Bernie Dickman

Handsome Mike’s 15th winner of the season is Blue Mistress, a 3-year-old filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon who turned in a wire-to-wire maiden-breaker racing a flat mile on the grass at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday.

Harry Hernandez shot Blue Mistress out of the gate quickly and she was never in real danger of losing the lead, turning away two rivals at the head of the stretch and drawing off to score by nearly four lengths in 1:36.73. She paid $4 as favorite.

Handsome Mike leads Florida’s third-crop sires on both the progeny earnings and winners’ lists.

What a difference eight months can make!

When Sir Seamus made his career debut at Gulfstream Park on July 19 of last year, the son of Handsome Mike led every step of the way at odds of 81-1 and paid $164.60. Yesterday, Irad Ortiz Jr. took the 4-year-old gelding wire-to-wire again at Gulfstream, but this time the price was $3.40.

Sir Seamus shot to the lead in the one-mile race over the turf course, held a two-length for most of the trip behind sizzling fractions of :22.62, :45.68 and 1:09.23, and finished 1 1/2 lengths in front, clocked in an excellent 1:33.84.

Sir Seamus was bred at Pleasant Acres by Joe and Helen Barbazon, and was a $13,000 OBS June 2-year-old. He lifted his earnings to $48,860, while becoming Handsome Mike’s 14th winner of the year.

Handsome Mike picked up lucky winner No. 13 yesterday when And I Know broke her maiden at Tampa Bay Downs despite not getting any kind of breather for the entire mile and 40-yard trip.

The 4-year-old filly broke well under Jose Garcia, took the lead along the rail down the backstretch with two rivals pressing her on the outside, fought off a slew of closers as they turned for home and proved much the best down the lane. She won by nearly three lengths and paid $3.40, collecting a check for $7,135 and a breeders’ award for Adolfo and Felicia Exposito.

At Parx Racing on Jan. 4, Galileo’s Affair became Treasure Beach’s first winner of 2020. Yesterday, at the same track, she became his second repeat winner.

The 5-year-old mare bred by Joe and Kris Carroll continued the great success she has achieved over the past four seasons, lifting her record to 8-4-7 in 32 starts. She’s won two of her last three, and the $12,600 paycheck boosted her earnings to $182,060.

Galileo’s Affair went right to the lead in the 1 1/8ths-mile race and held it until the top of the stretch, where she was challenged by 6/5 favorite Jumpin Jett. But it was no contest in the lane as she drew off to score by nearly three lengths, paying $6.80.

Over the weekend, Relampago Women won a maiden special at Camarero Race Track in Puerto Rico and became Treasure Beach’s eighth winner of the season. The 4-year-old filly was fifth and last early in the 5 1/2-furlong race, then Samuel Cardona took her six wide on the turn and she swept by the field, including the 2/5 favorite and even-money second choice, to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, Relampago Women earned $6,380; she’s 1-2-1 in her last four starts.

Real Doozie turned in a second performance emulating her name to close out the program at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday.

The 3-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike made it two victories in her last three starts with an eye-opening wire-to-wire score under Jose Ferrer. The filly owned and bred by Ballybrit Stable took the lead from the rail soon after the start, opened up a two-length lead behind fractions of :22.67 and :46.05, and nobody ever got closer. At the top of the stretch she put it in cruise control and sprinted away by nearly four lengths, getting five furlongs in :58.51 and earning a check for $9,590. Her maiden victory on Jan. 8 was accomplished by eight lengths.

Handsome Mike has moved into seventh place among Florida’s active sires with 2020 progeny earnings of $225,159.

Handsome Mike gained his 12th winner of the 2020 season plus his first repeat winner when La Flamenca scored at Gulfstream Park yesterday and Slammin’ Mike went back-to-back at Delta Downs.

La Flamenca was sent off as the even-money favorite racing a flat mile under Paco Lopez due to second and third-place finishes in her previous two races. Lopez put her on the lead early and the 3-year-old filly went wire-to-wire to break her maiden in her 10th try, scoring by one length and earning a check for $12,800.

