Gone Astray gets first Florida-bred winner of 2023

The honor of becoming the first Florida-bred runner to win a race in the New Year goes to Rubysa, a just-turned 5-year-old mare by Gone Astray who captured the second race at Gulfstream Park yesterday after Pennysylvania-bred Spy Novel won the first.

Ridden by Ocala’s Jose Ortiz, Rubysa was off with the leaders in the race at a mile and 70-yards over the Tapeta course, took up a stalking position in the two path down the backstretch, went up for the lead on the turn and held it down the lane, scoring by half a length in 1:41.07.

Bred by Inversiones Fl, Rubysa raised her record to 3-4-3 in 15 starts, and the check for $14,700 lifted her earnings to $65,920. She paid $5.20.

Gone Astray wound up 2022 as Florida’s fifth-leading sire with 48 winners and progeny earnings of $1,896,942. Earlier in the week, he passed the $15 million mark lifetime.