Turf News

Poseidon’s March scored a convincing victory at Finger Lakes yesterday and brought his sire within a stone’s throw of reaching $2 million in career progeny earnings. It has only been 15 months since Firenze Fire won “from here to Florida” and became the first winner for Poseidon’s Warrior on June 21 of last year. Poseidon’s March, a 3-year-old colt owned and bred by Patricia Generazio, overcame a sloppy track with Joel Cruz at the controls, and went wire-to-wire at 5 1/2 furlongs, leaving the field behind in the stretch to score by 4 1/2 lengths. The winner’s check of $7,260 boosted Poseidon’s Warrior’s total to $1,995,664.

Firenze Fire and his sire, Poseidon’s Warrior, both reached new heights yesterday when the Mr. Amore Stables 3-year-old captured the $300,000, Gr. III Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing. Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard the colt, who earned $180,000 for the victory and became the first millionaire for Poseidon’s Warrior with a total of $1,074,100. The Speightstown stallion, who finished second in the  same race in 2011, is less than $15,000 away from surpassing the $2 million mark in progeny earnings. 

Ortiz broke Firenze Fire on top in the six-furlong race, then dropped him back about three lengths during a quarter that went in a sizzling :21.91. They moved at the pacesetter on the turn and took the lead into the stretch after a half-mile in :45.82. The colt then engaged in a nose-to-nose duel to the finish with Whereshetoldmetogo, who came in on a three-race winning streak, including two stakes. In the shadow of the wire, Whereshetoldmetogo tried to savage Firenze Fire, but Ortiz never flinched and guided his colt home by a neck. 

Firenze Fire now sports a record of 6-1-1 in 13 starts and has won five stakes, four of them graded.

Treasure Beach is nearing the $900,000 mark in progeny earnings for 2018 after the victory of Total Treasure on the Gulfstream Park grass yesterday. The 3-year-old filly bred by Just For Fun Stable drove to the lead out of the gate under Romero Maragh, and continued on the front end the rest of the way, winning the 7 1/2-furlong turf test by one-half length. It was the first career score for Total Treasure, who became winner No. 20 for her sire this year and collected a check of $11,600.

Spicy Nelly, the leading runner for Beau Choix, reached new heights at Gulfstream Park yesterday, winning a starter optional claimer at a flat mile for owner/breeder Just For Fun Stable. Leonel Reyes took the 3-year-old filly away quickly from the No. 6 post and tucked her into third place down the backstretch. She went after the leaders on the turn and wore down the pacesetter in a tough stretch duel, drawing off late to score by 2 1/4 lengths. 

The $23,300 winner’s check boosted Spicy Nelly’s earnings to $128,957 on a record of 4-5-1 in 13 starts. This year, she’s a sharp 3-3-1 in nine tries with earnings of $101,420, including three victories and two seconds in her last five starts. Based on her recent form, the bettors sent her off as the 3/10 favorite.

Beach Waltz became the second $100,000-plus earner for Treasure Beach yesterday with a third-place finish in the Indiana Grand Stakes at Indiana Grand Race Course. The 3-year-old filly had the services of Tyler Gaffalione, up from Florida for the $200,000 race contested at one mile on the grass. Beach Waltz settled comfortably off the pace on the inside and closed well to be third, collecting a check of $20,680 for her owners and breeders, Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey. She’s 2-2-1 in eight starts with earnings of $101,902, behind only Treasure for Gold for her sire. 

Oh My Warrior gets up in the last jump to win at Gulfstream Park and Merrow romps at Monmouth Park. In addition, Pablito scores in Argentina earlier in the week, and Poseidon’s Warrior has enjoyed six winners in the last eight days. 

Oh My Warrior’s victory yesterday highlighted the talents of youngster Nik Juarez, who had the 3-year-old sitting in perfect position turning for home. It didn’t appear as though the ridgling had any chance to win, but Juarez never gave up in the stretch and Oh My Warrior was up by a nose in a driving finish. The $19,100 winner’s check for his third victory boosted Oh My Warrior’s total to $83,963 for owner/breeder Just For Fun Stable.  

