Two more winners for Handsome Mike; he’s tied for Florida lead

Handsome Mike added two more winners to his January ledger yesterday, giving him six for the month and tieing him for first place among Florida’s active sires. He just missed a third, which would have given him the outright lead.

At Tampa Bay Downs, Darlindiva made it two victories and a second in three starts at the meeting, scoring by one-half length over fast-closing West Horizon with a mile and 40 yards in a good 1:42.34. After beginning her career with four off-the-board finishes, the 4-year-old filly owned and bred by Joe and Vivi Serena is 3-3-1 in her last eight. She earned a check for $6,460, and paid $7 as second choice.

In the evening, Saint Michael went wire-to-wire in a 5 1/2-furlong race at Penn National, holding on by a length under David Cora despite sizzling fractions of :22.05, :46.15 and :58.56 en route to a final clocking of 1:05.17. The 4-year-old colt, a $9,500 OBS Winter yearling, is 4-2-2 in 18 starts with earnings of $60,895.

La Flamenca made a valiant effort at Gulfstream Park to give Handsome Mike three winners for the day, battling an even-money favorite all the way to the wire before succumbing by three-quarters of a length. Handsome Mike’s progeny earnings for the month stand at $106,129.