Bernie Dickman

Indy Princess Koko raced in the colors of her breeder, Jeannine Strauss McGinn, for her first four races at Tampa Bay Downs with only a lone third to show for her efforts. Now in the barn of a new owner, the 4-year-old filly by Amira’s Prince broke her maiden in style yesterday in her second start for Andy Vasquez at Belterra Park; she had finished third in her first start in Ohio.

Sonny Leon handled the filly to perfection, getting her off second in the five-furlong race, stalking the leader down the backstretch, then letting her roll at the eighth pole. After fractions of :22.92 and :47.47, Indy Princess Koko left the field behind and won by seven widening lengths, with Leon hand riding for the final sixteenth.

Indy Princess Koko was clocked in 1:00.37, paid $6.80 as second choice, and earned a check for $4,920. She became the third winner this year for Amira’s Prince.

Following a 2 1/2-month layoff after being claimed out of a winning race at Mahoning Valley in Austintown, Ohio, And I Know knew just what to do in her next try about 300 miles across the state at Belterra Park in Cincinnati.

With veteran Perry Ouzts aboard, the 5-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike made it two victories in a row, and three for her career, winning at first asking for new owner Dalma Lozado. And I Know raced a flat mile over the main track in 1:40.29, earning the highest Equibase “E” speed figure – 73 – of her 31-race career.

At odds of 5-1, And I Know was second early, but she cruised into the lead down the backstretch, opened up by two lengths on the turn, and held on to win by half a length, collecting a check for $5,100 and raising her total to $44,528. She paid $12.

On another sparse Tuesday with all the major tracks shuttered, Handsome Mike had three starters at various venues around the country and struck for two winners and a third. The pair of winners gave him 13 for the year.

In a $29,700 maiden special at Finger Lakes, Striking Mike broke his maiden in his fifth start under Emanuel De Diego, who put the 3-year-old on the lead from the rail and fought off Ganondagan through early fractions of :23.16 and :47.10. He then pulled away in the stretch to win by 1 1/4 lengths while the 6/5 shot faded to third. The gelding owned and bred by Kathryn Wright and Samantha Vitalone was clocked in :53.61 for the 4 1/2 furlongs on a track labeled ‘good,’ paid $18.80, and collected a check for $14,520.

Last night, Don’t Spin Me spun her sixth career victory over a sloppy track at Mountaineer Park with Noel Vigil riding, earning a check for $4,350. The 5-year-old mare was bred by the highly successful quartet of Ed Seltzer, Beverly Anderson, and Joe and Helen Barbazon and was sent off at 7/2 in the race at 5 1/2 furlongs. Don’t Spin Me went to the front in a :22.86 quarter and proved to be easily best, battling back after briefly losing the lead at the top of the stretch and winning by 4 1/4 lengths. The $1,700 OBS October yearling has earned $59,963 and is 6-3-0 in 27 starts.

After 14 starts at other tracks produced just one victory, Mike Is Ready showed yesterday he was more than ready for his first effort at Indiana Grand. The son of Handsome Mike proved to be a ton the best in a one-mile race with Fernando De La Cruz in the saddle.

Racing’s major problem of short fields didn’t hurt the chances of the 4-year-old gelding after three late scratches reduced the field to five. But it no doubt wouldn’t have mattered how many left the starting gate as De La Cruz nursed Mike Is Ready within hailing distance of the lead down the backstretch, went after the pace-setter three wide on the turn, and easily cruised to a two-length victory.

Mike Is Ready earned a check of $6,600 for breeder Ruben Sierra’s Just For Fun Stable and paid $26 as the longest price on the tote board. He became Handsome Mike’s 11th winner of 2021.

It was an odd race turned in by Alabama Slammer at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday, and in the end, the 3-year-old gelding wound up in a dead heat for the victory, giving Handsome Mike his 10th winner of 2021, and pushing his seasonal earnings past $307,000. The son of Scat Daddy recently went over the $3 million mark lifetime, but is already approaching $3.1 million.

Alabama Slammer broke on top with Alonso Quinonez and opened up by two lengths in the 7-furlong race, but was quickly joined by three rivals as they hit the quarter in :22.20. He raced on the inside head-and-head for the lead into the turn, then lost it approaching the stretch. But Quinonez used the rail smartly and suddenly the gelding was in front again and drawing off.

