Turf News

Anthony’s Cross gained his first stakes-placed runner when Yeehaw finished a bang-up second yesterday in the $100,000 FTBOA Silver Charm Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The 3-year-old colt was off second under Samy Camacho, but took the lead on the backstretch, then hooked up in a fierce battle with Boston Breeze which continued down the stretch. Yeehaw put his rival away late, but was unable to hold off Noble Drama, who closed with a rush and nailed Yeehaw by one-half length at the wire, clocked in a solid 1:40.34 for the mile and 40 yards. Yeehaw, a $40,000 OBS August yearling, earned $20,000 for second and raised his total to $84,940. 

Freshman sire Handsome Mike’s first runner became his first winner today when Saint Michael went virtually wire-to-wire in the sixth race at Gulfstream Park. The 2-year-old colt had been working well for Monarch Stables and was sent off as the 9/10 favorite under Miguel Vasquez. Saint Michael broke alertly from the No. 1 post and was immediately tackled from the outside by Big Drink of Water. The pair raced head-and-head around the turn while opening up daylight on the rest of the field, then Saint Michael drew off in the stretch to score by two widening lengths. It was another seven lengths back to third-place finisher Benji. The final time of :52.37 was just over a second off the track record for the distance, and Saint Michael collected $27,650 for the sterling effort.

Handsome Mike is a son of red-hot sire Scat Daddy, who has four runners entered in tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby. Pennsylvania Derby winner Handsome Mike won or placed in nine stakes and earned more than $1 million. He  stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions for $5,000.

Firenze Fire drew the No. 1 post for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby and will have talented Paco Lopez in the saddle. The Florida-bred colt by Poseidon’s Warrior has won four races and earned $669,100 – only Audible (5) has won more in the 20-horse field. Firenze Fire is one of just three runners in the field not bred in Kentucky. The others are Flameaway (Ontario) and Audible (New York). The colt owned and bred by Ron Lombardi’s Mr Amore Stables has won the Gr. I Champagne Stakes, the Gr. III Sanford and the Jerome, and was second in the Gr. III Withers.

All it took for Don’s Beach to break his maiden was a switch from the turf course to the main track at Tampa Bay Downs. After his first two Oldsmar starts of 2018 on the grass produced fourth-place finishes, the 3-year-old Treasure Beach gelding scored his first victory at Tampa yesterday when his mile and one-sixteenth test was moved to the dirt course. With Mike Allen riding, Don’s Beach was off second, then inherited the lead on the backstretch when the pacesetter incurred a problem. The gelding bred by Stonehedge Farm continued on in front and held off a late surge by the runner-up to win by a head, earning a check for $8,390.

Despite breaking to the outside and hitting the starting gate, and later getting pinned down on the rail in the stretch, Navy Commander finished a neck behind second place last night in the $85,000, 7-furlong Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Casino at the Charles Town Races. The 3-year-old gelding by Poseidon’s Warrior was coming off two straight victories and had Javier Castellano aboard looking to make it three in a row. After the unfortunate break, Navy Commander sat in third place down the backstretch and was chasing the leader into the stretch, but was unable to shift to the outside and had to settle for third. He collected a check of $8,490 for owner/breeder Swilcan Stables and now sports a record of 3-0-1 in eight starts with earnings of $102,338.

Haley’s Thunder became the third winner in a span of seven days for Anthony’s Cross, the 3-year-old filly breaking her maiden at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday in her fourth career start. She was bumped leaving the gate but still managed to battle for the lead early, then took the lead on the final turn and drew off to score by 1 1/2 lengths. Haley’s Thunder earned $6,280 after negotiating six furlongs in 1:11.69, plus getting a breeder’s award for Carol Hershe.

Crossed overcame a layoff of nearly six months to break her maiden yesterday at Indiana Grand Race Course in her fifth career start. The 3-year-old Indiana-bred daughter of Anthony’s Cross captured a $34,500 allowance race by one-half length with Santo Sanjur in the saddle, despite forcing the pace on the outside for most of the six-furlong race. She survived a speed duel after posting fractions of :22.65, :45.85 and :58.85, and despite falling back heading into the stretch, found another gear and rallied to get up in time, clocked in 1:12.58. Owned and bred by Just for Fun Stable, Crossed collected $20,700 for her second victory.

Yeehaw had turned in several good performances without a victory, including a second in his previous start, and it was obvious it was going to be just a matter of time before the sharp colt by Anthony’s Cross would break his maiden. That happened at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday as the 3-year-old colt overcame the sloppy track and romped to his first victory in a maiden special race at a mile and 40 yards. Yeehaw sat a good stalking trip behind the two leaders under Samy Camacho, and when the rider asked him to run on the turn, it became no contest. He drew off to score by 4 1/2 lengths, and as the official chart noted, Yeehaw was coasting at the wire. The $40,000 OBS August yearling collected $27,500, boosting his earnings to $64,940.

Treasure Beach’s South American 2-year-olds continue to shine in Argentina, adding another April winner and a graded stakes-placed runner to the two previous winners in March. The filly Lima Tango Alfa finished third in the Gr. II Eliseo Ramirez Stakes, while the colt Ventajero Soy became winner No. 3, both at San Isidro.

Congratulations are in order for veteran horseman Miguel Feliciano, who for decades has split his time between Tampa Bay Downs in the winter and Ohio in the summer. On March 30, Feliciano claimed Raise a Warrior for $8,000 out of a mile and one-sixteenth race at Tampa. Just 12 days later, he raised the son of Poseidon’s Warrior to $25,000, at the same time turning him back to seven furlongs. The 3-year-old colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon was more than up to the task after causing some problems prior to the start by breaking through the gate.

Down the backstretch, Jose Bracho kept Raise a Warrior close to the pace in the two-path, then the colt rallied on the outside to wear down the 4/5 pacesetter, edging away late to score his first career victory. The margin was 1 1/4 lengths and was worth $9,290 to Feliciano. Raise a Warrior became the ninth winner this year for his sire, who is rapidly approaching $500,000 in progeny earnings.

Poseidon’s Warrior surpassed the $1 million level in career progeny earnings yesterday when Firenze Fire finished a closing fourth in a field of nine in the $1 million, Gr. II Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. The 3-year-old colt earned $65,000 for his finish, and has now reached $669,100 for his nine career starts. His sire has earnings of $1,058,813, and the $460,347 for this year alone has elevated Poseidon’s Warrior into fourth place among Florida’s leading active sires, even though he’s the only one with just one crop at the races. Firenze Fire’s $220,000 bank account for 2018 is also best among all runners by Florida stallions.