Turf News

With the victory of Hey Boots in his career debut at Charles Town yesterday, Bucchero has hit the 50 percent mark for 2023; 72 starters, 36 winners.

The 2-year-old gelding bred by Lance Colwell and Janine M. Clark went wire-to-wire under Axel Concepcion in a $26,500 maiden special at 4 1/2 furlongs, winning by 2 1/2 lengths in an excellent :52.42. The $12,000 Timonium 2-year-old had been working well for his first try and paid $5.60, earning a check for $15,819.

Elsewhere, Fairhopecurly was cross-entered in races at Horseshoe Indianapolis and Kentucky Downs, and owner/breeder Scott Herbertson and his crew chose the former. The decision turned out to be the right one, and the 2-year-old Bucchero filly made it 2-for-2 with a half-length score over 6/5 favorite Riparound in a $36,000 allowance test.

Fairhopecurly had captured her debut at Belterra Park by 1 3/4 lengths and has now earned $31,320. She paid $8.60 for this one after getting five furlongs on the grass in :57.71 under Emmanuel Esquivel, and collecting $21,600.

Neolithic is on pace to hit the $1 million mark in progeny earnings for the first time in three seasons. After Bourbon On Ice’s heart-stopping victory racing six furlongs at Thistledown yesterday, the son of Harlan’s Holiday is averaging a little more than $92,000 a month, putting him on pace to reach $1.1 million by year’s end.

With David Haldar in the irons, Bourbon On Ice was shuffled back early, then made a bold four-wide run on the turn to reach contention. He fought gamely down the lane, getting up by a nose at the wire while clocked in 1:12.66. The 4-year-old gelding bred by Belvedere Farm, a $35,000 OBS October yearling, became Neolithic’s 22nd winner this year, and earned a check for $7,560. He paid $7.20 and ran his career record to 4-4-2 in 27 starts with earnings of $75,350.

Poiema took over as Neolithic’s leading money-winner of 2023 after collecting the $36,000 for her wire-to-wire victory in the $60,000 Stormy Embrace overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park.

The 4-year-old filly bred by Cheryl Janine and James Patrick McGuire raised her current-year earnings to $92,250; overall, she’s 5-5-2 in 22 starts with a bank account of $241,685.

Edgar Perez was aboard the $14,000 OBS June 2-year-old in the 6 1/2-furlong handicap and put Poiema on the lead leaving the gate. She passed the furlong markers in :23.19 and :46.30 while opening up daylight over her pursuers and sprinting away to score by 5 1/2 lengths in 1:18.09. She paid $3.

Bucchero’s sensational summer shows no signs of slowing down. Book’em Danno became his second stakes-winner this year with a victory in the $129,000 Smoke Glacken at Monmouth Park, and Both Sides became winner No. 35 with her score in a $40,000 maiden optional claimer at Gulfstream Park.

BOOK’EM DANNO – After taking his career debut in August by 9 1/2 lengths, the 2-year-old New Jersey-bred gelding made it 2-for-2 with his stakes victory and the check for $75,000 raised his two-race total to $118,125. With Samuel Marin aboard, the gelding named after the Hawaii Five-0 catch phrase made a 3-wide move on the turn, then cruised to the wire two lengths in front. He was clocked in 1:10.86 for the six furlongs, paid $2.80 and received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 96.

BOTH SIDES – The 3-year-old filly was purchased by Bucchero’s owner, Harlan Malter, for $150,000 at the OBS June sale, and her first victory came while racing in the colors of Malter’s Ironhorse Racing Stable. With Miguel Vasquez in the saddle, Both Sides won the 5 1/2-furlong test on the Tapeta surface by half a length, clocked in a quick 1:03.95. She received an ‘E’ figure of 84, earned $24,400 and Bucchero moved up one spot into fifth place on the Florida general sire list with progeny earnings of $1,588,500.

When Fast Fixer was disqualified days after his June 2 victory at Gulfstream Park, the only ones who benefitted from his supposed maiden score were those who backed him at the windows. The 3-year-old gelding paid off at $69.80, $27.40 and $13.20, plus a handful of juicy exotics, and after a DQ decision due to a positive test comes down, there’s no way to retrieve the cash from the winning bettors. Only the owners and breeder Good Beginnings Farm have to take the hit.

The gelding by Bucchero came back to get a second and a third, and yesterday made amends by breaking his maiden at Gulfstream in a 5 1/2-furlong race over the Tapeta surface. With Hector Diaz Jr. in the irons, Fast Fixer became Bucchero’s 34th winner with his 1 1/2-length victory, earned a check for $11,600, and left his sire less than $4,000 away from moving up to fifth place on Florida’s leading sire list for 2023. He paid $3.20 as the heavy favorite, was clocked in 1:04.53, increased his earnings total to $21,600, and received his best Equibase ‘E’ speed figure, an 86.

