Bernie Dickman

Treasure Beach gained his sixth winner of 2017 at Saratoga yesterday when Paradise Island was awarded first place via disqualification after a thrilling stretch battle with fellow Florida-bred Empirically. Leaving from the rail, jockey Manny Franco settled the gelding into third place, tracking the leaders along the inside down the backstretch in the $83,000 maiden special at 1 1/16 miles on the grass. Turning for home, he swung Paradise Island to the outside of the pacesetter at the same time that Empirically was slipping through on the rail. The two longshots raced head-and-head in a furious run to the wire, however, Empirically began to bear out, impeding Paradise Island twice. The gelding wound up second in a photo, but the stewards immediately flashed the inquiry sign and wasted little time reversing the numbers. The final clocking was an excellent 1:41.42.

Paradise Island’s successful debut was worth $49,800 for owner/breeder Debora C. Morgan, and raised Treasure Beach’s progeny earnings to $264,272, good for seventh place on the national freshman sire list.

Powerful Venezuela more than lived up to his name at Gulfstream Park yesterday, using a heads-up ride by talented Emisael Jaramillo to break his maiden in his first start for owner/breeder Orlyana Farm. The 2-year-old colt gave freshman sire Poseidon’s Warrior his third winner and the $19,600 check raised the stallion’s progeny earnings to $172,874.

Sent off at 4-1 for his debut, Powerful Valenzuela broke on top from the No. 7 post, but Jaramillo took him back early and dropped back to third. Jaramillo swung the colt three wide on the turn and Powerful Valenzuela rolled past the two leaders in the lane, drawing off to score by nearly two lengths in 1:05.56 for the 5 1/2 furlongs. Poseidon’s Warrior is third on the Florida freshman sire list behind stablemates Treasure Beach and Brethren.

Brethren didn’t get his first stakes-winner yesterday, but the son of Distorted Humor did get three stakes-placed runners, one of just three first-year stallions in North America who can make that boast today.

• In the $100,000 Dr. Fager Stakes at Gulfstream Park, first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes, nobody was going to beat Phantom Ro, who raced the six furlongs in 1:10.60. But Dunk finished a game second, less than three lengths behind, and earned a check for $20,000 for Arindel. The colt broke sharply with Emisael Jaramillo, who eased him back to third during a : 22.30 quarter. They went after the leaders three wide on the turn, and although not able to make up ground on the winner, Dunk held off the rest of the field to claim the runner-up spot. Tip Sheet, the other Brethren colt in the race, dumped rider Aby Median when she lost her irons soon after the start.

• Awesome Mass also caught a tough foe in the $100,000 Desert Vixen Stakes, and a poor start didn’t help her chances. After breaking last, Jaramillo guided her up to third along the rail in a :22.22 quarter, then into second on the turn for home. But winner Go Astray was in full flight and Awesome Mass, like Dunk, held on gamely for second and the $20,000 check that goes with it.

• At Louisiana Downs, Feisty Embrace went off at 7-1 in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies and was caught in an unenviable position along the rail for a half-mile. When Colby Hernandez was able to swing her out for racing room in the stretch, Feisty Embrace rallied to get up for third, collecting $5,500 for Matalona Thoroughbreds.

• Brethren moved up to second place behind Treasure Beach on the Florida freshman sire list, and into 10th nationally.

Saturday has the potential to be a red-letter day for Brethren, with all four of his winners entered in three stakes races at Gulfstream Park and Louisiana Downs.

• Arindel’s pair of Dunk and Tip Sheet will both go in race No. 12 at Gulfstream – the $100,000 Dr. Fager for colts and geldings at six furlongs. Dunk broke his maiden by 8 3/4 lengths on July 15 with 5 1/2 furlongs in a quick 1:04.82; he drew the No. 7 post in the 8-horse field and has the services of one of the track’s most talented riders, Emisael Jaramillo. Tip Sheet, who broke his maiden by three-quarters racing five furlongs on July 6, will leave from No. 2 with Aby Medina.

• Awesome Mass, also from the Arindel barn, drew No. 3 in a field of eight in the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies at six furlongs, and will have Jaramillo aboard. She scored a sensational victory on July 20, running off by 11 3/4 lengths while clocked in :57.18 for five furlongs, just four-fifths of a second off the track record.

• Feisty Embrace, who became Brethren’s first winner at Evangeline Downs on June 16, will contest the $50,000, six-furlong Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies at Louisiana Downs. Owned and bred by Matalona Thoroughbreds, she goes from the No. 3 post in the fifth race with Colby Hernandez riding.

Red-hot Treasure Beach gained his fifth winner and vaulted over the $200,000 mark in progeny earnings yesterday when first-time starter Sunshine Treasure, at odds of 6-1, scored a game head victory in a $50,000 maiden special at Gulfstream Park. Sensational young rider Tyler Gaffalione was aboard the filly, and he broke her out on top from the rail in the 7 1/2-furlong grass test. As the field started down the backstretch, Gaffalione was content to give up the lead, and dropped Sunshine Treasure back to fourth. On the turn, he slipped her through on the rail, swung into the No. 2 path, and she rallied down the lane to win by a head in a furious finish. The victory was worth $34,000 to long-time Pleasant Acres client Patricia Generazio, who bred the filly in partnership with the farm’s owners, Joe and Helen Barbazon. With $203,387 in earnings, Treasure Beach is sitting in fourth place on the national freshman sire list.

