Bernie Dickman

Treasure Beach is just a stone’s throw away from passing the $5 million mark in career progeny earnings after Cajun Treasure made it two in a row at Del Mar yesterday. The lightly-raced 5-year-old gelding has taken several vacations due to physical problems throughout his career, but after scoring a sharp victory on July 31, he came back with an even better performance 29 days later.

With talented Flavien Prat riding, Cajun Treasure sat a comfortable third down the backstretch in the starter allowance race at 1 1/16-miles on the main track. On the turn, Prat went after the pace-setter and Cajun Treasure was in front as they straightened out for home. He drew off by 2 1/2 lengths at the wire and earned a check for $24,600, raising his career total to $107,062.

Aside from boosting Treasure Beach’s North American lifetime earnings to $4,996,147, the son of Galileo is about to pass $1 million for 2020 – he’s a little less than $12,000 away.

Benefiting from a heads-up ride from veteran Horacio Karamanos, R V Treasure scored her first career victory yesterday at Laurel Park, giving Treasure Beach his 32nd winner of 2020 and moving him closer to his two upcoming milestones.

The 3-year-old filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon was returning from a five-month vacation; she hadn’t raced since a solid second-place finish at Tampa Bay Downs on March 6. Karamanos got her off fifth in the one-mile turf race and she remained there down the backstretch, boxed in on the rail. At the top of the stretch a hole opened between horses and R V Treasure shot through, passing the favorite a sixteenth out, and then holding off fast-closing Amplio Esquema by a nose at the wire.

R V Treasure collected $15,930 for her maiden score, and Treasure Beach edged closer to his milestones, raising his 2020 earnings to $961,558 and his lifetime total to $4,969,677.

Treasure Beach’s leading earner, Saratoga Treasure, finished third in the $85,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes yesterday at the track that bears her name, and moved her sire closer to two milestones for 2020.

The 5-year-old New York-bred filly added $10,200 to her bank account, which now totals $335,003. That brought Treasure Beach’s progeny earnings for 2020 to less than $62,000 from the $1 million mark, and his career total to less than $54,000 from reaching the $5 million mark.

The Smart N Fancy was scheduled to be run at 5 1/2 furlongs on the grass, but a persistent rain at the Spa caused a switch to a muddy main track. Saratoga Treasure sat fifth in the early going, moved up on the turn and closed to be a non-threatening third, but seven lengths ahead of the fourth-place finisher. It was her second stakes-placed finish in her last three tries, and she’s now 5-2-5 in 20 starts for her owner and breeder, Patricia Generazio.

Whiskey Dash didn’t make his career debut until June 10 at Tampa Bay Downs, and he broke his maiden in his second try on July 1, first day of the track’s new season, which continues in November.

The 3-year-old gelding by Amira’s Prince now has raced five times, and he scored his third victory last night in a $25,000 starter allowance over the all-weather track at Presque Isle Downs.

Whiskey Dash, bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, broke well in the six-furlong race, tracked in the two path close to the leader down the backstretch, took the lead in the lane and held off three others in the race to the wire, winning by a head in 1:11.23. The $13,000 OBS Open 2-year-old paid $11.80 and earned a check for $15,000, raising his total to $31,595.

Not too many runners are still maidens at the age of four, unless, of course, they didn’t race at two and three. That’s the case of Jeanie’s Angel, a daughter of Handsome Mike who won for the first time yesterday at Gulfstream Park in her fifth start this season

The filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon carried highweight of 125 pounds as the only 4-year-old competing against nine 3-year-olds racing 1 1/16 miles on the grass. With Hector Berrios aboard, Jeanie’s Angel tracked close behind the leaders on the inside down the backstretch, swung off the rail and took the lead in upper stretch, then drew off to score by two lengths in 1:43.29.

The victory was worth $11,600 for Jeanie’s Angel, who paid $3.60 and became Handsome Mike’s 29th winner of 2020.

The wonderfully-named Ella’s Island went wire-to-wire in the third race at Monmouth Park yesterday, and raised Treasure Beach’s 2020 progeny earnings for 2020 to $898,607. At the same time, the 3-year-old filly put her sire less than $100,000 short of the $5 million mark in career earnings at $4,906,726.

Ella’s Island gunned to the lead with Hector Diaz Jr. in the turf race at 1 1/16 miles, and was seven lengths on top in mid-stretch. She won geared down by 6 1/4 in 1:44.75, paid $9, and earned a check of $12,600 for owner/breeder Debora Morgan. She didn’t race at two and is now 2-0-1 in five starts at three.

As a 3-year-old last year, Raymundo’s Secret scored three sharp victories in five races, missing out only in two stakes, and compiled earnings of $63,571. However, after her final race on Oct. 26, in which she finished fifth in the Gr. III Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita, she was sent to the sidelines, finally coming back to the races yesterday at Del Mar, a vacation of nearly 10 months.