Bucchero’s 33rd winner was Shards, a 2-year-old colt bred by Craig Wheeler who broke his maiden at Colonial Downs in his third start and also paid $3.20. With Antonio Gallardo up, the $175,000 OBS March purchase made a five-wide run on the turn and inhaled the speed, drawing off by five lengths at the wire. He was clocked in 1:02.90 for the 5 1/2-furlong race on the outer turf course, and the $36,000 paycheck boosted his total to $52,000 on a record of 1-1-1 in three starts.

Calvin Borel has been winning races for more than three decades and has three Kentucky Derby victories on his resume. At Louisiana Downs last night, he showed a little of what has made him one of the top riders in the country over that span.

Aboard the 3-year-old filly Loana in a muddy $27,000 allowance race at a mile and 70 yards, a race that came off the turf, Borel lulled his foes to sleep with a :24.83 first quarter, then put it in overdrive and opened up daylight en route to a 5 3/4-length victory in 1:44 flat.

Loana, a daughter of Neolithic bred by Mary K. Haire, had one second to show for her first six starts, but is 2-2-1 for her next five. The $65,000 Timonium 2-year-old collected a check for $14,400, increasing her career total to $58,534.

After enjoying a highly successful month of August, Neolithic began September on a high note with the convincing victory of first-time starter Private Thoughts at Gulfstream yesterday.

The 2-year-old gelding bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon was an $11,000 OBS March 2-year-old. He is owned by former Gulfstream Park and Hialeah Park attorney David Romanik and his trainer, Ron Spatz, and was sent off at 9-1 in the $50,000 maiden special at six furlongs. Romanik was the co-owner of multiple Gr. I winner Caltech, an earner of more than $700,000 in the 1980s.

Leonel Reyes sent Private Thoughts through on the inside down the backstretch and he battled on the lead past a quarter in :23.06 and a half in :47.01 before leaving his challengers behind and sprinting off to a 2 1/4-length victory in 1:12.42. In becoming the 21st winner for Neolithic in 2023, he paid $20.80 and earned a healthy check for $34,000.

Neolithic’s progeny earnings for the year jumped to $710,746 despite his having just 44 starters.

Political Astray tried her first seven races in Florida without success, but she’s shown great improvement since joining up with Henderson Gonzalez at Mountaineer Casino and Resort.

The 4-year-old Gone Astray filly broke her maiden with Gonzalez a month ago, winning by seven lengths, then added a pair of fourths before getting victory No. 2 yesterday. The filly bred by Long Trail Stables battled for the lead through fractions of :23 and :46.85, then turned back two challengers in the stretch and sprinted away to score by 3 1/4 lengths. She was clocked in 1:13.46 for the six furlongs, collected a check for $6,554 and paid $3 as favorite in the race that was originally scheduled for the turf.

Long On Value’s first winner of two races this year is Devil’s Only Friend, a 3-year-old gelding bred by Bulldog Racing who went wire-to-wire at Monmouth Park in his fifth career start.

The $35,000 OBS March 2-year-old jumped into the lead at the break in the race at “about” 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf, and continued on under Paco Lopez to score by two lengths in 1:05.13. Devil’s Only Friend had broken his maiden in his debut at Gulfstream Park earlier in the season. This one was worth $14,400 and raised his total to $45,450; he was claimed out of the race for $16,000.

The mid-August onslaught by sons and daughters of Bucchero is still in full speed ahead mode.

At Charles Town, the headline writers’ dread – Blueskyslookinatme – broke her maiden in her career debut under Cecil Kim, battling for the early lead with Riverview Stevie through fractions of :22.53 and :46.61, then putting the 1/5 favorite in her rearview mirror and drawing off to score by 2 1/2 lengths in :53.07. The 3-year-old filly bred by Gem Racing is owned by Casey Kay Lowery, who purchased her for a mere $1,000 at the OBS Winter Sale earlier this year.

As a 2-year-old last year, Malibu Cowboy raced twice – at Laurel and Charles Town, without success, losing the two races by 35 lengths. He then took a vacation of 10 months, returning in the slop at Mountaineer to break his maiden in a $16,500 maiden special at 5 1/2 furlongs with Jason Shipman aboard. The 3-year-old colt bred by John B. Penn, a $20,000 OBS October yearling, was off ninth, and trailed by about 10 lengths heading down the backstretch before uncorking a monster wide run coming to the turn and running past the pack late to win by three-quarters of a length. He was clocked in 1:05.78, collected a check for $9,570 and paid $7.20 as second choice.