Bernie Dickman

The first winner by Amira’s Prince in 2024 is Indy Princess Koko, a newly-turned 7-year-old mare bred by Jeannine Strauss McGann who has displayed her best form racing at all the Ohio tracks.

Luis Rivera was aboard Indy Princess Koko for her six-furlong trip at Mahoning Valley. She sat a stalking third through fractions of :22.74, :45.81 and :58.46, rallied five wide on the turn, and proved best in the run to the wire, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:12.05. She paid $7.40 and collected a check for $6,540, lifting her career total to $78,798 on a record of 6-3-10 in 36 starts.

In her initial three career starts, Neolithica finished seventh, second and 11th under three different jockeys, and trainer Damon Dilodovico got the picture. He tabbed veteran Horacio Karamanos, who had been aboard for the lone second-place finish, to handle the Maryland-bred filly for her upcoming races.

The move proved to be right on the money; Karamanos has won three in a row at Laurel Park with the newly-turned 3-year-old by Neolithic. No. 3 came yesterday in a seven-furlong test, and the $30,000 Timonium yearling went wire-to-wire, winning by five lengths in 1:25.69, paying $7 and collecting a check for $22,770. She received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 72, best of her six efforts.

Neolithic’s second winner of 2024 is now 3-1-0 with earnings of $69,450.

Bucchero was recently relocated to New York, but he has already made his mark with his two crops to race from his time at Pleasant Acres.

His latest stakes-winner, Book’em Danno, has compiled one of the best records in the country among newly-turned 3-year-olds. In his fifth career start, the 3-year-old gelding obliterated the field in the $50,000 Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, winning by 12 1/2 lengths with seven furlongs in 1:23.26 to raise his record to 4-1-0, and the $30,000 paycheck lifted his earnings to $260,625. He has received Equibase ‘E’ speed figures in the 90s in four consecutive races, including a 92 in the Pasco, and he’s already won three stakes.

Book’em Danno, who arrived in New York and immediately moved into the No. 3 spot on the Empire State’s general sire list, wasn’t listed among the top choices on the first two Kentucky Derby Future lists, but that appears to be ready for a change.

Neolithic’s first winner of 2024 is Aloha Man, who broke his maiden at Tampa Bay Downs in his fourth career start.

The 3-year-old colt bred by Maria M. Haire was ridden by Charlie Marquez in the race at one mile over the turf course, and they enjoyed an inside trip early, swung three wide on the turn, and got up in the final strides to score by half a length in 1:38.63. The $12,000 OBS June 2-year-old paid $19.20 and earned a check for $12,760.

Neolithic wound up 2023 in ninth place on Florida’s general sire list with progeny earnings of $1,422,736.

As the 2023 season winds down, it looks as though Neolithic’s best season will fall just short of $3 million.

Bib Bucksalot made it two straight with a convincing victory at Tampa Bay Downs and will end up the year with a record of 4-1-1 in 14 starts. The 3-year-old gelding bred by Julie Jackson scored by 1 3/4 lengths under veteran Jose Ferrer and earned a check for $14,000, bringing his total for the year to $54,130; he didn’t race at two.

Ferrer had Big Bucksalot in a stalking position while three wide down the backstretch, and moved the gelding as they neared the turn. He took the lead, opened up daylight and held it to the wire, clocked in 1:23.38 for the seven furlongs.

With three days remaining, Neolithic’s progeny earnings stand at $2,942,451.

Give It a Go scored his third career victory with a come-from-behind performance under talented Madeleine Rowland at Parx Racing.

Racing a mile and 70 yards, the 4-year-old gelding bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds, Geoff Roy and Tom Fitzgerald sat in mid-pack early, made a strong run on the turn to take the lead, then held off a single rival late to win by a neck in 1:48.19. The son of Gone Astray paid a generous $39 and collected a check for $12,600, raising his career total to $72,751 on a record of 3-3-8 33 starts.

Add another Pleasant Acres exacta to the growing list, this one coming in the seventh race at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday.

The winner was High Vibes, a 4-year-old Neolithic filly bred in Maryland by Maria and Mary Haire. The runner-up was the phenomenal Charlotte the Brit, the daughter of former Pleasant Acres stallion Treasure Beach bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon. High Vibes Paid $19.80, and Charlotte the Brit was the 9/10 favorite in the race at a mile on the turf course. The $2 exacta paid $47.80.

High Vibes broke her maiden at Tampa in February of 2022, and this victory under Angel Arroyo raised her record to 4-2-5 in 23 starts. She won by nearly two lengths and raced the distance in 1:34.65, just a little over a second off the course record, receiving her career best Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 88. The check for $13,570 increased her earnings to $84,630.

Charlotte the Brit has posted an eye-opening record of 12-14-11 in 62 starts with earnings of $320,995. She has been first, second or third in 13 straight races dating back to October of last year.

Neolithic’s progeny earnings for 2023 jumped to $1,310,724 with the victory of Neolithica at Laurel Park, the second victory in a row for the 2-year-old filly bred in Maryland by Maria M. Haire.

Veteran Horacio Karamanos put Neolithica on the lead early, and she went wire-to-wire in the race at seven furlongs, clocked in 1:26.68. The $30,000 Timonium October yearling defeated the 6/5 favorite by 1 1 /2 lengths and paid $6.20. The $17,940 winner’s check lifted her total for five races to $46,680.

Sunday Diaz is new to Tampa Bay Downs, but he showed he knows the shortest way around the track, piloting Chiquirin to his third victory this year.

In a race at seven furlongs, Diaz never left the inside with the 4-year-old by Gone Astray, and the gelding scored by half a length in 1:26.19. He paid $13.80 and raised his record to 4-1-3 in 19 starts, with the $11,150 check boosting his earnings to $59,070, $40,880 coming this year.

Gone Astray went over the $1 million mark in 2023 progeny earnings his week.

The next son or daughter of Gone Astray who goes to the post this week will probably put the son of Dixie Union over the $1 million mark in 2023 progeny earnings.

Richiesonaroll, Gone Astray’s leading earner this year, is the runner who continued his super season at Fair Grounds and left Gone Astray just $763 short of the magic number.

Emmanuel Giles was aboard Richiesonaroll, who left from the 10 post in a $100,000 starter allowance at six furlongs over a sloppy track. The 3-year-old Illinois-bred gelding tracked the leaders in mid-pack, then looped the field in mid-track and was up in time for a neck victory in 1:10.64.

Richiesonaroll made five starts at two and posted a pair of seconds. This year, he’s 4-3-0 in eight tries, and the $60,000 check for his latest score increased his earnings to $143,170. In his last two victories, he received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 101.