Turf News

High Lateen didn’t race at 2, and finished sixth in his first try at Gulfstream this year. But now he’s turned it all around and has won three in a row.

Diego Herrera was aboard for victory No. 2 on July 18 and repeated in No. 3, a $62,500 allowance optional claimer at a mile and 70 yards over the tapeta surface, a race that was taken off the grass. The 3-year-old Neolithic gelding bred by DeLuca & Sons Stable out-gamed even-money favorite Redland Rebels to the wire by a neck and considering his record, paid a generous $13, clocked in 1:39.97. He earned a check for $35,750 and has now banked $96,330.

If ever it seemed inevitable that a mare would win her next outing, it was Nelida in a mile and 70-yard race over the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs. After all, the 6-year-old daughter of Neolithic was coming off finishes – in order – of 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2. And win she did.

Alex Gonzalez was aboard Nelida, who broke fifth and last in the 5-horse field. She was nine lengths back after a quarter, but Gonzalez put her in another gear and she scored by 1 1/2 lengths, clocked in 1:44.16. She paid $3.40 and added $9,000 to her bank account, which now stands at $83,680. The mare bred by Just for Fun Stable sports a record of 3-7-3 in 31 starts and became winner No. 47 for Neolithic in 2026.

Considering he had finished first, second and third in his previous three starts, it was surprising that Peppermint Man was allowed to go off at odds of 3-1 in his latest race at Gulfstream, against only four rivals.

The 4-year-old Neolithic gelding made it look easy under Yolber Torres over a sloppy track, going wire-to-wire via fractions of :22.73, :45.94 and :58.12, opening up by five lengths in the stretch, then coasting home by 6 3/4 in 1:10.91 for the six furlongs. The gelding bred by Dennis Manning paid $8.80 and collected a check for $17,500, increasing his career total to $83,030 on a record of 3-3-1 in 13 starts, with $58,630 coming this year.

Peppermint Man had posted a career best 82 Equibase ‘E’ speed figure in his last victory on April 30, and followed it up with an 81 in his latest.

With a little less than one third of the season left, Neolithic has a good chance of eclipsing his best year – 2025 – as far as number of winners and progeny earnings are concerned.

Last year, the son of Harlan’s Holiday had 53 winners from 91 starters, or 58.2 percent. So far this year, he has 46 winners from 84 starters, or 54.7 percent. His progeny earnings last year hit $3,494,053; he’s up to $2,491,210 this time around. Both firsts still a real possibility by Dec. 31.

Winner number 46 came at Gulfstream Park, where Camigol came from off the pace to win a $38,500 starter optional claimer at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface, a race originally scheduled for the turf. Samy Camacho was aboard the 3-year-old colt bred by DeLuca & Sons Stable. After enjoying an inside run down the backstretch, Camigol swung wide into the stretch and out-gamed his rivals to the wire by half a length, clocked in 1:41.92. He earned a check for $22,450, lifting his total to $129,010 on a record of 2-3-2 in 12 starts.

The highly successful partnership of breeder SCF Inc. (Belinda Kitos) and attorney David Romanik struck again at Gulfstream Park when Neodera sped wire-to-wire in a $70,000 allowance claimer at five furlongs on the grass.

Edgar Perez shot the 4-year-old Neolithic filly out quickly and she flew past the markers in :21.21 and :43.26, reaching the wire 1 1/4 lengths in front, clocked in :55.19. She paid $4.80 and earned a check for $39,500 for the partners, increasing her bank account to $132,580 on a record of 4-1-2 in 10 starts. In 2026 alone she’s 2-1-0 in four tries with earnings of $70,520, and her latest Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 86 is a career best.

Neolithic came a step closer to reaching his best single-season number of winners when Neophyte went wire-to wire racing 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta surface at Gulfstream Park. The 7-year-old gelding bred by Belinda Kitos at Southern Chase Farm became winner number 45 in 2026, just 8 away from his sire’s best of last year.

With Anthony Thomas up on a showery afternoon, Neophyte sped past the furlong markers in :22.12 and :44.92, en route to a 6-length score, clocked in 1:04.08. The check for $16,600 ballooned his lifetime bank account to $204,187, on a record of 7-8-9 in 44 tries. He paid $19.20.

Vanishing Wish’s lead was anything but vanishing in the lane in a five-furlong race on the turf at Belterra Park, culminating in her finest performance in four years.

The 5-year-old daughter of Neolithic shot to the lead under Santiago Gonzalez, whistled through on top via fractions of :21.92 and :45.23, then coasted away in the stretch to score by six widening lengths, clocked in :56.89, just 1 1/5 seconds off the course record. The mare bred by Just For Fun Stable registered her best Equibase ‘E’ speed figure in her 25 races, and now sports a record of 2-3-5. She was 12-1 on the morning line but paid just $11.60, and the check for $5,760 increased her career total to $58,440.

It must have been karma – two Neolithic runners reaching the winners’ circle, more than 1,000 miles apart, and only six minutes apart.

MISS NEO – The 6-year-old mare bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson, broke from the Monmouth Park starting gate at 4:29 p. m. for a six-furlong test with Sebastian Orellana in the saddle. It was just her third start after a 9-month vacation and she was looking for her second victory in that span.

Off at odds of 8-1, Miss Neo came from off the pace with a strong rally and won by 2 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:11.05. She paid $19.40 and earned a check for $9,600, bringing her total to $63,660 on a record of 4-5-0 in 18 starts.

GUNS AND COFFEE – In just his second start, the 3-year-old gelding, a $21,000 OBS Open 2-year-old bred by Patrick Hoppel, left the gate with Edgar Perez at 4:35 at Gulfstream Park just as Miss Neo was posing for pictures up north. He battled up front for a half, took over on the turn, and continued on to also win by 2 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:19.30 for the 6 1/2 furlongs in the $65,000 maiden special.

Guns and Coffee paid $6.60 and collected $39,000 for his initial score. He became 2026 winner No. 43 for Neolithic.

With more than four months remaining in the 2026 racing year, it appears that Neolithic has a good chance to break his single-season personal best of 52 winners; Big Bucksalot’s daylight score at Thistledown made him winner No. 42.

Alexander Chavez was aboard Big Bucksalot in the race at a flat mile, and they were off slowly, settling into sixth place down the backstretch. When Chavez roused the 6-year-old gelding coming to the turn, he inhaled the pack, took over heading into the lane and cruised to the wire in front by 3 1/2 lengths, clocked in 1:40.14.

Big Bucksalot paid $3.80 and earned a check for $7,080, lifting his career total to $113,997. The gelding bred by Julie Jackson now sports a record of 8-4-6 in 38 starts.

Every thoroughbred owner and trainer would exult in having a runner in the barn with a record even approaching that of Great Venezuela. The people at owner/breeder Orlyana Farm must certainly feel that way – the 5-year-old mare by Neolithic, after winning at five furlongs on the grass at Gulfstream Park, raised her eye-opening slate to 10-4-5 in 21 starts.

Diego Herrera was aboard Great Venezuela in the $62,500 allowance claimer, and she broke out quickly from the No. 8 post, battling for the lead in the 2 path through a sizzling quarter in :21.03 and a half in :43.22. On the turn she took a slim lead, then continued on to a neck victory in :55.02, less than two seconds off the course record. She paid $4.00 and earned a check for $40,100, spiking her career total to $493,220. She became her sire’s 41st winner of 2026.