Midway down the stretch, Light Us Up came flying down the outside and closed the gap, and the two hit the wire together in 1:24.48, with the judges unable to separate them. Alabama Slammer’s share of the purse was $14,153, and he’s now 2-1-0 in four starts with earnings of $33,130.

The first 2-year-old race in Florida this season produced an eye-opening performance by Laki Lio, a Ride On Curlin colt who went wire-to-wire for owner/breeder Bella Inizio Farm at Gulfstream Park in near track-record time.

Angel Arroyo was aboard Laki Lio in the $65,000 maiden special, facing six others by such former Pleasant Acres stallions as Brethren and Long Island Sound, and another by Florida’s leading sire, Khozan.

Laki Lio was off like a shot, opening up daylight on the way to a sizzling quarter in :21.83 and a half in :45.67. He cruised into the stretch without being tested, and crossed the finish line in :52.16 for the 4 1/2 furlongs, 3 1/2 lengths in front, and just one second off the track record set nearly seven years ago.

The victory was worth $40,000, and installed Laki Lio as the leading money-earner in North America among the 13 other juveniles who have won a race.

Our Fantasy’s winning streak reached three in a row and four of her last five as she grabbed another breeders’ award for Joe and Helen Barbazon yesterday in the 10th race at Gulfstream Park.

The 4-year-old daughter of Amira’s Prince had veteran Joe Bravo in the saddle for the first time in the $47,000 allowance optional claimer at one mile over the main track. She broke well and raced for the lead in the early going in the two path on the outside of Subsiding. On the final turn, Our Fantasy swept by the pace-setter and opened up a three-length lead down the lane. At the wire, she was two lengths in front of Don’t Get Khozy, the 3/5 favorite, clocked in 1:37.19.

Our Fantasy was purchased by current owner Stein Racing for $50,000 at the 2019 April OBS sale, and has posted a record of 5-3-1 for them in 15 starts. She paid $8.20 while earning $28,900 for yesterday’s score, boosting her career total to $131,210.

In his first career start racing five furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 24, Cowboy at Heart was parked three wide from the outset and was never a contender, defeated by 10 lengths.

It was a different story yesterday, however, as talented Miguel Vasquez shot the 3-year-old gelding by Ride On Curlin to the top from the No. 3 post in the $44,000 maiden special, and the pair never looked back.

Cowboy At Heart sizzled past the furlong markers in :21.39 and :43.78, turned away three challengers at the top of the stretch, and broke his maiden by two lengths, clocked in :55.90. He earned a check for $26,400, rewarded his faithful to the tune of $16.80, and gave his sire his third winner of the year from just seven starters.

Handsome Mike is just $6,289 away from reaching the $3 million mark in career progeny earnings after the victory of his leading money-winner, Here Comes Jackie, in a $27,250 allowance optional claiming race at one mile on the grass at Tampa Bay Downs.

The 5-year-old mare bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon was off sixth in a seven-horse field under veteran Ronnie Allen Jr., cruising along in the two path. She moved three-wide on the turn, then ran down the leaders late to score by a length, clocked in 1:35.26 and raising her record to 5-7-2 in 35 starts. The $16,475 check boosted her career total to $234,685.

Here Comes Jackie is the ninth winner of 2021 for Handsome Mike, whose earnings jumped to $2,993,711.

It only took Well Shes Handsome two races to break her maiden, with Miguel Vazquez guiding the 3-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike to a stylish victory at Gulfstream Park yesterday for Ocala’s Glen View Oaks, her owner and breeder.

After half the field in the 5 1/2-furlong race opted to try for the early lead, Vazquez slipped Well Shes Handsome through on the inside to take over in a :22.67 first quarter. The filly who had finished second in her first start on Jan. 16 then continued on in front and won by three-quarters of a length after turning back Pretzel, a filly by former Pleasant Acres stallion Brethren.

Well She’s Handsome paid $6.60 as second choice while becoming her sire’s eighth winner this year. She earned $12,800 plus a breeder’s award for Glen View. Handsome Mike is now less than $42,000 away from reaching $3 million in lifetime progeny earnings.