Turf News

Tom McCrocklin’s affinity for runners by Neolithic has now crossed the border with Empty Handed winning a $75,524 maiden special at Woodbine in her first start. McCrocklin bred the 3-year-old filly in partnership with Frank Mermenstein but she made her debut racing in McCrocklin’s name.

Empty Handed was 7/2 for her first try and threw her head leaving the gate, but it made little difference. She toured the six furlongs in the $75,524 maiden special over the all-weather track in 1:12.14, swinging five wide into the stretch and coasting away at the finish, scoring by 3 1/2 lengths. She paid $9.20 and McCrocklin prospered to the tune of $32,599 in U. S. funds.

The German phrase ‘das ist alles’ translates into English as ‘that’s all,’ and that’s just what Das Ist Alles Ally said to the field as she held her Gulfstream Park rivals safe for her first victory of 2026 in her sixth start of the year.

The 4-year-old filly owned and trained by Terry Bruner had Miguel Vasquez aboard for the mile-and-70-yard trip over the Tapeta surface. Das Ist Alles was off fifth on the outside, remained that way until making a four-wide bid on the turn, took the lead in the stretch and won it by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:44.59.

She paid $11.20 and collected a check for $17,300, increasing her total to $59,412 on a record of 3-1-2 in 16 starts.

Neolithic’s 23rd winner of 2026 is Astridshadowmoon, who overcame a slow start in a six-furlong test at Tampa Bay Downs and was able to get up for a half-length victory clocked in 1:12.19.

The 3-year-old gelding bred by Roberto Hernandez walked out of the gate, but Angel Serpa quickly rushed him up three wide into a stalking position down the backstretch. They went after the leading pair on the turn and proved best in the run to the wire. Astridshadowmoon, who RNA’ed twice at OBS, paid a generous $27.20 and collected a check for $14,050, increasing his total to $17,025 on a record of 1-0-1 in five starts.

Former Gulfstream Park and Hialeah attorney David Romanik and his trainer and often co-owner Ron Spatz have enjoyed great success with runners by Pleasant Acres stallions. The latest is Peppermint Man, a 4-year-old Neolithic gelding who went wire-to-wire in a one mile race on the turf at Gulfstream.

Diego Herrera was aboard Peppermint Man, who battled head-and-head with favorite Operation Torch through a half in :45.91 and three quarters in 1:09.39 before Peppermint Man left the 3/2 shot behind, then prevailed by a head in 1:34.83 over a fast-closing 60-1 shot. Romanik collected $19,000 for the score, which jumped his gelding’s earnings to $53,880 on a record of 2-2-0 in 10 starts. He paid $5.00.

Gulfstream Park picked Kentucky Derby day to kick off its 2026 2-year-old program, and freshman sire Magic On Tap’s first runner finished second in the initial $55,000 maiden special at 4 1/2 furlongs, which went in :54.75.

The 2-year-old filly owned and bred by Rick Arnold had posted several good a. m. trials leading up to the race, including a :36.45 breezing from the gate, ninth best of 73 at the distance that day at the Palm Meadows training complex. Nik Juarez was in the saddle for the filly’s debut, in which she went off as the 7/5 favorite, but after a quarter in :22.12, she was unable to carry her speed to the wire, settling for the runner-up check of $17,800. That was not far off the Kentucky-bred winner’s take of $24,000, since as a Florida-bred she was eligible for all the Florida incentives.

The most surprising aspect of Timshel’s second straight victory was that after breaking his maiden in a race at one mile over the turf course at Tampa Bay Downs, the 3-year-old Neolithic gelding was allowed to go off at 10-1 in a four-horse race at Gulfstream Park under the same conditions.

With Diego Herrera aboard, the gelding owned and bred by Dr. Tiffany Atteberry and Scott Brown contested the early lead in the $42,000 starter optional claiming race, then proved best by a neck and paid $23.60. He was clocked in 1:34.63 and earned a check for $24,200, raising his three-race total to $42,975.

