Bernie Dickman

Joe and Helen Barbazon and the Treasure Beach syndicate collected another breeders’ award when Pirate’s Plunder made a successful career debut yesterday at Gulfstream West and paid a juicy $39. In a race that came off the grass and was contested at seven furlongs over the main track, the 3-year-old gelding was off third under Luis Castillo and made his move after the half. He took the lead heading into the stretch and scored by a head in a driving finish, becoming the 26th winner this year for Treasure Beach. The victory was worth $10,400 for owners Stanley Officina and Hemingway Racing.

With Emisael Jaramillo controlling the pace from the outset, Gia Lia Joe became the 25th winner of 2018 for Treasure Beach at Gulfstream West yesterday. The 3-year-old filly broke her maiden with a wire-to-wire victory racing a flat mile on the grass, earning a check for $10,400. She won it by 1 1/2 lengths at odds of 5-1 and increased Treasure Beach’s progeny earnings for the year to $1,039,027 . . . Treasure Beach’s great success in Argentina continues, with maiden scores at San Isidro by a pair of 2-year-old colts, Glorious Moment and Emiterio.

Betamax cassettes have become virtually invisible these days, and the unique condition rubbed off on the 3-year-old Beta Max, who broke his maiden in the 10th race at Gulfstream West yesterday and became winner No. 24 this year for red-hot Treasure Beach.

With Miguel Vasquez aboard, Beta Max was off sixth in the 7 1/2-furlong turf race, and remained there down the backstretch and heading into the final turn. When Vasquez stepped on the gas, the gelding inhaled the four horses vying for the lead in a matter of seconds and he turned into the lane on top, despite the fact that the track announcer subbing for Pete Aiello treated him like he wasn’t there. The sub didn’t pick up Beta Max until about 100 yards from the wire, and by that time the race was over as he cruised to a seven-length victory, worth $10,400.

Many miles away, at Hawthorne, Handsome Mike gained his fifth winner when first-timer Smart Daddy went virtually wire-to-wire under Edgar Perez in a $20,000 maiden special at six furlongs. The 2-year-old colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon posted sizzling fractions of :21.71, :45.38 and :58.16 en route to victory by 3 3/4 lengths and a final clocking of 1:11.65. Smart Daddy paid $19.20 in his debut and collected $12,000 for the score. 

Box of Gold charged past favored Secret O’Life with a furious rush in the final sixteenth to win Gulfstream West’s seventh race yesterday, at the same time accounting for Treasure Beach charging past the $1 million mark in 2018 progeny earnings. 

Edgard Zayas was aboard the 2-year-old filly, who broke her maiden for owner/breeder Gilbert Campbell’s Stonehedge Farm in just her second start. Racing 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass, Box of Gold broke in mid-pack from the No. 10 post, and Zayas settled her into a good spot along the rail down the backstretch. She remained on the rail turning into the stretch, where Zayas swung her out  to the middle of the course and Box of Gold literally flew to the wire, making up about four lengths and surviving a hard bump by Secret O’Life, who was desperately trying to hold her off. Box of Gold won by one-half length and collected a check for $15,300, which boosted Treasure Beach’s earnings to $1,002,937.  

Jose Ortiz proved yesterday why he’s become one of the country’s leading riders as he guided Saratoga Treasure to victory in a $66,000 allowance race at six furlongs on the grass at Belmont Park. The 3-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach was off near the rear of the 12-filly field, and remained in 10th place down the backstretch. When several of her rivals went wide turning into the stretch, Ortiz swung Saratoga Treasure to the inside, drove her between horses, and she ate up her 8-length deficit, getting up by a neck in the final strides.

The New York-bred filly collected a check for $38,115 for owner/breeder Patricia Generazio, boosting her total to $109,385, as she became her sire’s fourth $100,000-plus earner. Saratoga Treasure’s progeny earnings for 2018 jumped to $980,347.

In Argentina, Mirta finished third yesterday in the Gr. I Gran Premio Seleccion at Hipodromo Argentino De Palermo. The 2-year-old filly had broken her maiden at San Isidro in March.

Following her game victory under Angel Rodriguez at Penn National last night, Charlotte De Berry is 2-2-0 in her last five starts. The 3-year-old daughter of Beau Choix, bred by Norman Dellheim, battled for the lead between horses in the 5 1/2-furlong race, then outgamed her two rivals to the wire, winning by one-half length in 1:06.48 and earning $6,480 . . . Pleasant Acres’ Joe and Helen Barbazon earned a breeder’s award at Gulfstream West yesterday when San Diego Slugger went wire-to-wire at seven furlongs, coasting home by nearly two lengths after opening up by four in the stretch. The 2-year-old gelding by Poseidon’s Warrior collected a check for $15,300.

Treasure Beach moved closer to becoming the second Pleasant Acres stallion to reach $1 million in progeny earnings for 2018 when New Found Treasure broke her maiden under Edgard Zayas yesterday at Gulfstream Park. In her fourth start, the 2-year-old filly came from well off the pace racing about 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass and was much the best in the stretch, winning by three lengths. She became the 21st winner this year for Treasure Beach and the fourth 2-year-old winner. The $15,300 check for owner/breeder Stonehedge Farm raised Treasure Beach’s earnings for the year to $937,838.

Treasure Beach also had three recent winners in Argentina, Fromm and Envido Real scoring at San Isidro and Danzann at La Punta.

Poseidon’s March scored a convincing victory at Finger Lakes yesterday and brought his sire within a stone’s throw of reaching $2 million in career progeny earnings. It has only been 15 months since Firenze Fire won “from here to Florida” and became the first winner for Poseidon’s Warrior on June 21 of last year. Poseidon’s March, a 3-year-old colt owned and bred by Patricia Generazio, overcame a sloppy track with Joel Cruz at the controls, and went wire-to-wire at 5 1/2 furlongs, leaving the field behind in the stretch to score by 4 1/2 lengths. The winner’s check of $7,260 boosted Poseidon’s Warrior’s total to $1,995,664.

Firenze Fire and his sire, Poseidon’s Warrior, both reached new heights yesterday when the Mr. Amore Stables 3-year-old captured the $300,000, Gr. III Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing. Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard the colt, who earned $180,000 for the victory and became the first millionaire for Poseidon’s Warrior with a total of $1,074,100. The Speightstown stallion, who finished second in the  same race in 2011, is less than $15,000 away from surpassing the $2 million mark in progeny earnings. 

Ortiz broke Firenze Fire on top in the six-furlong race, then dropped him back about three lengths during a quarter that went in a sizzling :21.91. They moved at the pacesetter on the turn and took the lead into the stretch after a half-mile in :45.82. The colt then engaged in a nose-to-nose duel to the finish with Whereshetoldmetogo, who came in on a three-race winning streak, including two stakes. In the shadow of the wire, Whereshetoldmetogo tried to savage Firenze Fire, but Ortiz never flinched and guided his colt home by a neck. 

Firenze Fire now sports a record of 6-1-1 in 13 starts and has won five stakes, four of them graded.

Treasure Beach is nearing the $900,000 mark in progeny earnings for 2018 after the victory of Total Treasure on the Gulfstream Park grass yesterday. The 3-year-old filly bred by Just For Fun Stable drove to the lead out of the gate under Romero Maragh, and continued on the front end the rest of the way, winning the 7 1/2-furlong turf test by one-half length. It was the first career score for Total Treasure, who became winner No. 20 for her sire this year and collected a check of $11,600.