Pair of winners propel Neolithic closer to $3 million milestone

Victories by Mister Abarrio and Kip the Distance on Thursday added $59,400 to Neolithic’s 2025 progeny earnings. He’s closing in on $2.4 million, leaving him within a stone’s throw of second place on Florida’s general sire list, and $600,000 away from his initial $3 million season.

MISTER ABARRIO – The 5-year-old gelding bred by Dr. Tiffany Atteberry and Scott Brown, a $30,000 OBS October yearling, made it two victories in a row and three of his last four plus a second, coming from behind to score in a $75,000 allowance optional claimer at Colonial Downs. In a 1 1/8-miles trip over the outer turf course, with Micah Husbands aboard, Mister Abarrio broke well, then dropped back to a comfortable sixth along the inside down the backstretch.

Husbands shot him between horses, wheeled to the outside down the stretch, and the gelding was up in the final strides to win by a neck in 1:48.55. He paid $13.20 and earned $44,400, boosting his lifetime earnings to $295,410 on a record of 6-7-11 in 32 starts.

KIP THE DISTANCE – Also winning her second in a row, a $25,000 starter allowance claimer at Penn National, the 3-year-old filly picked up another $15,000 for owner, breeder and trainer Angel Rodriguez, raising her total to $178,670. With Jose Lopez in the irons, she broke sharply in the six-furlong test, chased the leaders while close-up down the backstretch, fanned three wide on the turn, and proved to be best in the lane by 2 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:11.14. In running her record to 3-4-3 in 19 starts, she received her best career Equibase ‘E’ speed figure, a 79.