Turf News

Bucchero’s leading money-winner, Toddchero, has now been stakes-placed four times in the span of just six races after his runner-up finish in the $100,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs.

The 2-year-old colt bred by GDS Racing Stable led all the way in the one-mile race before succumbing to stablemate Mazing Mark in the final yards. Both colts are owned by Norman Stables. Toddchero was a $77,000 OBS April 2-year-old and the $20,000 Lafitte check raised his earnings to $79,990.

Bucchero’s progeny earnings with his first crop total $443,180.

Add a straight Gone Astray trifecta to the three-victory Saturdays previously enjoyed in 2022 by stallions from Pleasant Acres. The son of Dixie Union celebrated a pair of winners ridden by Emisael Jaramillo at Gulfstream Park, and one with Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez at Lone Star Park in Texas.

REGIMENTAL COMMAND: The 3-year-old gelding owned and bred by Lowwood Farm scored his first victory in his fifth start in a $43,000 maiden optional claimer at Gulfstream. With Jaramillo sitting chilly, he went wire-to-wire, putting up sizzling fractions of :21.85 and :44.85, and completing five furlongs on the Tapeta surface in :56.90. He out-gamed four challengers in deep stretch and won by two lengths, paying $7.60 while earning a check for $26,500 and his best ‘E’ speed figure of 78.

NOBLE DRAMA: Coming off a third-place finish in the Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap, Gone Astray’s second highest money-earner was squeezed back leaving the gate in a $52,000 allowance optional claimer and had to take up a position in 10th place in a field of 10 down the backstretch.

Jaramillo was content not to hurry the 7-year-old gelding bred by Harold Queen until the turn in the race at a flat mile. Then, he swung Noble Drama to the far outside as they neared the top of the stretch, and the veteran multiple stakes-winner made up about eight lengths and nailed 8/5 favorite Super Corinto in the shadow of the wire, clocked in 1:35.13. Noble Drama paid $26.20 and earned $31,900 for owner/trainer David Fawkes, raising his career total to $795,057 on a record of 10-7-5 in 34 starts. With both geldings winning for the first time this year, Gone Astray ended the day with 45 winners in 2022.

GONE PARADISE: The 5-year-old gelding bred by JDAB Stables shipped to Lone Star after six races at Arapahoe, where he had captured his last by 4 1/4 lengths. He competed in the Battle of the Breeds Claiming Trial at 870 yards, winning by three-quarters of a length in :46.95 and paying $4 as favorite. He’s 5-6-3 in 29 starts with earnings of $48,407 for owner/trainer Mark Hibdon, and left Gone Astray less than $5,000 short of $1.7 million in 2022 progeny earnings.

Neon Sign gave Neolithic his 18th winner of 2022 with a sharp wire-to-wire performance in a $29,620 maiden special at Penn National last night.

The 2-year-old colt had finished second by two lengths in his debut at five furlongs, and was sent off as the 9/5 favorite for his return at 5 1/2 furlongs. With Angel Rodriguez aboard, the colt bred by Southern Comfort Farm posted fractions of :22.57, :46.93 and :59.90 and was three-quarters of a length in front at the wire, clocked in 1:06.72. The $16,260 winner’s check lifted his earnings to $21,680; he was a $15,000 OBS June purchase.

Neolithic is Florida’s second-leading second-crop sire with progeny earnings of $785,850. He’s less than $39,000 behind leader Noble Bird in that department, and is just one behind with respect to number of winners.

Edgard Zayas showed up at Gulfstream Park Saturday morning probably not expecting to enjoy a career day, but that’s exactly what happened. Zayas won six races and added a second and a third, the most important of which was Race No. 8 – fittingly called the $70,000 Showing Up Stakes.

Zayas took the 3-year-old Amira’s Prince colt Night Jumper away in third place on the rail in the race at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta course. They went after 8/5 favorite Grand David on the turn, took the lead in the stretch and went on to score by three-quarters of a length in 1:41.29.

Night Jumper raised his record to 3-1-0 in nine starts, and the winner’s check of $42,532 increased his earnings to $107,322, with $82,922 coming this year. The colt owned and bred by Darsan Inc. has won two of his last three and Saturday he posted his best Equibase speed figure – a 94. Night Jumper paid $16.40, highest price among his six winners.

On Breeders’ Cup Day 1, Pleasant Acres stallions won a pair of races from South Florida to Arizona.

GULFSTREAM PARK: My Billeeboy, who broke his maiden last time out in his fourth start to become Long On Value’s first winner, made it two in a row yesterday in a $51,000 allowance optional claimer with Edgar Perez riding. Despite coming in with a victory, a second and two thirds, the 2-year-old colt bred by Lavender Hill Stud still paid $35.20 as the longest price on the board. He earned a check for $31,300, raising his five-race total to a healthy $83,100.

My Billeeboy broke well in the race at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta course, went after 4/5 favorite Extendo on the turn, took the lead into the stretch and went on to score by two lengths in 1:05.34. His Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 80 was his best thus far.

