Turf News

The wagering public hammered Gran Greyfrost down to 4/5 in the one-mile second race at Gulfstream Park yesterday, and the Handsome Mike colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon was more than up to the task. With talented apprentice Cristian Torres aboard, the 4-year-old colt cruised to the lead while three wide on the turn and was never threatened down the lane, scoring by 1 1/4 lengths.

Gran Greyfrost became winner No. 3 for Handsome Mike since Jan. 1, and earned $11,600 for the effort. He boosted his record to 3-1-3 in 15 starts, and his earnings jumped to $83,550.

Handsome Mike’s runners this month have finished in the top three in 13 of 26 starts.

When Jackies Dream made her first start at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 1, the race was switched from the turf to the main track and the daughter of Amira’s Prince finished a distant second. However, it was a promising debut for the 3-year old filly because it was another 7 1/2 lengths back to the third horse.

Jackies Dream’s second race remained on the grass at Tampa yesterday and Tomas Mejia turned in a well-timed ride to get the filly up in time to become her sire’s second winner. Mejias had her back in the pack and on the rail down the backstretch, and when he swung her five wide on the turn she responded with a powerful run, nailing the 5/2 favorite in the shadow of the wire.

Jackies Dream paid $8 to her backers and earned a check for $7,860 plus a breeder’s award for Joe and Helen Barbazon.

In her first 16 races at Tampa Bay Downs and Presque Isle, J’s Handsome Fana won twice. Since moving to Mahoning Valley last month, she has already doubled that number.

After winning by 5 3/4 lengths on Dec. 18, the 4-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike made it two straight for jockey Erik Barbaran yesterday, scoring by 3 1/4 lengths at a flat mile. Barbaran settled her in the second flight early and waited until nearing the stop of the stretch before letting her loose and she barreled past the field to win with authority and collect the $6,180 winner’s check.

Treasure Beach’s first winner of 2020 came at Parx Racing yesterday when the hard-hitting Galileo’s Affair scored her seventh career victory in a mile and an eighth race over a sloppy track.

The 5-year-old mare bred by Joe and Kris Carroll went to the front early with pilot Jermaine Burke, gave up the lead heading down the backstretch, took it back with a powerful run on the turn and held off fast-closing Sydney Time by one-half length at the wire. The $12,000 winner’s check raised Galileo’s Affair’s lifetime total to $168,020 on a solid record of 7-4-7 in 30 starts.

Amira’s Prince’s runners have turned in several good performances, but it was Monkeyoffmyback who had the honor of becoming the first winner in his sire’s initial crop at Camarero Race Track in Puerto Rico.

With Juan Esquilin aboard, the Kentucky-bred colt stalked the early pace for a quarter, then ran away and hid, widening his margin to seven lengths in the stretch and nine lengths at the end of a 6 1/2-furlong trip in 1:18.97. Off as the second choice in his debut, Monkeyoffmyback paid $6.60.

Handsome Mike’s first winner of 2020 came in a $40,000 maiden claiming race at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday, an eight-length romp by the aptly-named Real Doozie under veteran Jose Ferrer. It raised her record to 1-2-1 in six starts.

The just-turned 3-year-old filly owned and bred by Ballybrit Stable fought for the early lead through a :22.41 first quarter, then pulled away en route to a :45.50 half, and kept widening all the way to the wire. Her final time was 1:11.01, she paid $6.60 and earned a check for $10,240.

The late money poured in on Don’t Spin Me in the first race at Tampa Bay Downs Sunday, and the 3-year-old filly easily justified the bettors’ confidence.

Sent off at 3/5 with Antonio Gallardo aboard, Don’t Spin Me was off second in the six-furlong test, but quickly powered into the lead after a :22.66 first quarter. She opened up coming to the turn and from there the outcome was never in doubt as she strolled to the wire 4 1/4 lengths in front. Clocked in 1:12.14, she earned a check for $6,460.

It marked the second victory in a span of 11 days for Don’t Spin Me, who was bred by the familiar team of Ed Seltzer, Beverly Anderson and Joe and Helen Barbazon. The daughter of Handsome Mike raised her record to 3-1-0 in nine starts.

Saturday’s Gulfstream Park simulcast followers got to watch another Treasure Beach winner at San Isidro in Argentina when Inmate broke his maiden in impressive fashion late in the day.

Racing 1 1/4 miles on a turf course labeled ‘good,’ the 3-year-old colt tracked the leader in second place down the backstretch, and when Juan Villagra let him run on the turn, Inmate took the lead heading into the long stretch, then won the race to the wire by 2 1/2 lengths. Under 123 pounds, he was clocked in 2:01.19 and paid $4.00, $4.60 and $3.00. Riadhis, another Treasure Beach colt, made a good late run to finish fourth.

With statistics compiled through Dec. 22, Treasure Beach is the second-leading sire on both the turf and overall Global Sire Rankings in Argentina. On the turf list, he’s just one point behind Equal Stripes (995-994), and on the overall list, he’s five behind Fortify (994-989).

In addition, Treasure Beach’s U. S. runners on Friday and Saturday earned enough money to push his lifetime progeny earnings to $4,001,886.

Handsome Mike picked up his 29th winner of 2019 when More Than Striking broke his maiden with a wire-to-wire beauty at Gulfstream Park on Friday.

With Luis Saez riding, the 3-year-old gelding raced 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.73 and scored by 2 3/4 lengths, earning a check for $11,600. More than Striking, owned and bred by Kathleen Amaya and Alexandra and Raffaele Centofanti, was the only first-time starter in the race. He paid $6.80 as second choice.

Treasure Beach’s relentless climb toward $4 million in lifetime progeny earnings continued last evening when New Found Treasure won in a romp at Penn National and Go Venezuela Go finished second at Charles Town.

New Found Treasure was the second choice at 6/5 racing a mile and 70 yards under Tyler Conner. The 3-year-old filly bred by Stonehedge Farm was third early, went two-wide on the final turn and overpowered the leaders, drawing off by 8 1/2 lengths and raising her record to 4-1-5 in 20 starts. The $6,000 check increased her earnings to $65,954. 

Go Venezuela Go’s take for her fast-closing runner-up finish was $2,275 and bumped Treasure Beach up to $3,983,848 with four runners set to compete today at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.