Turf News

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. 

Despite being forced to endure a wide trip for the entire 7 furlongs, Firenze Fire finished well in the Gr. I, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga yesterday and continued his relentless climb toward the $1 million mark in earnings. The 3-year-old son of Poseidon’s Warrior was going fastest of all at the end, but he fell 1 3/4 lengths short of winner Promises Fulfilled and just one-half length short of the runner-up spot. After sizzling fractions of :22.66, :44.34 and 1:08.44, the race went in a torrid 1:21.44.

Firenze Fire now has posted four victories, a second and a third in stakes company and the $60,000 check for third boosted his career earnings to $894,100.

Treasure Beach’s leading money-winner made it three straight at Gulfstream Park yesterday, using a heads-up ride by Tyler Gaffalione to boost her earnings to the tune of $29,500. The 3-year-old filly owned and bred by Robyn Thompson was forced wide going into the first turn of the mile race on the grass, but her talented rider was able to settle her into fourth place down the backstretch. She was shuffled back to fifth on the turn, but Gaffalione found a hole on the rail and Treasure for Gold shot through and went after the leaders at the top of the stretch. She was much the best down the lane and drew off to score by 1 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:37.52. The Todd Pletcher-trained filly raised her record to 4-0-1 in seven starts with earnings of $133,350. 

Treasure Beach continues to enjoy success in two hemispheres, including adding a stakes-winner south of the border. At Argentina’s La Punta racetrack, Danzarin won the Clasico Juvenile at 1,200 meters on Aug. 20. The 2-year-old colt led a bunched-up pack into the stretch and just sprinted away down the lane, scoring by about six lengths. The 2-year-old colt was clocked in 1:11.70 and paid $12.05 . . . Ventajero Soy, another 2-year-old colt, won at San Isidro on the 18th.

At Gulfstream Park yesterday, racing a flat mile on the grass, Galileo’s Affair sat a perfect trip in third place down the backstretch with Emisael Jaramillo, moved three-wide on the turn, and drew off to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:37.77. The 3-year-old filly, a $37,000 OBS April purchase, collected $13,500 for her third career victory and now has a total of $89,020.