the 4/5 shot by 2 1/2 lengths. Neoequos was clocked in :58.55, paid $6.20, and earned a check for $45,000, which lifted Neolithic’s progeny earnings for the year to $1,698,069, less than $30,000 from second place. He became winner No. 34 for Neolithic in 2024.

Richard Averill has been winning races for years with his Florida-breds, most of whose names begin with the letter R. At Gulfstream Park yesterday, one of those ‘R’s not only broke her maiden in her 2-year-old debut, she became the first winner for Pleasant Acres’ freshman sire Curlin’s Honor.

R Morning Brew broke on top under Edgard Zayas, rolled through the slop behind fractions of :22.66, :45.91 and :58.28, and was 4 1/2 lengths in front at the wire, clocked in 1:11.45 for the six furlongs. The filly bred by Dori Morgan Hyatt, widow of the late former NFL player Freddie Hyatt, paid $7.20 and earned a check for $29,000 for Averill Stables.

R Morning Brew is the third foal out of the Uncaptured mare Foolhearted Woman. She’s a half-sister to the 3-year-old filly Dancing N Dixie, two-time stakes-winning and four-time graded stakes-placed filly by Neolithic. Owned by Gary Barber, Rocky Top Stables (Jackie Ventura) and LEMB Stables, Dancing N Dixie has earned $368,550.

Flawless Cat won a six-furlong test at Thistledown yesterday and gave Neolithic another statistical distinction. Aside from closing the gap on second place among Florida’s active sires for 2024, the 4-year-old gelding bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon became his sire’s 33rd winner from 65 starters this year, for a percentage of 50.7. He’s the only stallion in the top 15 over 50 percent.

Luis Rivera was aboard Flawless Cat, who was bumped leaving the gate and off last. Rivera quickly sent him up three wide, and the gelding went after the pace-setters on the turn. He took the lead entering the stretch and coasted to the wire, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:12.66. After finishing second in his previous start, Flawless Cat went off at 6/5 and paid $4.60. He collected a check for $8,100, lifting his career total to $56,730 on a record of 2-1-3 in 17 starts.