Raymundo’s Secret returned in a $59,500 allowance optional claimer at one mile on the grass at odds of 4/5, and it took all the skills of veteran Flavien Prat to gain the daughter of Treasure Beach her fourth victory. Prat gunned her out of the gate from the No. 3 post into second place on the rail, and eased her back to third down the backstretch. Coming to the turn, still on the rail, the 4-year-old filly was completely boxed in with two rivals in front of her and two just to her outside.

As they straightened out for home, Prat bulled his way out of the box, swinging his filly off the inside and knocking the runner to her right out of the way. Raymundo’s Secret then dug in gamely and ran down the leaders, making up two lengths in the final 100 yards and getting up to win by a neck. She was clocked in 1:35.37 and earned a check for $35,400, boosting her total to $98,971.

Barring injury, the rest of 2020 should prove very lucrative for the talented filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon. Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson.

Big Cyn ‘s victory at Finger Lakes yesterday added to the long line of winners from the barn of owner/breeder Patricia Generazio and who are products of Pleasant Acres stallions.

Big Cyn is a 3-year-old New York-bred filly by Handsome Mike, and she was winning for the second time in her last three starts. With Andre Worrie riding, she broke well in the six-furlong race, battled for the lead three wide down the backstretch through fractions of :22.82 and :46.42, reached the front with a strong run on the turn and was 2 3/4 lengths in front at the wire after putting away 4/5 shot Saloon Girl.

Big Cyn paid $9.20 and earned a check for $8,460, raising her total to $35,286 for eight races.

Blissful Change became the 30th winner for Treasure Beach this year, and his first 2-year-old winner, with an eye-opening performance yesterday in a $36,000 maiden special at Indiana Grand.

The filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson was making just her second start after selling for $25,000 at the OBS March sale. Originally scheduled for one mile on the grass, the race was switched to the main track at a mile and 70 yards. Blissful Change broke on top with DeShawn Parker but she quickly dropped back to second and was content to push the leader down the backstretch.

Parker sent her up to take the lead turning for home, and she rebuffed a minor challenge from 7/5 favorite Pharoah’s Gold before drawing off with authority down the lane, winning by 9 1/4 widening lengths.

Blissful Change was clocked in 1:44.1, paid $6.20, and put $18,600 in the bank, which boosted Treasure Beach’s earnings to $839,343 as he continues his climb up the Florida general sire list; he’s now just $20,000 behind Big Drama for sixth place.

By the margins of a nose, a neck and 1 1/4 lengths, Aug. 8, 2020 will always be remembered at Pleasant Acres Stallions as the day Handsome Mike missed having his greatest day as a sire.

Here’s the timeline:

1st race, Gulfstream Park: Circle 8 Ranch’s 2-year-old filly Yafa makes her second career start in a $65,000 maiden special at one mile on the grass. She steps in the gate with Ronnie Allen Jr. at odds of 21-1, but drops to 13-1 soon after the race begins. She sits a good trip along the inside and makes a monster run down the lane only to miss by a neck. Yafa pays $13.40 to place and $7.80 to show and earns a check for $11,600.

2nd race, Delaware Park: La Flamenca sits second all the way under Robbie Albarado Jr. and finishes there by 1 1/4 lengths. The 3-year-old filly collects a check for $3,200 and is now 2-3-3 in 16 starts with earnings of $44,390.

6th race, Delaware Park: John’s Promise goes wire-to-wire at 5 1/2 furlongs with Raul Mena, putting up early fractions of :22.16 and :46.34. The 4-year-old gelding gets his second career victory, pays $9.40 and earns $9,000.

7th race, Gulfstream: Sir Seamus shoots out of the gate from the No. 9 post in an allowance optional claimer at a flat mile on the turf with Samy Camacho in the irons. The 4-year-old gelding bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon is four lengths in front at the quarter and the half, and by two turning for home. He outgames two fast-closing rivals to win by a nose, even though announcer Pete Aiello calls Til the End as the winner. Sir Seamus has won three in a row and four of his last five, and the $13,000 check for his fifth career victory boosts his total to $104,840.

9th race, Gulfstream: In a field of seven in the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes at one mile on the turf, Blue Mistress is the longest price on the board at 18-1 even though she finished third in the Portofino Bay Stakes in her previous start. The other six fillies are all 6-1 or lower. Marcos Meneses fires her out of the gate and the 3-year-old filly bred by the Barbazons and trained by nephew Lester Barbazon III is eight lengths in front at the quarter. The field predictably cuts into her margin, but she’s still in front by a length as they begin the run down the stretch. She holds on gamely, but is nailed by Lucky Polly on the last jump. It takes about two minutes for the placing judges to decide the winner, and the photo shows Blue Mistress lost by an inch of becoming her sire’s first stakes-winner.

Blue Mistress collects $19,600 for second, and the five finishes are worth $72,100 to Handsome Mike’s progeny earnings, which jump to $751,154. He moves from 11th to ninth on Florida’s sire list, right behind Treasure Beach and The Big Beast.