Bernie Dickman

Bettors on the races from Charles Town who sent Dealer’s Girl off at 2/5 in last night’s third race had to be more than a little concerned when the 8-year-old daughter of Gone Astray was away last in the race at 4 1/2 furlongs. But Marshall Mendez rushed the New Jersey-bred up on the inside, and when they passed the quarter in :22.67, she was head-and-head for the lead with 3-1 shot Bring It On.

Dealer’s Girl edged away on the turn and continued on the lead, reaching the finish three-quarters of a length ahead of a fast-closing runner-up. She was clocked in :54.49, paid $2.80 and collected $5,199 for the score, ballooning her career total to $207,357. Bred by Richard Malouf in New Jersey, Dealer’s Girl is 6-8-6 in 46 starts.

If Luis Rivera is asked how he came to win two in a row at Parx Racing with a 5-year-old Handsome Mike gelding, he might get a laugh with the comeback “I took a cab.”

Rivera had a fairly easy time yesterday with Took a Cab, who out-gamed a slew of rivals to the first quarter, all of whom had designs on the lead. But Took a Cab beat them to the front in a first quarter of :22.53 seconds, and never looked back. In the stretch, the gelding bred by long-time Florida horseman Joel W. Sainer held off four rivals, including 1/2 favorite Irish Colonel, who had been chasing him throughout the six-furlong trip. He prevailed by three-quarters of a length in 1:11.86, and his Equibase speed figure of ’84’ is his best ever over 35 starts.

With his second victory of 2022, Took a Cab earned a check for $10,800, increasing his career total to $96,150. In his 35 starts, he’s amassed a record of 5-4-8. Despite his previous score on Jan. 12, when he paid $10.80, this time his faithful backers were able to cash in to the tune of $26.

Long-time client Patricia Generazio has been successfully breeding and/or campaigning sons and daughters of Pleasant Acres stallions for many years, and, although it’s way too early to make a true determination, a filly she sold for just $10,000 could turn out to be one of her best ever matings.

Ms. Generazio sold the 3-year-old Neon Summer to Darren Barnes (from Tulsa) and his Trojan Thoroughbreds for the bargain price at last year’s OBS June sale, and the daughter of Neolithic-Mommie’s Summer, by In Summation responded with a stunning victory in her career debut yesterday, a $36,000 maiden special at Sam Houston Race Park, collecting a generous $21,360.

Neon Summer’s morning trials for trainer Scott Young were just average, and she was sent off at 7-1 in the race at five furlongs over the turf course. Rider Floyd Wethey Jr. sent her to the lead early, and Neon Summer coasted along two lengths in front behind fractions of :22.41 and :45.92. But that was as close as anyone came, and she jogged off to a 6-length lead in mid-stretch without the need of urging, crossing under the wire by 7 1/4 despite leaping over the finish light, clocked in :58.30.

Neon Summer has two winning siblings by one-time Pleasant Acre sires, Couple of Nikki’s, by Treasure Beach, and Lolanita, an earner of $95,819, by Poseidon’s Warrior.

Cowboy at Heart picked up his second victory and increased his earnings to $66,774 with a convincing score in a $30,800 allowance race at Charles Town last night.

The 4-year-old gelding by Ride On Curlin had recorded two seconds, a third and three fourths in his previous six races and was sent off as the 6/5 favorite with Christian Hiraldo riding in the race at 4 1/2 furlongs. Cowboy At Heart was off slowly from the No. 2 post, but Hiraldo sent him through on the inside to battle for the lead in a :22.14 quarter. The gelding bred by Stephen H. Smith powered to the front in the turn and drew off to win by 2 1/4 lengths in :52.36, earning an ’85’ Equibase speed figure. He paid $4.60 and collected a check for $18,324.

Trainer Steven Dye found out yesterday at Gulfstream Park what so many before him have discovered; if your horse hasn’t broken its maiden after seven starts, get Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for No. 8.

It worked to perfection for Dye with Regal Holiday in the first race, a maiden claimer at 5 1/2 furlongs over the main track. The 3-year-old Neolithic colt had posted two seconds and a third in his previous three tries, but each time came up short when it counted.

Regal Holiday broke a step slowly for Ortiz, but the country’s leading rider rushed him up on the rail to take the lead before the first quarter, which went in :22.75. The colt bred by Mary K. Haire slowly increased his advantage past a half in :46.07, and the issue was never in doubt as Regal Holiday cruised to the wire nearly five lengths in front, clocked in :1:05.38.

