Turf News

Neolithic closed out the year as Florida’s second-leading stallion, parlaying 53 winners from 91 starters (58%) into easily his best season from the standpoint of progeny earnings ($3,516,289). He also led the Florida list with five black-type winners.

The first winner of 2026 for the son of Harlan’s Holiday is Ghost Bike, who came from behind under Elijah Greenridge in a one-mile race over a sloppy track at Mahoning Valley and outkicked even-money favorite Pace to the wire, winning by 1 1/2 lengths. The 6-year-old gelding bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds, Geoff Roy and Tom Fitzgerald, a $32,000 OBS March 2-year-old, was clocked 1:39.46, paid $8.20 and earned $6,540, raising his bank account to $70,187 on a record of 5-3-7 in 34 starts.

On November 29, three sons of Neolithic – Prevent, Private Thoughts and Brawn – finished 1-2-3 in the $100,000 Sabal Palm Handicap at Gulfstream Park. Prevent earned $59,500, Private Thoughts $22,200, and Brawn $11,450; a generous $93,150 boon for Neolithic’s 2025 progeny earnings.

On Saturday, the trio battled again in the $100,000 St. Augustine Handicap and the result was somewhat different. Private Thoughts was the winner, Brawn finished third, and pace-setter Prevent tired to finish sixth. The respective payouts were $59,500, $10,600 and $850, adding another $70,950 to Neolithic’s account, which now stands at $3,513,939, easily second best among all Florida stallions for 2025, and easily best of his five years.

Private Thoughts, a 4-year-old gelding bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, was an $11,000 OBS March 2-year-old. Under Tyler Gaffalione, he followed Prevent in the early going in the 1 1/16-mile trip over the Tapeta surface, then kicked in and won by 2 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:40.50, just 59 hundredths of a second off the track record. He paid $6, and raised his record to 8-4-2 in 18 starts for his highly successful co-owners, attorney David Romanik and trainer Ron Spatz. The $59,500 prize lifted his earnings to $359,474, of which $197,700 has come this year, and he’s 5-3-0 in his last eight races.

In a span of 24 minutes at Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park on Saturday, Neolithic added $51,600 to his 2025 progeny earnings, with a pair of come-from behind victories by rising star Ridgie and veteran If Not For Luck.

RIDGIE – In a race at 6 1/2 furlongs that went off at 1:12, the 2-year-old filly owned and bred by Martin and Emily Goodell made it three wins in a row after a second-place finish at Presque Isle in her debut. With Cesar Gonzalez in the saddle, Ridgie raced in fourth place down the backstretch, made a wide, sweeping run on the turn, then drew off late to score by 1 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:18.22. She paid $8.80 and the check for $35,600 raised her earnings to $76,500 on a record of 3-1-0 in four starts.

IF NOT FOR LUCK – Off at 1:36 in a race at 5 1/2 furlongs over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface, the 6-year-old bred by Juan Rodriguez, under Micah Husbands, made the same type of wide move on the turn as Ridgie, then cruised to the wire four lengths in front for his second victory in a row. He was clocked in 1:02.42, just 81 hundredths off the track record, and collected $16,000, ballooning his lifetime total to $228,470 on a record of 6-2-7 in 21 tries.

Neolithic’s progeny earnings for 2025 stand at a career-best $3,435,999 and climbing.

Neolithic’s best season continues to grow, with Neodera’s wire-to-wire score at Gulfstream Park adding $18,300 to her progeny earnings and boosting the stallion’s 2025 total to $3,367,583.

Emisael Jaramillo was aboard the 3-year-old filly for her 5 1/2-furlong trip around the Tapeta course. She posted speedy fractions of :22.91, :45.55 and :57.10 and cruised to the wire 3 1/2 lengths in front in a final time of 1:03.08, 1 1/2 seconds off the course record and good for an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 90.

Neodera, bred by SCF Inc.’s Belinda Kitos and owned by her in partnership with attorney David Romanik, paid just $2.40 and raised her record to 2-0-2 in six starts with earnings of $62,060. Neolithic approaches the end of the season with 53 winners (58.8%).

Although not as impressive as one of his many blockbuster weekends, Neolithic’s runners did well last week, and sent his personal high one-year progeny earnings to $3,334,907. Poiema started it off with a sharp wire-to-wire score at Tampa Bay Downs, followed by a runner-up performance by Peppermint Man at Gulfstream.

There was a bit of a letdown when Cajun Vibes finished second at Penn National at odds of 31-1 but he was disqualified and placed out of the money, while word from Puerto Rico was that I’m a Chucky Doll won at Camerero Race Track and Malicious Lady added a second. Also, Landman Friday finished fourth at Gulfstream.

Finally, the highly promising 2-year-old Ridgie scored at Tampa, and Neo Zapper was third, also in Oldsmar.

POIEMA – The 6-year-old mare bred by Cheryl and James McGuire was a $14,000 OBS June 2-year-old. In a race at seven furlongs with leading rider Sam Marin aboard, she rushed to the front and continued on the lead, putting up fractions of :22.69, :45.99 and 1:10.40 en route to a convincing 6 1/2-length score, clocked in 1:22.76. She paid $5.60 and earned a check for $36,200, raising her career total to $337,863. She’s one of six Neolithics to surpass $300,000.

