Turf News

Neoking was the recipient of the owners’ and trainers’ dream scenario at Gulfstream Park – a seven-horse field reduced to four after three scratches.

Gaddiel Martinez was aboard the 6-year-old gelding in the race at 1 1/16 miles over the Tapeta surface. He hustled Neoking out of the gate and the gelding bred by Just For Fun Stable settled into third place on the inside down the backstretch. Martinez eased him into the two path approaching the turn, where Neoking wound up in a three-way battle to the wire. Between horses nearing the finish, he out-gamed the other pair, one by a head and the other by a neck in 1:43.25, just two seconds off the track record.

Neoking paid $6.80, and the winner’s check of $10,800 increased his lifetime earnings to $137,333 on a record of 7-7-8 in 45 starts. Of that, $53,186 has come this season, in which he’s 3-2-2 in 12 tries.

Kip the Distance lifted Neolithic closer to his personal best in the number of winners department with her first 2026 victory in a $27,000 starter optional claimer at Gulfstream Park. Neolithic had 53 winners last year – Kip the Distance became No. 48 of this year.

In a race at six furlongs, Carlos Martinez was in the irons on the 4-year-old filly and he got her away quickly, racing in the three path down the backstretch. Kip the Distance made an early wide move, took the lead on the turn and won decisively by 2 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:10.85. The filly bred and trained by Angel Rodriguez paid a generous $23.60 and earned a check for $15,750, increasing her total to $238,551 on a record of 5-5-6 in 32 starts.

Neolithic passed the $12 million mark in career progeny earnings in the past week, and one of his helpers was Sisterlithic, who proved to be much the best in a 5-furlong test at Belterra Park, a race originally scheduled for the grass.

Joe Stokes was aboard Sisterlithic, who has now won three of her last five starts for co-owners Liz and Norman Wilson, also partners in her breeding. She got off well and tracked the leaders in the three path down the backstretch. A well-timed move on the turn shot the 3-year-old filly to the lead and she sprinted away late to score by four lengths in :58.95.

She paid $6.80 and collected a check for $4,800, lifting her total to $26,580 on a record of 3-2-1 in 12 starts.

Joe and Helen Barbazon and Matalona Thoroughbreds are the co-breeders of Neoequos, Neolithic’s top money-winner, who added $90,000 to his bank account with a near record-breaking performance in the $150,000 Presque Isle Mile Stakes.

With Paco Lopez in the saddle, the 4-year-old colt, a $22,000 OBS October yearling, tracked the pace just behind 5-1 pacesetter Grounded until the turn. Lopez swung him out to mid-track for the stretch run and Neoequos sprinted away, winning by nearly five lengths in 1:41.56, just 33 hundredths of a second off the track record.

He paid $5.20, and the healthy paycheck jumped his career earnings to $741,550 on a record of 5-4-4 in 18 starts, with $284,000 coming this year, during which Neoequos has gone 2-1-2 in six tries.

Big Bucksalot has won two of his last three plus a second after his smart victory as the even-money favorite going a flat mile at Thistledown under Alexander Chavez.

The 6-year-old Neolithic gelding bred by Julie Jackson sat a comfortable second down the backstretch, was carried out to the six path for the stretch run, then drew off under a hand ride, winning by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:39.18. He paid $4.20 and earned a check for $7,320, lifting his career total to $124,197 on a record of 9-5-6 in 40 starts.

He was claimed out of the race.

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.