Bernie Dickman

Sir Seamus scored a wire-to-wire victory on the turf at Woodbine yesterday, his sixth score in a 19-race career, tying him with Here Comes Jackie for most winner’s circle visits by any of Handsome Mike’s runners. It was only his second race back after a vacation of 5 1/2 months.

Gary Boulanger was aboard the 5-year-old, and the veteran rider had Sir Seamus on the lead from the outset. The gelding bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, and sold for $13,000 at the 2018 OBS Open sale, sailed by the markers in :22.98, :45.83 and 1:09.42 and was never seriously threatened. He reached the finish line in front by three-quarters of a length clocked in 1:21.96 for the seven furlongs, and his check for $32,453 in U. S. dollars brought his career total to $143,979.

Although it’s much too early for making end-of-the-year predictions, Neolithic is currently No. 1 on Florida’s 2021 freshman sire list with respect to number of winners.

The stallion by Harlan’s Holiday, who had become the first Florida freshman to get two winners, now has three thanks to a highly-professional maiden-breaking victory by Cattin in his first try at Gulfstream Park.

Cattin was bred by long-time Florida breeders Curtis Mikkelsen and Patricia Horth, and was a $25,000 OBS Winter yearling. He was ridden by Emisael Jaramillo in yesterday’s debut in a $50,000 claiming race at 5 1/2 furlongs. Sent off at odds of 3-1, Cattin broke fifth and hugged the rail down the backstretch, until Jaramillo slipped him through to stalk the three leaders into the turn for home.

The veteran rider waited for the inside to open up, and when it did, he shot Cattin through the hole and in the blink of an eye, he left the three challengers in the dust. Never leaving the rail, Cattin widened the margin through the lane and at the wire he was nearly four lengths in front, clocked in 1:05.38. He paid $8.40 and earned a check for $28,550, which raised Neolithic’s total to $97,950 despite having only five runners thus far. Among 63 first-year sires in North America, he stands at No. 20.

There was nothing complex – again – about the overpowering performance turned in by Complex System at Gulfstream Park yesterday.

The 4-year-old colt by Amira’s Prince jumped out of the gate from the No. 9 post with Emisael Jaramillo, took the lead into the first turn, and was never seriously threatened for the remainder of his mile and one-sixteenth journey over the turf course.

The colt bred by Beth Bayer put up solid fractions of :23.75, :47.33 and :1:10.09 and was three in front as he straightened out for home. The final margin was 3 1/4 lengths, the time 1:41.35, and the winner’s check of $14,700 increased his earnings to $119,890. He has a record of 3-4-1 in 11 starts, all three victories coming this year.

Complex System is one of three runners by Amira’s Prince who has passed the $100,000 mark in career earnings.

Stone Beauty lived up to her name at Gulfstream Park yesterday, going wire-to-wire in her career debut under Samy Camacho and giving freshman sire Neolithic his second winner from three runners.

Stone Beauty, bred by Maria K. and Maria M. Haire, broke quickly in the $60,000 maiden special, was sent to the rail by Camacho and set a pressured pace throughout the five furlongs. She passed the quarter in :22.74 with 5/2 Devilette right on her shoulder, hit the half in :46.66 with 8/5 Flor de Plata in hot pursuit, then held off the favorite late to score by nearly two lengths.

In becoming the first Florida freshman sire to get two winners, the $130,000 OBS April 2-year-old paid $6.40 and earned a check for $39,000.

In his first six career starts, Damir never finished in the top three at Gulfstream Park, Gulfstream West or Delaware Park. It took a rider switch to a pony-tailed 34-year-old mother of three from Idaho, whose agent is former top rider Ron Ardoin, to turn it all around.

After those first six races, Aubrie Green hopped aboard Damir for the first time on June 24 at Delaware Park and the 3-year-old gelding by Ride On Curlin finished second, missing by half a length of scoring a 26-1 upset. In his next start on July 5, Green guided him to a third-place finish, this time at 9/2.