Owner Norman Stables and trainer Scott Gelner haven’t let the grass grow under the feet of Incredible Warrior after they purchased the chestnut colt for $15,000 out of the Glen View Oaks consignment at the 2016 OBS August yearling sale. Incredible Warrior raised his record to 1-2-1 in five starts on Friday evening while becoming the second winner for Poseidon’s Warrior via a convincing victory in a $31,000 maiden special at Prairie Meadows. Based on a pair of seconds in his previous two starts, the colt was sent off as the 5/2 second choice in the 5 1/2-furlong test with veteran Shane Laviolette aboard. Incredible Warrior jumped out of the gate on top from the No. 2 post, then engaged 8/5 Blended Lute through a quarter in :22.39 and a half in :45.77 before putting away the favorite as they straightened out in the stretch. He held a daylight lead nearing the wire and was never threatened late, winning by 1 1/4 lengths as his rider geared him down in the final 50 yards. The $18,450 winner’s check lifted Incredible Warrior’s earnings to $34,630 and his sire’s progeny earnings to $147,940, second only to Treasure Beach on the Florida freshman list.

Anthony’s Cross became the fourth of Pleasant Acres’ five freshman stallions to get his first winner when Crossed proved to be a ton the best yesterday in a $33,000 maiden special at Indiana Grand Race Course. The Indiana-bred filly had been working well for her debut and was pegged at 2-1 on the tote board in the five-furlong race. With Jose Riquelme aboard, Crossed came out running from the No. 4 post and made every pole a winning one. When Three Spokes Up made her move on the turn, Crossed turned it up several notches and left the 4/5 favorite in her dust, drawing off by nearly six lengths in the lane. The filly’s owner/breeder, Just For Fun Stable, collected $19,800 for the score.

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Regret. Upset. Tom Fool. Hail to Reason. Secretariat. Affirmed. Since the first edition of the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga a little more than 100 years ago, the race has been won by many of the most storied names in the history of the thoroughbred sport. Yesterday, Firenze Fire added his name to that august list, the son of Poseidon’s Warrior coming from off the pace under Irad Ortiz Jr. to win the $150,000, Gr. III kickoff to the Spa’s lucrative juvenile program in a driving finish.

Despite his impressive maiden-breaking performance at Monmouth Park on June 18, Firenze Fire was allowed to go off at 12-1 and he rewarded his followers with a $27 mutuel. After breaking fifth in the six-furlong test, Firenze Fire edged up to fourth after a quarter of a mile in :22.27, and went after pace-setting second choice Baffin on the turn. He took over the lead at the eighth pole, then held off 3-1 favorite Free Drop Billy approaching the wire, getting home by one length with six furlongs in 1:11.50.

The victory was worth $90,000 to Mr. Amore Stables and raised Firenze Fire’s earnings to $111,600. Trainer Jason Servis disclosed after the race that the colt will now be pointed to the seven-furlong, Gr. I Hopeful at the Spa on Sept. 4.

Pleasant Acres’ Treasure Beach, Brethren and Poseidon’s Warrior are currently running 1-2-3 on the Florida freshman sire list, and nationally, are eighth, 13th and 15th.

The third time proved to be the charm for Awesome Mass in a $50,000 maiden special at Gulfstream Park yesterday as the daughter of Brethren teamed with Emisael Jaramillo for her initial victory in a scintillating performance that more than lived up to her name. The filly took the lead in the opening jump and staved off three challengers until turning for home while posting fractions of :22.98 and :45.55. Then she exploded at the top of the stretch and drew off to score by nearly 12 lengths, getting the five furlongs in :57.18, as announcer Peter Aiello observed, “an easy winner – powerful at the end.”

Arindel’s Awesome Mass became the fourth winner for Brethren, and the $34,000 winner’s check raised the stallion’s progeny earnings to $137,082. He’s in second place behind stablemate Treasure Beach on the Florida freshman sire list, while moving up to 10th nationally among 87 listed first-year sires, giving Pleasant Acres two stallions in the top 10.

Brethren solidified his hold on second place behind Treasure Beach in the Florida freshman sire standings when Dunk destroyed the field in a $50,000 maiden special at 5 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream Park yesterday. Emisael Jaramillo was aboard Dunk for the first time after the colt had finished third in his previous two starts for Arindel, and the talented rider handled the 8/5 favorite to perfection. Dunk tracked the leader in second place for a quarter of a mile, rolled up on the outside to take over on the turn, and ran away and hid in the stretch, cruising to the finish in 1:04.82, nearly nine lengths in front. Dunk became his sire’s third winner and the $34,000 check raised his earnings to $42,400, at the same time lifting Brethren’s progeny earnings to $102,400.