I’M A CHUCKY DOLL – The New Jersey-bred 2-year-old filly was a $15,000 OBS June 2-year-old. In just her third start, going 5 1/2 furlongs, the filly bred by Kelly Lupton rallied from third place and was much the best, winning by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:06.33. She paid a healthy $69.10, and in the land of minute purses, she earned $3,480.

RIDGIE – The 2-year-old filly owned and bred by Martin and Emily Goodell got off to an auspicious beginning at Presque Isle, finishing second in her debut, then winning in her second start by three lengths. Shipping to Oldsmar, her Tampa Bay Downs debut came in a $36,500 starter optional claimer at seven furlongs, with Cesar Gonzalez riding.

Ridgie came from off the pace to score by 1 1/4 lengths, getting the distance in 1:23.89. She paid $6.60 and collected a check of $22,500 for the Goodells, raising her three-race total to $40,900.

On the day when Prevent, Private Thoughts and Brawn gave Neolithic a rare trifecta in the $100,000 Sabal Palm Handicap at Gulfstream Park, the table had been set earlier on the card when If Not for Luck won the second race and Ababajoni the fourth.

IF NOT FOR LUCK – The 6-year-old horse bred by Juan Rodriguez came from about six lengths off the pace in the test at five furlongs over the Tapeta course and was up by a neck at the wire with Micah Husbands riding. Sold as a yearling at OBS for $35,000, then bringing the same price as a 2-year-old, If Not for Luck raised his record to 5-2-7 in 20 starts, and the check for $16,000 boosted his career total to $212,470.

If Not for Luck benefited from a swift early pace of :21.47 and :43.95, and paid $8 after getting the distance in :55.82.

ABABAJONI – In his career debut under Anthony Thomas, the 2-year-old colt bred by Hallmarc Stallions battled for the lead early (:22.28) in the 5 1/2-furlong test over the Tapeta surface, took over going to the three-eighths, and lasted by a head, clocked in 1:03.3. The $30,000 OBS April 2-year-old collected $27,000 for owner/trainer Rohan Crichton.

Great Venezuela returned to Gulfstream Park Sunday after a trip to Monmouth Park, where she finished second in the Incredible Revenge Stakes, and Del Mar, where she was fourth in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes, and captured a $100,000 handicap racing 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta surface under Emisael Jaramillo.

The 4-year-old daughter of Neolithic won by 2 1/2 lengths and earned a check for $59,500, which raised her career total to $426,620, second best among all her sire’s runners. She has compiled a record of 9-4-2 in 16 starts for owner/breeder Orlyana Farm, and $248,420 of her earnings have come this year, in which she’s 3-3-1 in eight starts.

In her latest, Great Venezuela took the lead after a quarter, put up a :44.52 for the half, and coasted home in 1:01.78, just 17 hundredths of a second off the track record held by Extendo, who is by former Pleasant Acres stallion Handsome Mike. She paid $4 and earned an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 103, best of her career.

Neolithic has passed the $9 million mark in lifetime progeny earnings at $9,095,056.

Gulfstream Park has been the scene of many well-documented Blockbuster Saturdays in 2025, but Nov. 29 put the icing on the cake. After the 6-year-old son of Neolithic, If Not For Luck, won the second race, and the 2-year-old Neolithic colt, Ababajoni, won the fourth, Neolithic 4-year-olds Prevent, Private Thoughts and Brawn finished 1-2-3 in the $100,000 Sabal Palm Handicap at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface.

With Emisael Jaramillo in the saddle, Prevent ($8.40) shot to the lead and proceeded to set a leisurely pace, going to the half in :48.62. Brawn (13-1) sat second, just ahead of Private Thoughts, the 4/5 favorite. When the real running began, Private Thoughts went after Prevent down the lane, but came up half a length short, with Brawn holding on for third. The race went in 1:38.92.

Prevent, bred by Katia Perez Ozuna, collected $59,500, raising his career total to $408,327 on a record of 7-5-1 in 26 starts. Private Thoughts, bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon (17-7-4-2, $299,974) earned $22,200, and Brawn, owned and bred by Just For Fun Stable (19-3-2-1, $181,173) banked $11,450, meaning the trio of Neolithics took home $93,150 of the $100,000 purse.

The $2 Neolithic exacta paid $18.40 and the 50-cent trifecta paid $14.15.

Neolithic added his fourth 2025 stakes-placed runner to his impressive resume when Pontevecchio finished third in the seven-furlong, Gr. I Clasico Antonio Jose de Sucre at La Rinconada, near Caracas, Venezuela.

The 2-year-old Venezuelan-bred colt, out of the City Zip mare Venezuelanchampion, raced in second place on the inside down the backstretch, remained in contention on the turn, but was no match for the winner, Bunker, who drew off by daylight in the final sixteenth, clocked in 1:26.73. Pontevecchio dropped back to third late, and is now 1-0-1 in four starts.

Leinster, the eighth-ranked freshman sire in North America, picked up his seventh winner when Cana Dulce romped to her maiden score in her fourth outing at Camarero Race Track in Puerto Rico.

After three starts that produced third, fourth and sixth-place finishes, owner Denian Stable opted to drop the 2-year-old filly from $20,000 claiming company to $8,000, and they lost her after she won by eight widening lengths going 6 1/2 furlongs.

Under J. C. Diaz Jr., Cana Dulce was off in a stalking position early, and when he asked her for more she rushed to the front and made it look easy the rest of the way, getting the distance in 1:19.42. The $13,000 OBS June 2-year-old bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon collected $3,944, and Leinster’s progeny earnings now stand at $695,723.