Turf News

On the same program where Chicken Dance won the Not Surprising, Bayou Brigid gave Neolithic another stakes-placed runner, with a third in the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes.

The 3-year-old filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, a $20,000 OBS April 2-year-old, was coming off an allowance win and was sent off at 4-1 going 1 1/16 miles over the Tapeta course with Samy Camacho in the irons. She missed by three lengths in a race that went in 1:43.23, and collected $11,570, bringing her career total to $152,250 on a record of 2-2-3 in 11 starts.

The love affair between breeder Tom McCrocklin and Neolithic has carried over into stakes company, with red-hot Chicken Dance taking the $100,000, 1 1/16-mile Not Surprising over the Gulfstream Park Tapeta course. The 3-year-old gelding captured his only start at two, and is now 4-0-1 in six starts this year, including winning three of his last four.

New riding sensation Diego Herrera was aboard Chicken Dance, who was off slowly and was third from last down the backstretch. Herrera sent him up to join in the hunt but the gelding was blocked on the turn. He used the rail to move up to second, then beat 6/5 Bolero Bay to the wire by 1 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:42.66. He paid $15.60 and earned a check for $55,700, increasing his total to $164,250.

The Kid is Back didn’t make his first start until April, and he finished seventh, followed by a third-place effort in his second try. Number 3 resulted in the Gulfstream Park maiden-breaker for the 3-year-old Neolithic colt owned and bred by Vicino Racing stables.

Red-hot Miguel Vasquez was in the irons aboard The Kid is Back in a $68,000 maiden special at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta surface. Vasqez put him on the lead and the colt put up fractions of :22.42, :45.71 and :58,12 en route to a wire-to-wire score by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:04.71. He became Neolithic’s 31st winner, paid $6.20, and earned $38,300 for his initial score.

Red-hot Neolithic continued on the road to what promises to be his best season when Sisterlithic and Neoprene each won, less than three hours apart, at tracks not too far apart.

SISTERLITHIC – The 3-year-old filly bred by Oakleaf Farm and Liz and Norman Wilson was ridden by Laureano Sosa in a race at five furlongs on the turf at Belterra Park. She battled on the front end through a quarter in :22.61, took over the lead after a half in :45.13, then drew off with ease, winning by 3 1/4 lengths in :56.93, and paying $3.60. She became winner number 30 for Neolithic, and the Wilsons collected a check for $5,700.

NEOPRENE – Addiel Ayala was aboard the 5-year-old mare bred at Southern Cross Farm by Belinda Kitos in a race at six furlongs over the all-weather surface at Presque Isle Downs. Ayala took her wire-to-wire, putting up fractions of :22.74, :46.26 and 58.79, and she reached the wire two lengths in front, clocked in 1:11.91, for her second victory in a row. She paid $3 and earned a check for $10,800, boosting her total to $67,539 on a record of 3-1-1 in 12 starts.

If Not For Luck has achieved an excellent record in his five years of racing, 8-3-7 in 24 starts with earnings of $271,850. In that time, the 7-year-old son of Neolithic has posted no less than nine Equibase ‘E’ speed figures in the 90s.

The latest score for the $30,000 (twice) OBS purchase came in a $35,000 starter optional claimer at Gulfstream Park in a race at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta surface. Micah Husbands was in the irons, and If Not For Luck was off last in the field of six. Husbands sent him up five wide on the turn and his charge responded by cruising into the lead, and going on to win by one-half length, clocked in 1:03.17, just 1 1/2 seconds off the course record.

The veteran runner bred by Juan Rodriguez paid $6.60 and earned a check for $20,300.

In her second start following a 4-month vacation, Maryland-bred Neolithica was much the best in a six-furlong test at Penn National, winning for the 10th time in her 28-race career.

The 5-year-old mare bred by Maria M. Haire, a $30,000 Timonium October yearling, contested the pace through a :22.82 quarter under Yabriel Ramos, then drew off by herself via fractions of :45.87 and :57.87 before reaching the wire in 1:10.37, 2 1/4 lengths in front. She paid $8 and collected $13,800, increasing her lifetime total to $214,974.

Irad Ortiz Jr. enjoyed a dream trip aboard Neoequos in the $400,000, Gr. III Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park, achieving an impressive 113 Equibase ‘E’ speed figure. Unfortunately, the 4-year-old colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon in partnership with Matalona Thoroughbreds, was unable to hold off Heroic Move, who came from last place and closed like a cyclone to nail Neolithic’s leading money-winner nearing the wire, and going on to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:36.92.

Ortiz settled Neoequos into third place on the inside down the backstretch, and went after the leaders on the turn without leaving the rail. He took the lead in mid-stretch and appeared to be on his way to the winner’s circle, but Heroic Move proved to be too heroic.

Neoequos, a $22,000 OBS October yearling, earned a healthy $75,200 as runner-up, ballooning his career total to $624,425 on a record of 4-4-3 in 15 starts, $166,875 coming this year from just three outings: (1-1-1).

Larry Anderson, manager of Ocala’s Get Away Farm, is the breeder of Neostar, a 4-year-old Neolithic colt who sold for $3,000 at the OBS Winter sale, then brought Anderson just four minor breeder’s awards in his first 11 starts (three thirds and a second), all in his last 10 tries at Tampa Bay Downs.

That all ended as Neostar broke his maiden in style under veteran Jose Ferrer in a 5 1/2-furlong test over the Tapeta surface at Gulfstream Park. Ferrer had the colt sitting third after the start. came four wide into the stretch, then cruised down the lane to a 2 1/2-length victory, clocked in 1:04.15. He paid $23.20, collected a check of $21,300 for owner/trainer Ricky Davis and earned a career-best 81 Equibase ‘E’ speed figure, while becoming Neolithic’s 28th winner of 2026.

With about six weeks left until mid-year, Neolithic is well on his way to surpassing last season, when he racked up 50 winners. Neoprene has given the son of Harlan’s Holiday winner number 27 in 2026 with a convincing score at Presque Isle Downs.

The 5-year-old mare bred by Belinda Kitos at Southern Cross Farm had Huber Villa-Gomez in the saddle for the 5 1/2-furlong trip over the all-weather course. Neoprene broke quickly and chased the early pacesetter down the backstretch while sitting a comfortable second. She went up to battle up front on the turn, came wide into the stretch and proved best by 2 1/2 lengths, clocked in 1:04.25.

Neoprene paid $9.20, and the check for $8,400 lifted her earnings to $56,739.

Neolithic’s 26th winner of 2026 is Bayou Brigid, a 3-year-old bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon who came from off the pace in a $65,000 allowance race on the grass at Gulfstream Park to spark a 1-3 finish for the Pleasant Acres top-ranked stallion.

Samy Camacho was aboard Bayou Brigid, who was off in mid-pack in the race at 1 1/16 miles, and was settled comfortably in striking distance on the inside down the backstretch while My Denysse set the pace. Camacho let her out on the turn and she proved to be much the best, drawing off to score by nearly two lengths in 1:41.67. A 1-2 Neolithic finish just missed when My Denysse was nailed at the wire for second.

Bayou Brigid, a $20,000 OBS April 2-year-old, paid $6 and earned a check for $39,000, raising her total to $140,680 on a record of 2-2-2 in 0 starts.