The victory was worth $12,800, and Regal Holiday paid $5.20 as favorite.

Stayin or Strayin became Gone Astray’s fifth winner of 2022 with a game come-from-behind victory at Tampa Bay Downs, breaking his maiden in his fifth try.

The 4-year-old gelding had the services of talented Pablo Morales, who had to call upon all of his riding acumen to get the job done. Stayin or Strayin was off fifth and Morales was content to sit on the rail within hailing distance of the leaders down the backstretch. Blocked on the final turn, Morales had to send his horse between rivals approaching the stretch, then swung out four wide and ran down the pacesetter nearing the wire, winning by half a length.

Stayin or Strayin raced 1 1/16 miles in 1:48.24, paid $9.20, and earned a check for $7,850.

All it took for The Biggest One to gain her second victory was a change in riders, who employed a change in tactics.

Mychal Sanchez had guided the 3-year-old filly by Gone Astray to a second, third and fourth without grabbing an early lead in her three starts at Parx after she left Gulfstream Park. In start No. 4, new rider Gerardo Milan took The Biggest One out quickly from the No. 1 post and she sailed up on the inside to grab the front before the first quarter.

The Biggest One opened up daylight on the backstretch and increased the margin at every pole, then swung to mid-track in the stretch and left her nine rivals in the dust, reaching the finish line 7 1/4 lengths in front. She was clocked in 1:28.69 for the seven furlongs and paid $5.40 as favorite, while adding $12,000 to her bank account, raising it to $47,540.

Panadero’s fortunes changed dramatically after he left Gulfstream Park and shipped to Tampa Bay Downs, where he found the long stretch to be right up his alley. Four tries at Gulfstream produced little, but his next four in Oldsmar have resulted in two victories and a second, including a milestone for his sire, Handsome Mike.

In his previous start under Samy Camacho at Tampa on Jan. 9, the 3-year-old gelding came from last place in a field of eight and missed by a nose at the wire. Yesterday, again coming from eighth and last, Camacho guided him to a head victory; he paid $8.40 and collected a winner’s check of $14,000. That was just enough to raise Handsome Mike’s career progeny earnings to $4,002,683.

Panadero, a $9,000 OBS March 2-year-old bred by Tom McCrocklin, is now 2-1-0 in eight starts with earnings of $31,630.

Shifty She added to her impressive resume yesterday with a bang-up performance in the Gr. III, $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park. Gone Astray’s fifth-leading money-winner collected $47,500 for her third-place finish, increasing her career total to $383,495.

With Edwin Gonzalez riding, the 6-year-old mare broke on top from the No. 9 post in the race at “about” 1 1/16 miles, then relinquished the lead to long shot Alms down the backstretch. Approaching the final turn, Gonzalez sent Shifty She up alongside the pacesetter and the two battled nose-to-nose all the way to the wire, but both were unable to hold off 4/5 favorite Regal Glory, who went on to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:41.74. Alms edged Shifty She in the photo for second.

Shifty She is now 6-1-2 in 12 starts, and in her last seven races, all stakes, she has posted three victories, one second, two thirds and a fourth.

There’s that age-old term coined by an unknown sharp follower of racing, pertaining to a horse who hasn’t shown much in its first X number of starts, and suddenly turns it all around. “The light bulb switched on” – or something close to that.

Never has that adage been more apparent than demonstrated by Give It a Go in the third race at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday. The 3-year-old gelding by Gone Astray had raced four times at two with just a pair of non-threatening thirds to show for his efforts. After a layoff of 4 1/2 months, he returned in Oldsmar on Jan. 14 and went backwards in the stretch, losing by 18 1/2 lengths, to make it a perfect oh-for-5. Yesterday, however, just 14 days later, Give It a Go looked like a different horse – ‘the light went on.’

Miguel Arroyo was aboard the gelding bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds, Geoff Roy and Tom Fitzgerald, in a race at a mile and one-sixteenth that was originally scheduled for the turf. Give It a Go was away quickly and found a contending spot in third on the inside heading down the backstretch. Arroyo sent him after the two leaders three wide coming to the final turn, and Give It a Go cruised by to take the lead entering the stretch, coasting to the wire nearly 16 lengths in front.

Give It a Go’s maiden-breaker was worth $9,100 to his owner and $15.80 to his backers.