Turf News

When Jo Sweetness made her career debut at Gulfstream Park on July 28, she was banged around badly leaving the gate and was off last in the 5 1/2-furlong race. The daughter of Anthony’s Cross was so far behind down the backstretch that announcer Pete Aiello mentioned her just one time with the comment “ahead of Jo Sweetness.” Coming to the wire, Aiello bellowed, “R. Prerogative has the lead – Jessica comes through on the rail, and Jessica is up to win it.” Then, his final words were: “Where did Jo Sweetness come from – she flew home to get beat about two lengths.”

The 2-year-old filly had come from a mile out of it to get up for third and that flying finish was enough to send Jo Sweetness off at 6/5 for her second start at Gulfstream yesterday. She performed as expected, sitting close to the pace, then powering away in the stretch under Leonel Reyes to break her maiden by 2 1/4 widening lengths. The victory was worth $30,500.

It is probably only fitting that the winner that sent Poseidon’s Warrior over the $1 million mark in progeny earnings in his second season was bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon. Raise a Warrior became the colt of the hour at Thistledown yesterday, scoring in a one-mile test under Walter De La Cruz, earning a check for $6,420, and raising his sire’s total to $1,000,877. 

Raise a Warrior raced on the outside of pacesetter Kutschman for five furlongs, put away the 1/2 favorite on the turn, and went on to prevail by three quarters of a length. The 3-year-old colt has won three of his last four starts and is 4-2-0 in his last eight. 

There are 92 stallions listed on the Blood-Horse freshman sire list for 2018, and Handsome Mike  moved up to 14th place after the victory of Running for Riz in a $65,000 maiden special at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. The colt bred by Jody Veitch and Linda Riznick became the fourth winner for the millionaire son of Scat Daddy, and the winner’s check of $43,000 raised his progeny earnings to $138,240, even with only eight starters. 

Miguel Vasquez was aboard Running for Riz in just his second start – he had finished fourth at odds of 38-1 in his debut. This time, off at 5/2, the colt went wire-to-wire behind blazing fractions of :21.90 and :45.24 and he was three lengths in front at the wire. The final clocking of :51.68 is just 4/5ths of a second off the track record for 4 1/2 furlongs. With four winners, Handsome Mike is tied for first among Florida’s freshman group. 

Handsome Mike’s third winner came at Presque Isle Downs last night via a game wire-to-wire performance by Scowling Ridge. The 2-year-old filly prevailed in a $27,000 maiden special at 5 1/2 furlongs, after putting up solid fractions of :22.33, :46.08 and :58.28. Tampa Bays Downs stalwart Ronnie Allen Jr. was aboard the filly owned and bred by Martin and Emily Goodell, who collected $16,200 for their filly’s first victory in three starts; she had finished second in her previous try. Scowling Ridge held off four rivals in the stretch, winning by one length with a final time of 1:04.66.

Trainer David Fawkes had the 2-year-old filly Jeanieonthebeach ready to roll for her career debut in the 10th race at Gulfstream Park today. The daughter of Treasure Beach proceeded to turn in one of the stellar performances for her sire this year, overcoming some early trouble and becoming his first juvenile winner of 2018. Miguel Vasquez settled Jeanieonthebeach in mid-pack in the one-mile test on the turf, and when the rail opened up nearing the quarter pole, he shot her through the hole to take the lead, and she quickly cruised to a six-length margin by mid-stretch. Vasquez had her geared down in the final sixteenth and the filly won by 4 1/4 lengths. The $22,000 OBS April 2-year-old eclipsed her purchase price, earning a check for $23,650 for Pinnacle Racing Stable. 

A 5 1/2-month layoff didn’t affect Venezuelan Forever’s performance at Gulfstream Park yesterday, and the 3-year-old filly scored a convincing victory racing 1 1/16 miles on the grass. Tyler Gaffalione guided the daughter of Treasure Beach into a contending position in fourth place along the rail, but the filly had to steady briefly nearing the final turn when two rivals closed the hole in front of her. Gaffalione got her in gear again on the turn, Venezuelan Forever used a five-wide move to forge to the lead and she drew off easily to win by two widening lengths. The filly bred by Orlyana Farm earned $12,200 for her second victory.

Spicy Nelly became the first $100,000 earner for Beau Choix and just missed becoming his first stakes-winner when she finished an unlucky second in the $75,000 Panama City Stakes at Gulfstream Park yesterday.

With Leonel Reyes doing his best to avoid traffic on the final turn in a race that was taken off the grass, the 3-year-old filly was forced to take the unenviable sloppy rail route down the lane. Despite digging in gamely while being pinned to the fence, Spicy Nelly fell a neck short of second choice Shanghai Starlight after a mile in 1:37.30. The filly owned and bred by Just For Fun Stable earned $14,700 for the effort and boosted her total to $105,657 on a record of 3-5-1 in 12 starts.

Beau Choix picked up his third winner from just five starters this year when Charlotte De Berry gained a hard-fought victory in a six-furlong race at Penn National last night. With Angel Rodriguez providing a stellar ride, the 3-year-old filly tracked pacesetter Balcor from the start, drew alongside her rival on the turn, and proved to be best after a long stretch drive, winning by one length in 1:12.66. It was another 10 1/2 lengths back to the third-place finisher.

Getting race results from South America is sketchy at best, but Blood-Horse reports that Treasure Beach has added another pair of 2-year-old winners down south in the past week. Frisco Beach, a colt, and Determina Bien, a filly, both broke their maidens at San Isidro in Argentina. San Isidro, located near Buenos Aires, is one of the largest tracks in the Americas and can accommodate 100,000 spectators. It has a turf course and an inner dirt track. 

Add this to any list of solid handicapping principles: If there are two runners in a race – both by Pleasant Acres stallions – combine them in an exacta box and sit back and relax. It happened in the fifth race at Gulfstream Park yesterday with 4-1 Treasure for Gold (Treasure Beach) and 5-1 Spicy Nelly (Beau Choix), competing in a $47,000 allowance optional claimer at “about” 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass. 

Tyler Gaffalione took Treasure for Gold away quickly and settled the filly comfortably into second place. Leonel Reyes was more patient, and had Spicy Nelly well back in the pack, on the rail. Gaffalione made his move on the turn, going after the leader with a powerful run, and the duo took over the lead heading down the stretch. Reyes, meanwhile, picked up one rival after another with a smooth rail run, and went after Treasure for Gold in deep stretch, but fell one-half length short at the wire. The all-Pleasant Acres exacta paid $61.20 and a $20 box on the pair would have returned $612. 

Treasure for Gold, owned and bred by Robyn Thompson, earned $28,900 for her second straight victory – she’s now her sire’s leading money-winner with $103,850 in the bank, and a record of 3-0-1 in six starts. Spicy Nelly is 3-4-1 in 11 tries and the $9,400 runner-up check raised her earnings to $90,957, best for Beau Choix.