TURF PARADISE Lady Phyllis, still going strong at age seven, raised her record to 7-9-7 in 39 starts with a three-quarters of a length victory on the grass in Arizona. The Gone Astray mare had Harry Hernandez aboard in the race at 7 1/2 furlongs and they broke on top, eased back to second on the backstretch behind pacesetter Sweet Honor, then beat the 6-1 shot home while holding off several closers.

Lady Phyllis, bred by Northwest Stud, paid $7.80 and earned a check for $7,457, increasing her career bank account to $146,075. She became winner No. 42 this year for Gone Astray, who is just short of $1.6 million in progeny earnings, and sits in fifth place on Florida’s leading sire list.

It took all of Miguel Vasquez’s skills to guide She’s Classy to the wire at Gulfstream Park for her second victory this year.

The 4-year-old daughter of Gone Astray raced off the pace early in the race at five furlongs over the Tapeta surface, and the meet’s leading rider swung her off the rail as they reached the top of the stretch. From there, she out-gamed two rivals to the wire and won a three-horse photo by a head.

Just four races earlier, a track record of :55.40 was set for the distance; She’s Classy reported home in :56.76. She earned a check for $13,500, raising her total to $82,755 on a record of 3-4-8 in 23 tries. The filly bred by Craig L. Wheeler paid $24.40.

Toddchero became stakes-placed for the third time in only five starts when he overcame the No. 12 post and finished third under Lane Luzzi in the seven-furlong, $110,000 Clever Trevor Stakes at Remington Park yesterday.

The 2-year-old colt by Bucchero, who had previously finished second in the Prairie Gold Juvenile at Prairie Meadows and third in the Kip Deville Stakes at Remington, earned a check for $12,100, raising his total to $61,090, most for any runner by his freshman sire. The $77,000 OBS April 2-year-old was bred by GDS Racing Stable.

Bucchero has had 21 starters in his initial crop, with three stakes-placed runners, eight winners and seven others who have finished second or third.

In her first start in September, Feisty Sara missed breaking her maiden by a slim half-length racing six furlongs at Gulfstream Park. Moving to the Tapeta surface for start No. 2, the filly gave Neolithic his 17th winner of 2022, and third of the 2-year-old variety.

The filly bred by Matalona Thoroughbreds raced five furlongs in :58.06 and won by 1 1/4 lengths under leading rider Miguel Vasquez, paying $3.60 as favorite. She earned $18,400, bringing her two-race total to $24,700, as Neolithic reached an even 100 winners plus placers in his less than two seasons.

Vasquez was also responsible for the neck victory of Emirates Affair, who went wire-to-wire at 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta course and raised her record to 3-7-2 in 23 starts. The 4-year-old filly by Handsome Mike picked up $16,000 for her second score of 2022 and increased her career total to $120,160. She is another bred at Pleasant Acres by Joe and Helen Barbazon.

Dropkick Murphy and Spy Hunter made their debuts yesterday in the fifth race at Gulfstream Park, a $40,000 maiden special at 5 1/2 furlongs. Both 2-year-old colts by Bucchero had been working well at the Palm Meadows Training Center, Dropkick Murphy posting two bullet works to one for Spy Hunter, and the bettors sent the former off as the 3/2 favorite, with the latter second choice at 5/2.

When the gate opened, the two sped to the front as a team and proceeded to dog each other through fractions of :22.45, :45:41 and :57.87, with no challenges from the rest of the field. At the top of the stretch, it was Spy Hunter who proved best, drawing off by 5 1/2 lengths in 1:04.62 and giving Bucchero his eighth winner in his initial crop.

Spy Hunter, a $28,000 OBS April 2-year-old, paid $7 and earned a check for $24,000, while Dropkick Murphy collected $8,400 for second. The $2 Pleasant Acres exacta paid $24.20.

Oh Donna gave Bucchero his seventh winner in his first crop with a professional performance in a $40,000 maiden special under Jorge Vargas Jr. at Meadowlands. The stallion by Kantharos is tied for first among Florida’s active freshman sires.

The 2-year-old filly bred by Edward R. Schuster was off alertly in the race at five furlongs over the turf course, and tracked the pacesetter in second until the top of the stretch. In the lane, Oh Donna out-gamed three challengers and won by a neck in 1:00.29. Her initial victory in three starts was worth $24,000 and raised her total to $37,620. A $35,000 OBS June 2-yeaar-old, she paid $8.60.

At Delaware Park, R Averie Lynn made her 12th start of the season a winning one, and raised her record to 6-11-2 in 28 starts. The consistent 4-year-old Gone Astray filly, 2-1-0 in her last three tries, collected $26,400 of the $44,000 allowance purse while getting her third victory this year. She has banked $102,383 since Jan. 1 and $154,802 overall.

Under high weight of 125 pounds, R Averie Lynn was away quickest from the rail under Daniel Centeno, sprinting to the quarter in :21.84 with just one challenger in hailing distance. She opened up on the turn, won by 1 1/2 lengths and paid $4.; it was another seven lengths back to third.