Slammin’ Mike came right back from an 8 1/4-length victory on Jan. 29 to win his latest under Devin Magnon by 3 1/2 under highweight of 123 pounds. It was the third career victory for the 4-year-old gelding bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds; he paid $13.40 and collected a check for $8,400.

Handsome Mike’s progeny earnings since Jan. 1 have reached $213,659, 11th best on Florida’s leading sire list, but less than $6,000 away from eighth place.

Box of Gold scored a hard-fought victory at Penn National on Saturday night, but the lateness of the race, followed by President’s Day, caused the Blood-Horse to be several days late reporting Treasure Beach’s seventh winner of the year.

The 4-year-old filly bred by Stonehedge Farm sat off the pace early in the mile and 70-yard race, and began to move up three wide with Julio Hernandez down the backstretch. Box of Gold reached the lead at the top of the stretch and an all-out battle to the wire against Miss Cinderella ensued, with the Treasure Beach filly prevailing by half a length for her second career victory, She raised her earnings to $46,299, while Treasure Beach has surpassed $207,000 for the first seven weeks of the season.

Amira’s Prince continued his January surge by getting his fourth winner, the 3-year-old filly Adelina Star, at Camarero Race Track in Puerto Rico.

Roberto Gaud was aboard Adelina’s Star in her fifth try, and tracked the pacesetter going to the first quarter in the six-furlong race. Gaud rushed her up to assume the lead at the half and Adelina’s Star coasted through the stretch, winning by 5 1/2 lengths. Bred by Linda Evans, the filly was a $10,000 OBS June 2-year-old.

The last time Joey Martinez hopped aboard Big Cyn – at Aqueduct on Jan. 17 – the New York-bred daughter of Handsome Mike ducked in leaving the gate and unceremoniously dumped the rider onto the track.

There was no such problem at the Big A yesterday as Martinez guided Big Cyn to her maiden-breaking victory in her sixth career start. Possibly scared off by her actions in her previous race, the bettors let the 3-year-old filly get away at odds of 14-1, and it turned out to be a major mistake, for them.

Martinez settled Big Cyn in mid-pack down the backstretch in the six-furlong race, moved her wide on the turn, and the filly left the field behind en route to a 1 1/2-length score. The victory was worth $18,150 to owner/breeder Patricia Generazio, and $30.60 to the bettors.

Handsome Mike now has 10 winners this season and is in a battle for the Florida lead in that category. His progeny earnings of $165,964 ranks him ninth among Florida’s active sires.

As La Renoleta was leaving seven other fillies in her wake down the stretch in the sixth race at Oaklawn Park yesterday, announcer Vic Stauffer called her “a good-looking filly,” which may turn out to be the understatement of the week, or longer.

The 5-year-old Argentine-bred daughter of Treasure Beach came up from her home base in South America sporting a record of 4-for-4, with one Gr. I victory, and earnings of $44,126. Unraced at two and three, she won her four races between March and June of last year at Hipodromo Argentino De Palermo. Her last victory came on June 29 in the Gr. I Estrellas Distaff.

After a layoff of more than seven months, La Renoleta turned up in an $88,000 allowance optional claimer in Hot Springs yesterday, in the barn of top trainer Steve Asmussen.

With Ricardo Santana Jr. getting a rocking-chair ride, La Renoleta left no doubt she may be more than just “a good-looking filly,” winning the 1 1/16ths-mile race by nearly 10 lengths after cruising into the lead at the top of the stretch. Based on her spotless record in Palermo, and a subsequent series of excellent works at Fair Grounds, she went off as the 6/5 favorite and paid $4.40. The winner’s check of $52,800 boosted her total to $96,926.

What’s next for this ‘good-looking filly?’ The Gr. II Azeri for fillies and mares is coming up at Oaklawn on March 14, and the Gr. I Apple Blossom is set for April 18. Stay tuned.