Aside from a slew of handicappers, there are four entities most concerned with the running and outcome of races – namely, breeders, owners, trainers and jockeys.

On a recent afternoon at Gulfstream Park, in a span of two hours and 11 minutes, two Neolithic 3-year-olds were responsible for filling seven of the eight most important slots. Both are owned by Tom McCrocklin, who is also the breeder of one, both are trained by Fernando Abreu, and both were ridden by Diego Herrera.

VIABLE ASSET: The 3-year-old filly bred by Mike Whieldon went wire-to-wire in a $50,000 starter optional claimer at five furlongs on the grass. She scored by 2 1/4 lengths, and was clocked in :55.52, less than two seconds off the course record. She paid $4.40 and earned a check for $19,200, lifting her total to $60,650. She’s won 3-of-4 starts, her only loss a fourth in the Leinster Melody of Colors Stakes at Gulfstream, and her Equibase ‘E’ speed figures have improved with every race – 72-77-80-84.

CHICKEN DANCE – The 3-year-old all-McCrocklin gelding sports a record remarkably similar to that of Viable Asset. He has won 4-of-6 starts, with one third, and the only off-the-board performance resulting in a fourth place finish in the Lambholm South Sophomore Turf Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. He captured a $65,000 allowance test at one mile on the turf by a head, clocked in 1:34.85, while paying $18.40. The winner’s check of $39,000 increased his career total to $108,550, with $94,150 coming this year. Like Viable Asset, his ‘E’ speed figures have improved with each race (56-63-70-74-85-91).

It’s been a profitable week for Neolithic, and he has surpassed the $1 million mark in 2026 progeny earnings, the fastest he has accomplished the feat since beginning his stud career at Pleasant Acres.

Landman Friday made it two victories and a third in his last three starts with a strong come-from-behind performance in a $41,000 starter allowance at 1 1/16 miles over the Gulfstream Park turf course. Bumped early under Rajiv Maragh and trailing in seventh place, Maragh revved up the 4-year-old colt with a four-wide sweep on the turn, and Landman Friday was able to run down the leaders and prevail by one length.

The colt bred by Grassroots Training & Sales, a $175,000 OBS April 2-year-old, paid $12 and was clocked in 1:40.32. He collected a check for $23,700, boosting his lifetime take to $98,050 on a record of 3-1-2 in 10 starts. His excellent 94 Equibase ‘E’ speed figure is a career best.

It’s always difficult for a buyer to purchase a horse at the sales, then when he tries to sell it, have to settle for an RNA. That’s what happened to owner/trainer Rohan Crichton with Ababajoni, whom he bought for $30,000 at the OBS April sale last year, then had to bring the Neolithic colt home after he RNA’ed at $75,000.

Since then, Ababajoni has been very good to Crichton. In a span of six starts he has racked up three victories and a second, with earnings of $136,700. His latest score came in a $60,250 allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park in which Anthony Thomas took the 3-year-old colt wire-to-wire with a mile on the grass in 1:33.87, winning by nearly two lengths. After finishing second in his previous start, the $175,000 Cutler Bay Stakes, he paid just $4.40 and collected a check for $39,500. His Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 95 is best of his six races.

I Forgot to Ask forgot to stop and made it two victories in a row, winning at 5 1/2 furlongs under Luis Contreras at Horseshoe Indianapolis. In his previous start, the 3-year-old Neolithic gelding went wire-to-wire going five furlongs over the all-weather track at Turfway Park.

I Forgot to Ask broke alertly and settled into a stalking position three wide as the leaders carved out a quarter in :21.77. The gelding bred by Kelly Lynn Lupton ran down the top two on the turn and into the stretch and pulled away to a 3 1/2-length score, clocked in 1:05.63. He paid $8.60 and collected a check for $8,100, raising his total to $28,262 on a record of 2-1-0 in five starts.