Turf News

Sealithic sent her sire, Neolithic, past the half-million-dollar mark in earnings for 2022 with a dominating performance yesterday in a $32,100 maiden special at Finger Lakes.

The 3-year-old filly bred by Susan Kahn went wire-to-wire under John Davila Jr., getting the mile and 70 yards in 1:48.82. She was 3 1/2 lengths in front after three-quarters of a mile, stretched it to 5 1/2 in mid-stretch, and seven at the finish.

The $50,000 OBS April product paid $6.50 while earning a check for $15,960. She became Neolithic’s 14th winner of 2022 from 26 starters, and the stallion by Harlan’s Holiday had his progeny earnings jump to $506,168.

The wholesale lack of runners countrywide has had a major effect on the pari-mutuel handle, but for many owners at most of the smaller tracks it’s proved to be a monetary boon. The smaller fields have made it easier for sound runners to compete more often and bulk up their bank accounts.

In yesterday’s eighth race at Mountaineer Casino & Resort, three scratches reduced the field for the one-mile race to five, which included Yeudiel, the 5-year-old by Gone Astray. The gelding bred by SJT Racing Stables returned from a long vacation on June 20 and has now raced four times in 2022, posting a record of 2-0-2. In two of those races, he faced just five others, and in the other two, which includes yesterday, he faced just four.

Luciano Hernandez was aboard Yeudiel for yesterday’s effort, who battled for the early lead in the race at one mile, took over on the backstretch, opened up by four lengths heading home, and coasted to the wire nearly three lengths in front. In his last seven tries, Yeudiel has racked up two victories, two seconds and three thirds. He raised his record to 4-8-7 in 26 starts, paid $22.20 and earned $4,698 from Mountaineer’s miniscule purse fund.

It took her until start No. 14, but Splenda Gail’s victory at Evangeline yesterday was worth $13,800 to her bank account and she now has more than paid back the $70,000 price she sold for at the 2021 OBS June sale.

The 3-year-old filly by Neolithic bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon came from five lengths behind on the backstretch, looped the field on the turn, and out-finished the lone remaining contender by a neck at the wire. She was clocked in :58.63 for the five furlongs over a sloppy track after the race came off the grass.

The winner’s check raised the filly’s total to $76,830 on a record of 3-2-1 in those 14 tries for owner Norman Stables, which has owned Splenda Gail from the beginning. She paid $6.40 and has posted a record of 2-2-1 in her last six starts.

As Galileta took her place in the second slot in the gate in yesterday’s eighth race at Belterra, the 5-year-old mare was sitting at 2-1 on the tote board; Arcelor was 8/5 from post four. When the latch was sprung, within seconds Galileta dropped to 6/5, while Arcelor drifted up to 5/2.

The bettors who were responsible for the switch were right on the money. Galileta, a 5-year-old Amira’s Prince mare, had a dream trip with Santiago Gonzalez, while Arcelor, after breaking sharply, steadily dropped back to next to last. Gonzalez guided Galileta into the lead entering the stretch, and Arcelor used the rail to close a big gap and engage her, with Galileta proving best by a head at the wire.

Galileta was clocked in 1:13.99 for the six furlongs and paid $4.60. The check for $5,520 raised her earnings to $68,709 on a record of 5-2-2 in 21 starts.

As the field hit the first quarter in :23.97 in the second race at Mountaineer yesterday, Hard Astray was on the lead, in front by three lengths. That’s the closest anybody got to the 5-year-0ld Gone Astray gelding in the race at one mile, originally scheduled for the turf.

Hard Astray, with Ajhari Williams up, increased his advantage to five lengths after a half in :47.40, had four lengths after three quarters in 1:12.68, seven lengths in the stretch, and 5 3/4 at the wire. The gelding bred by JDAB Stables kicked off his career in South Florida and won once in seven starts. At Mountaineer, he’s won three of his last four and five of his last seven.

Despite the West Virginia track sporting the name “Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort,” the casino obviously doesn’t contribute much to the purse structure. Hard Astray earned just $6,380, less than what many runners-up collect via Gulfstream’s casino. The gelding owned and trained by Yendri Pena is now 6-2-0 in 18 starts with a disappointing bank account of $44,564.

Bucchero’s first crop has come out running, following in the footsteps of his ultra-successful sire, Kantharos, when he arrived at Ocala Stud. Following are Bucchero’s stats after Gemma’s Curls finished second in the $100,000 Desert Vixen, opening event on the Florida Sire Stakes schedule at Gulfstream Park yesterday.

Bucchero has had 10 starters in his initial crop: he has three winners, two of whom have come back to finish second in stakes – Gemma’s Curls and Toddchero; four others who finished second in their debuts; one who finished third, and just two who were off the board.