Yesterday, with the odds on the gelding bred by Robyn Thompson ballooning to 14-1, Green took Damir wire-to-wire in a race at a mile and 70 yards, breaking his maiden in start No. 9. He put up fractions of :23.07, :46.98 and 1:11.61 en route to a three-quarters of a length score in 1:37.48 over 2-1 shot Gandolfo, and collected a purse of $11,400.

Ride On Curlin now has seven winners from 11 starters in 2021 for a winning percentage of 63.6.

Amira’s Prince has had just nine runners thus far this year, and five of them have won for a 55.5 percentage.

No. 5 came at Presque Isle Downs yesterday when Whiskey Dash became the latest to receive the “from last to first ” stretch call from the track announcer.

Whiskey Dash was off last in a five-horse field going 5 1/2 furlongs, with Mike Allen in the irons. The 4-year-old gelding steadily dropped back as they raced down the backstretch until he was about 12 lengths behind heading into the turn. Then Whiskey Dash put it in overdrive and literally flew down the lane, getting up to win by 1 1/4 lengths amid the “from last to first” call.

The gelding bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon was clocked in 1:04.73 and paid $6.00 while scoring for the fourth time in 11 starts.

When Paco Lopez took Emirates Affair off the rail and swung her very wide heading into the stretch in the seventh race at Monmouth Park yesterday, it appeared as though the 3-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike had lost all chance. But Paco put her in another gear down the lane, and Emirates Affair made up six lengths late and was up to win by a length, breaking her maiden and giving her sire his 19th winner of 2021.

Emirates Affair was off fourth on the rail in the $45,000 maiden special that was switched from the turf to 5 1/2 furlongs on the main track, and Paco slipped her through on the inside to take over third on the turn. The wide move into the stretch that lost her a couple of lengths turned out not to hurt her, and the filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon earned a check for $27,000, raising her total to $62,100 on a record of 1-4-2 in 11 starts.

Luis Rivera looked like a New York taxi driver maneuvering on Madison Ave. yesterday, as he steered Took a Cab to a runaway victory going 5 1/2 furlongs at Parx Racing.

Leaving from the 2 post at odds of 16-1 despite a victory at the track two races back, Rivera settled the 4-year-old Handsome Mike gelding in third place along the inside and never left the rail for the entire 1:05.04 trip. When the leaders fanned wide at the top of the stretch, Took a Cab took the short way home and scored by 2 1/2 lengths to pick up the $12,600 winner’s check.

The gelding bred by Joel W. Sainer paid $34.60, raised his earnings to $73,550 on a record of 3-4-8 in 29 starts, and received his highest ‘E’ speed rating from Equibase – an 80.

Sister Otoole became the third runner by Amira’s Prince to break the $100,000 mark in earnings via a strong closing rally in a $92,000 allowance race on the grass at Belmont Park.

The 4-year-old filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon was ridden by Luis Saez in the race at a mile and a quarter on the inner turf course. Off at odds of 9/2, Sister Otoole broke alertly and was sitting a comfortable third on the inside early on the backstretch, about six lengths from the leaders.

She dropped even further back after half a mile in :47.98, then uncorked a powerful wide run on the turn, gamely assumed the lead in deep stretch and held off three would-be closers, winning by a length in 2:02.55.

The check for $50,600 raised Otoole’s bank account to $109,156 on a record of 2-2-3 in 8 starts.

If ever there was a poster boy for the old “horses for courses” adage, it has to be John’s Promise. The 5-year-old Handsome Mike gelding has started 19 times in his career at five tracks, and after his smart victory at Delaware Park yesterday, he raised his record to 5-3-2, with four of the five victories and two of the three seconds having come at Delaware.

Raul Mena was aboard John’s Promise in a $42,250 allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs. They were off fourth over a muddy track down the backstretch, and Mena coaxed the gelding past the second and third runners coming to the turn. John’s Promise then took care of the pace-setter about 100 yards from the wire, pulling away determinedly to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

John’s Promise is his sire’s 18th winner of 2021, and the $24,000 check left him within a stone’s throw of the $100,000 mark at $98,003.