Turf News

Trainer George Weaver had been schooling Leilani’s Lady at Palm Beach Downs for several months in anticipation of her first career start, and her Gulfstream Park debut turned out to be highly successful yesterday. The 3-year-old filly enjoyed the services of leading rider Tyler Gaffalione, who put the daughter of Beau Choix on the lead at the outset in the six-furlong race and Leilani’s Lady took it from there.

At odds of 5/2, Leilani’s Lady passed the furlong markers in :22.35 and :45.58 despite an off track, put away all the challengers, and coasted to the wire 3 1/4 lengths in front. It gave her sire his first winner this year from just four runners. The victory was worth $10,400 plus a breeder’s award for Bulldog Racing, her owner and breeder.

Treasure Beach’s progeny earnings for the year jumped to $309,741 after the maiden victory of Belle’s Cachet in a 5-furlong turf race at Gulfstream Park yesterday. In just her third start, the 3-year-old filly owned and bred by Anthony Robinson was sent off as the lukewarm 5/2 favorite under Samy Camacho despite having to break from the No. 11 post. 

Camacho sent Belle’s Cachet out quickly and she settled into third place down the backstretch. She cruised up after the lead three wide on the turn and was much the best in the stretch, drawing off by nearly two lengths at the wire while becoming her sire’s ninth winner of 2018. She was caught in :57.77 and collected a check for $16,000.   

Pleasant Acres Stallions’ May successes continued yesterday at Gulfstream Park when Going to the Beach broke his maiden with a stylish performance at the distance of “about’ 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass. The 3-year-old gelding by Treasure Beach became the 11th winner for his sire this year despite being bumped leaving the gate and getting off last in the 11-horse field. But Emisael Jaramillo gradually moved Going to the Beach into contention, went wide on the final turn, and the gelding proved to be best late, winning by 1 1/2 lengths. His clocking of 1:28.57 was less than one second off the course record. 

Going to the Beach was bred by the old T-Square Stud team of Adam and Suzette Parker and Leverett and Linda Miller and earned $11,600 for the winning effort. 

Helen and Joe Barbazon are the breeders of Sparkle Sammy, who scored an impressive victory at Woodbine yesterday to become the 11th winner of 2018 for Poseidon’s Warrior. The 3-year-old filly went wire-to-wire under Eurico Da Silva, opening up a 3 1/2-length lead in the stretch and winning by 4 1/2 in :58.52 seconds for the five furlongs on the all-weather track. Sparkle Sammy “had command under restraint,” according to the Daily Racing Form chart, and “was never challenged.” 

It was the first start in more than five months for Sparkle Sammy, who was a $32,000 OBS June 2-year-old. Her maiden victory was worth $13,020 in Canadian funds, $10,197 U. S. 

Poseidon’s Warrior’s 10th winner of 2018 came at Camarero Race Track in Puerto Rico on May 3 when Harlan Ruler proved to be a ton the best in a $27,000 claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs in the mud. With Juan Diaz in the irons, the 3-year-old colt bred by Teamwork Racing Company stalked the early pace, then swept into the lead and drew off with authority, reaching the wire 4 1/4 lengths in front to score his first career victory. The $5,336 winner’s check helped Poseidon’s Warrior surpass the $500,000 mark in progeny earnings for the year. 

Blouberg Beach, a 3-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach bred by Pleasant Acres owners Helen and Joe Barbazon and the Treasure Beach Syndicate, scored her second victory in her last three starts at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday and earned a check for $7,800 for owners Robert M. Lloyd and Hemingway Racing. Blouberg Beach, trained by Ian Hemingway, broke on top from the rail and enjoyed a wire-to-wire trip in the one-mile race on the turf, winning by a neck in 1:37:74.

Anthony’s Cross gained his first stakes-placed runner when Yeehaw finished a bang-up second yesterday in the $100,000 FTBOA Silver Charm Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The 3-year-old colt was off second under Samy Camacho, but took the lead on the backstretch, then hooked up in a fierce battle with Boston Breeze which continued down the stretch. Yeehaw put his rival away late, but was unable to hold off Noble Drama, who closed with a rush and nailed Yeehaw by one-half length at the wire, clocked in a solid 1:40.34 for the mile and 40 yards. Yeehaw, a $40,000 OBS August yearling, earned $20,000 for second and raised his total to $84,940. 

Freshman sire Handsome Mike’s first runner became his first winner today when Saint Michael went virtually wire-to-wire in the sixth race at Gulfstream Park. The 2-year-old colt had been working well for Monarch Stables and was sent off as the 9/10 favorite under Miguel Vasquez. Saint Michael broke alertly from the No. 1 post and was immediately tackled from the outside by Big Drink of Water. The pair raced head-and-head around the turn while opening up daylight on the rest of the field, then Saint Michael drew off in the stretch to score by two widening lengths. It was another seven lengths back to third-place finisher Benji. The final time of :52.37 was just over a second off the track record for the distance, and Saint Michael collected $27,650 for the sterling effort.

Handsome Mike is a son of red-hot sire Scat Daddy, who has four runners entered in tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby. Pennsylvania Derby winner Handsome Mike won or placed in nine stakes and earned more than $1 million. He  stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions for $5,000.

Firenze Fire drew the No. 1 post for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby and will have talented Paco Lopez in the saddle. The Florida-bred colt by Poseidon’s Warrior has won four races and earned $669,100 – only Audible (5) has won more in the 20-horse field. Firenze Fire is one of just three runners in the field not bred in Kentucky. The others are Flameaway (Ontario) and Audible (New York). The colt owned and bred by Ron Lombardi’s Mr Amore Stables has won the Gr. I Champagne Stakes, the Gr. III Sanford and the Jerome, and was second in the Gr. III Withers.

All it took for Don’s Beach to break his maiden was a switch from the turf course to the main track at Tampa Bay Downs. After his first two Oldsmar starts of 2018 on the grass produced fourth-place finishes, the 3-year-old Treasure Beach gelding scored his first victory at Tampa yesterday when his mile and one-sixteenth test was moved to the dirt course. With Mike Allen riding, Don’s Beach was off second, then inherited the lead on the backstretch when the pacesetter incurred a problem. The gelding bred by Stonehedge Farm continued on in front and held off a late surge by the runner-up to win by a head, earning a check for $8,390.