Turf News

Sizzling Neolithic added 2024 winner No. 10 yesterday at Gulfstream Park and moved up one more spot into sixth place on Florida’s early general sire list.

Prevent, a 3-year-old stakes-placed colt bred by Katia Perez Ozuna, went wire-to-wire under John Velazquez in a $59,000 allowance optional claimer at one mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface. He nosed out 8/5 favorite Northshore Drive at the wire, then survived a foul claim lodged by the runner-ups’ jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., the country’s leading rider. The two colts had exchanged mild bumps in mid-stretch, and it took the stewards many minutes to decide the outcome, even though it was obvious Prevent hadn’t caused the minor problem and was never in danger of coming down. He paid $8.40.

Prevent, a $15,000 OBS Winter purchase, was clocked in 1:39.11, just a little more than one second off the course record for the distance. He earned a check for $37,400, increasing his bank account to $122,460 on a record of 2-3-0 in nine starts, all made at Gulfstream.

Mr Ramirez became winner No. 9 for Neolithic since Jan.1, holding off all challenges in a 6 1/2-furlong race at Delta Downs and scoring by three widening lengths in 1:22.67.

The 3-year-old colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson was away quickly under Joel Dominguez and held a slight advantage going into the first turn. He led by about a length for much of the run down the backstretch, and left four rivals in the dust in the lane.

Mr Ramirez paid $15.20 while breaking his maiden in his third try. The victory was worth $9,600 as Neolithic moved up to seventh on the 2024 Florida sire list with earnings of $191,000. He’s third on the list with his nine winners.

Song on the Radio is as ‘Pleasant Acres’ as a thoroughbred can get.

He’s by former Pleasant Acres stallion Long On Value; was bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon; is owned by the farm’s advertising director, Tandra Downs; and competes in the colors of her Shark Pit Racing. And Song on the Radio has come out running in the expert care of trainer Ron Spatz.

The 4-year-old colt finished a ho-hum fourth in his debut at Gulfstream Park in November, appearing as though he didn’t yet comprehend what he was doing out on the racetrack. But in his next two starts he finished second (by a half length), then third, and yesterday he broke his maiden in a game effort as the 6/5 favorite in a $50,000 maiden optional claimer at a flat mile on the grass.

With veteran Joe Bravo aboard for the second time, Song on the Radio stalked the leader from the three path early down the backstretch, went up after a quarter and took over the lead without much urging, opened up two lengths on the turn, then out-nosed 2-1 second choice Flat Top Box at the wire in a photo. He was clocked in an excellent 1:34.34.

The victory was worth $30,000 and raised the colt’s 4-race earnings to a healthy $47,650.

The aptly-named Expecting a Winner closed out January by becoming winner No. 8 for red-hot Neolithic, who had more visits to the winners’ circle during the month than all Florida sires except for the incredible Khozan and Jess’s Dream, who each had nine.

Expecting a Winner is now 2-for-2 at Tampa Bay Downs with Samy Camacho in the saddle. After a 1 1/4-length score in her December debut, the 3-year-old filly bred by Patricia Generazio came right back and romped by 4 1/2 lengths in her second try with six furlongs in 1:12.02. She paid just $2.40 and earned a check for $15,550, raising her total to $27,270, and was claimed out of the race.

The filly’s victory marked the 100th visit to the winners’ circle for Neolithic’s runners, who collected $166,605 in purse money for the month.

Neolithic’s January run added a sixth United States winner on Friday, and it turns out he had one at Caymanas in Jamaica on Jan. 1, so his total for 26 days is seven.

If Not For Luck scored in a $42,000 starter allowance at Gulfstream Park under Jesus Rios and collected a check for $25,200, which brought Neolithic’s earnings for the month to $146,476. Along the way, he surpassed the $3 million mark in career progeny earnings.

The 4-year-old horse bred by Juan Rodriguez tracked a red-hot pace – :21.84, :44.51, and :56.15 – then proved best in the stretch, getting up by a neck in 1:02.11 for the 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta course. That’s just half a second off the course record held by Extendo, a son of former Pleasant Acres stallion Handsome Mike bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson.