Gemma’s Curls, at odds of 7-1, was away in third in the Desert Vixen, went up for the lead after a quarter in :22.09, took over entering the stretch, but was unable to hold off Lynx, a daughter of former Pleasant Acres stallion Brethren who was closing like an express train. Gemma’s Curls has earned $43,050 in her two starts.

Bucchero is the first Florida freshman to have two stakes horses thus far in 2022.

Golden Train gained her first victory in a maiden optional claiming race at Woodbine yesterday and earned a check for $19,478 in U. S. funds. That brought the bank account for the 2-year-old filly by Ride On Curlin to $23,168 after three races; she had previously finished fourth and eighth. Her monetary situation highlights the huge disparity between what the Bloodhorse and Equibase use on their leading sire lists, and what the Canadian runners actually earn in their home country. In Canadian funds, Golden Train collected $25,200 for her initial victory, raising her above-the-border total to $29,920, a difference of $6,752.

Slade Jones was aboard Golden Train for the maiden-breaker for owner/trainer Keith Edwards, which gave Ride On Curlin his 13th winner this year from 26 starters. The filly bred by Robyn Thompson hustled to the lead, passed the poles in :23.45 and :47.05, and held off Society’s Kat down the stretch, winning by a neck in 1:11.27 for the six furlongs over the all-weather track and paying $7.20.

The cash disparity wasn’t nearly as pronounced at Century Mile, where Amber Princess raised her Canadian record to 1-1-3 in six starts and her overall record to 2-1-3 in 25 starts with an off-the-pace score in 1:24.61 for seven furlongs. The 5-year-old daughter of Amira’s Prince earned $5,400 Canadian – $4,174 U. S. – because the total purse was a skimpy $8,850. N’Rico Prescod rallied the mare bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon from fifth place to win by a neck, giving her sire five winners from nine starters in 2022.

In his first six career starts, Quantum Quest visited the winner’s circle just once. In his last five tries, the 4-year-old Gone Astray gelding has won three times

Victory No. 3 came at Santa Rosa in California last night in a $30,000 allowance optional claimer at five furlongs over the turf course. With Assael Espinosa aboard, the gelding bred by W. K. and D. S. France jumped into the lead at the start, put up a quarter in :22.93 and was never threatened thereafter. He held off a slew of closers in deep stretch, but was half a length in front at the wire, clocked in :59.40.

Quantum Quest paid $5.40 and earned a check for $16,200, jumping his total to $70,740, with $55,800 coming this year.

IT’S BECOMING A HABIT – On July 16, Neolithic, Ride On Curlin and Gone Astray scored a racing triple for Pleasant Acres stallions, and just 13 days later, the same three have done it again – with three different horses.

RIDE ON CURLIN – Cowboy at Heart contributed to yesterday’s triple at Charles Town by turning in the best performance of his 18-race career. The 4-year-old gelding bred by Stephen H. Smith was off sharply with Christian Hiraldo, battled with Widget Factory through fractions of :23.46 and :47.31, then drew off on the turn and went on to score by nearly four lengths as Paul Espinosa announced that “Cowboy at Heart wins with something left in the tank.”

Cowboy at Heart received an 88 ‘E’ figure for the effort, his best ever, after getting 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:20.00 and collecting a check for $10,479. He paid $9.80 and raised his record to 4-2-1, with three of the victories coming this year.

NEOLITHIC – Stone Age broke his maiden in his ninth start, also with his best-ever ‘E,’ a 76, at Gulfstream Park. The 3-year-old gelding owned and bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds won a heated stretch battle by half a length in 1:11.50 for six furlongs with Edwin Gonzalez in the irons. He earned $11,600 and became winner No. 12 for Neolithic from 24 starters in 2022.

GONE ASTRAY – Shade Tree Thoroughbreds is also the breeder of Fast Loaded, who won at Laurel for his 10th victory in a 28-race career, and his third this year, all since April 20. With Walter Rodriguez aboard, the 5-year-old gelding prevailed by a neck after a head-and-head battle with 1/2 favorite Bahama Channel, clocked in 1:26.17 for the seven furlongs. Fast Loaded earned $10,800, which boosted his career total to $195,477. He paid $7.20.

After a layoff of nearly seven months, Wink and a Nod returned to the races at Mountaineer Park in April, and in his first five races of 2022, recorded three seconds and a third. Primed for a stellar effort, the 6-year-old gelding by Gone Astray was back at it yesterday in a race at five furlongs with only three rivals, but with the misfortune of having to face Donnels Creek, who was 1/5 on the tote board.

Alex Gonzalez took Wink and a Nod away second on the rail, then dropped back to third as Donnels Creek went up to vie for the lead. The favorite took over heading into the stretch, but Wink and a Nod never left the rail, powering to the lead and edging clear by a length at the wire. The gelding bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds and Ruth Delaplane raced five furlongs in :58.76, paid $9.60 and collected a check of $4,582. He improved his record to 8-11-5 in 43 starts with earnings of $81,057.