Bucchero first-timer gives sharpies the business

Gulfstream Park has always been well-known for its sharp handicappers, but that group may never have gotten it as wrong as they did with Takecareofbusiness.

They may have missed that his morning trials at Palm Meadows were very respectable; they may have missed that he sold for $40,000 at OBS March just six months ago which means he must have worked pretty well the week before the sale; and they definitely missed the fact that the first crop of Bucchero has come out running, especially with first-time starters. Add to that they no doubt weren’t aware of the great success previously enjoyed by the breeding partnership of Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson

So they missed out on a $134.80 mutuel!

Heriberto Figueroa was aboard the 2-year-old gelding for his five-furlong debut over the Tapeta surface. In a $50,000 maiden special, Takecareofbusiness was off awkwardly – dead last in the field of eight. He was so far behind down the backstretch he was never in the TV picture. But Figueroa revved him up on the turn, and despite several moments when he looked green as grass, as announcer Pete Aiello noted, he took care of business with a monster late run that resulted in a half-length victory over 3-1 shot Christensen, who had put up sizzling early fractions of :21.55 and :44.83.

Takecareofbusiness raced the five furlongs in :57.67, earned $31,000 for his initial try with an ‘E’ speed figure of 80, became freshman sire Bucchero’s fifth winner, and sent the sharpies home wondering where they went wrong.

At Delaware Park, the drink of the day was Bourbon Over Ice, a $35,000 OBS October yearling who was coming off two straight seconds and still paid $19.80. The 3-year-old gelding by Neolithic sent his sire over the $600,000 mark in earnings for the year via a half-length victory with six furlongs in 1:10.06.

Jaime Rodriguez was aboard Bourbon Over Ice, who raised his record to 3-2-0 in 13 starts while receiving his best ‘E’ speed figure of 79. The gelding bred by Belvedere Farm came from off the pace, went four wide on the turn and proved best in the stretch, collecting a check for $12,000, increasing his career total to $51,980.

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