It’s the second straight victory for If Not For Luck, who is now 3-1-2 in eight starts with a bank account of $108,600. He received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 92 for his previous victory, and added a 93 for yesterday’s, best of his eight races.

Neolithic’s January surge continued at Turfway Park on Wednesday with a sharp wire-to-wire performance by Ghost Bike, who became winner No. 5 for his sire since Jan. 1.

Under Ferrin Peterson, the 4-year-old gelding bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds, Geoff Roy and Tom Fitzgerald took the lead at the start of the race at 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track, shook off several challenges along the way, then opened up in the lane and was going away by 4 1/2 lengths at the finish. A $32,000 OBS March 2-year-old, Ghost Bike was clocked in 1:48.18, paid $42.14 and earned a check for $11,954, raising his career bank account to $39,132. He received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 92, best of his career, in which he’s 2-1-4 in 15 starts.

The temperature has been close to freezing mostly every day in January, but Neolithic has been red-hot.

Coming off his best year with progeny earnings of more than $1.4 million, the son of Harlan’s Holiday already has posted four winners in the first 19 days of the month. No. 4 is Jordi’s Dream, who turned in a game effort in an $89,000 maiden special at Gulfstream Park, and wound up in a dead heat after a furious four-horse run to the wire.

With David Egan aboard, the 4-year-old filly bred by Ian Parsard shot to the lead in the race at five furlongs on the grass, controlled a contested pace with sizzling fractions of :22.21 and :44.46, then was all out to deadlock with Street Ride at the wire. Announcer Pete Aiello speculated that it might have been Street Ride a nose in front, but the photo showed it was a tie, in a clocking of :55.96.

As an eligible for Florida bonus awards, Jordi’s Dream collected $39,750 for her maiden-breaker, while non-Florida-bred Street Ride took home just $28,350. Jordi’s Dream earned an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 89, best of her five races.

Neolithic is off to a fast start in 2024, getting his third winner with an eye-opening performance at Turfway Park yesterday.

Neoking, with Andres Ulloa in the saddle, was sitting four or five lengths off the pace early and was actually retreating on the turn, appearing to have lost all chance in the race at six furlongs over the all-weather track. But Ulloa rallied the 4-year-old gelding with a strong move on the inside, he caught the leaders in mid-stretch and was nearly two lengths in front at the wire. The gelding owned and bred by long-time Pleasant Acres client Just For Fun Stable was clocked in 1:20.52 and paid $33.32. He collected a check for $11,954, raising his total to $28,498 on a record of 2-2-1 in nine starts.

Neoking received a 72 Equibase ‘E’ speed figure, best of his career.

The first winner by Amira’s Prince in 2024 is Indy Princess Koko, a newly-turned 7-year-old mare bred by Jeannine Strauss McGann who has displayed her best form racing at all the Ohio tracks.

Luis Rivera was aboard Indy Princess Koko for her six-furlong trip at Mahoning Valley. She sat a stalking third through fractions of :22.74, :45.81 and :58.46, rallied five wide on the turn, and proved best in the run to the wire, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:12.05. She paid $7.40 and collected a check for $6,540, lifting her career total to $78,798 on a record of 6-3-10 in 36 starts.

In her initial three career starts, Neolithica finished seventh, second and 11th under three different jockeys, and trainer Damon Dilodovico got the picture. He tabbed veteran Horacio Karamanos, who had been aboard for the lone second-place finish, to handle the Maryland-bred filly for her upcoming races.

The move proved to be right on the money; Karamanos has won three in a row at Laurel Park with the newly-turned 3-year-old by Neolithic. No. 3 came yesterday in a seven-furlong test, and the $30,000 Timonium yearling went wire-to-wire, winning by five lengths in 1:25.69, paying $7 and collecting a check for $22,770. She received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 72, best of her six efforts.

Neolithic’s second winner of 2024 is now 3-1-0 with earnings of $69,450.