Merrow’s maiden score came in her third start and produced much less drama. The 2-year-old filly stalked the early pace, then sprinted away in the stretch to win by five lengths with Jose Ferrer easing up on the gas in the late stages. A $9,000 OBS April 2-year-old from the consignment of Hemingway Racing and Training Stables, Merrow earned $8,700 for the victory. 

Pablito added to the recent success of Pleasant Acres stallions in Argentina, the 2-year-old colt winning at La Plata and collecting $4,199. 

Pleasant Acres kicked off the holiday weekend with special performances by a pair of 2-year-olds, one a filly by Treasure Beach and the other a colt by Poseidon’s Warrior. The filly, Decorated Ace, gave Treasure Beach his first stakes-winner by way of a sharp, stalking effort in the $78,000 Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park, a  race that had been won in the past by greats Ruffian and Affectionately, and by the outstanding Eclipse Award-winning Florida-breds Forward Gal, Dearly Precious and Hollywood Wildcat.

Decorated Ace was a close-up fifth turning for home in the one-mile race when she moved to the two-path and powered past the leaders in the stretch to win going away by 1 1/4 lengths. What made it even more special is that she was a maiden going in, with her best finish a third in her previous race at odds of 70-1. The filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon has now earned $49,600. 

At Parx Racing, Splicethemainbrace chipped in with a real eye-opener in just his second start. The colt by Poseidon’s Warrior went off at 7/5 in the $72,250 maiden special based on a second-place finish in his debut and more than justified the bettors’ confidence. He took the lead leaving the gate under Mychel Sanchez, gave it up heading for the first quarter and took up a good position in second. Splicethemainbrace moved with a quick burst on the turn and just sprinted away from the field in the stretch, stretching his lead to 6 1/2 lengths while eased up at the wire. The colt earned $44,000 for owner/breeder Swilcan Stable and lifted his sire’s total to $1,144,919. 

Treasure Beach has added two more maiden winners to his ledger, raising his total for the season to 18. Hunters Dream scored his first victory in three starts for owner/breeder Stonehedge Farm, winning a one-mile turf test at Gulfstream Park under Edgard Zayas. The 2-year-old gelding settled into fourth place early, moved after the leaders at the quarter pole, swung wide for the stretch run and was in front by three-quarters of a length at the wire, collecting a check for $15,300. Treasure Bay, another son of Treasure Beach, came from way back to finish third . . . At Finger Lakes, Mammie’s Treasure broke her maiden under Jose Baez with a wire-to-wire effort for owner/breeder Patricia Generazio. The 3-year-old New York-bred filly was the 7/5 favorite after a second-place finish in her previous start.  

Threetwentysix ended his streak of runner-up finishes at Finger Lakes yesterday, breaking his maiden in style racing 5 1/2 furlongs. The 3-year-old gelding by Poseidon’s Warrior was coming off three straight seconds, and scored his first victory by stalking the early pace under Rodolfo Ignacio, sweeping into the lead in mid-stretch and drawing off by nearly three lengths. Based on his current good form, Threetwentysix was the 2-1 second choice, and collected a check for $5,400 . . . Treasure Beach added another 2-year-old winner in Argentina, Tesoro Millonario breaking his maiden at San Isidro on Aug. 25.     

Always Venezuela became the 15th winner of 2018 for Poseidon’s Warrior, and his first 2-year-old winner, employing a powerful run on the turn to break her maiden at Gulfstream Park. The filly owned and bred by  Orlyana Farm sat in a good stalking position as they headed toward the stretch in the 5 1/2-furlong race. There Samy Camacho let her out a notch and Always Venezuela shot to the lead and continued on to a 1 1/4-length score. After her second-place finish in her debut a month earlier, she was sent off at 6/5 and lived up to her price. She earned $12,900 for the victory and has banked $17,100 for her two starts. Poseidon’s Warrior is nearing $1.1 million in his second season.