Turf News

Guns and Roses finished third in his debut, then broke his maiden by 2 1/4 lengths in his second start in a clocking nearly five lengths over the track record. His owners and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. apparently thought they would be safe sending the 3-year-old Neolithic gelding back in $35,000 claiming company. How wrong they were.

The gelding bred by Patrick Hoppel not only went wire-to-wire in start No. 3, he coasted to the finish line an eye-opening 12 1/2 lengths in front. The $21,000 OBS Open 2-year-old paid $4.40 and posted a clocking of 1:15.89 on the tote board, a little less than 1 1/2 seconds off Gulfstream Park’s track record for 6 1/2 furlongs. Guns and Roses earned a check for $28,350, making it a $63,350 payday for the old owners, and the loss of a potential major money-maker in their barn.

At 3:36 p. m. on Wednesday, Iconic Rock broke from the gate in the seventh race at Belterra Park in Ohio, and a minute forty-three and a fraction later the 5-year-old Neolithic gelding had made the mile and 70-yard test his third career victory, and first of 2026. At nearby Thistledown, as Iconic Rock arrived back at his barn, the 3-year-old Neolithic filly Ravishing Ruby was breaking her maiden going 5 1/2 furlongs, and brought her sire to within three winners of his best season.

Eder Luis Martinez was aboard Iconic Rock, who is owned and trained by Eider Martinez. The gelding, a $15,000 OBS October yearling bred by Joan Angelina DiLibero, came from off the pace to score by 5 1/4 lengths, earning a personal best 74 Equibase speed figure and a check for $4,800. He raised his record to 3-6-3 in 39 starts and his bank account to $54,599. He paid $7 after racking up three seconds, two thirds and a fourth in his previous six tries.

Ravishing Ruby, bred by W. John Bourke, used a three-wide move under Luis Batista to win by a length in 1:07.96. She paid $3.20 and collected $10,200, lifting her total to $34,490 on a record of 1-2-3 in 14 starts. Neolithic now has 50 winners this year; his best was 53 in 2025.

Freshman Sire Magic on Tap celebrated his first winner when Caribbean Comet finished second in a $45,000 maiden optional claimer at Gulfstream Park and was moved up to first after the winner was disqualified.

J. G. Torrealba was aboard the 2-year-old colt bred by Matalona Thoroughbreds, who was making his third start. He had Caribbean Comet sitting comfortably in fourth in the two path early down the backstretch in the race at one mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface. The colt moved to the inside nearing the turn as he went after the battling leaders, 5/2 Souper Handsome and 3-1 Strike. In the stretch, Souper Handsome bore out on Strike, causing him to check and Caribbean Comet closed well to be second, then was awarded the victory with the disqualification of Souper Handsome, who was placed third.

Caribbean Comet, a $27,000 OBS October yearling, paid $8.20 and earned a check for $25,750, lifting his total to $29,050: if he had remained in second the check would have been $10,900.

Neoking was the recipient of the owners’ and trainers’ dream scenario at Gulfstream Park – a seven-horse field reduced to four after three scratches.

Gaddiel Martinez was aboard the 6-year-old gelding in the race at 1 1/16 miles over the Tapeta surface. He hustled Neoking out of the gate and the gelding bred by Just For Fun Stable settled into third place on the inside down the backstretch. Martinez eased him into the two path approaching the turn, where Neoking wound up in a three-way battle to the wire. Between horses nearing the finish, he out-gamed the other pair, one by a head and the other by a neck in 1:43.25, just two seconds off the track record.

Neoking paid $6.80, and the winner’s check of $10,800 increased his lifetime earnings to $137,333 on a record of 7-7-8 in 45 starts. Of that, $53,186 has come this season, in which he’s 3-2-2 in 12 tries.

Kip the Distance lifted Neolithic closer to his personal best in the number of winners department with her first 2026 victory in a $27,000 starter optional claimer at Gulfstream Park. Neolithic had 53 winners last year – Kip the Distance became No. 48 of this year.

In a race at six furlongs, Carlos Martinez was in the irons on the 4-year-old filly and he got her away quickly, racing in the three path down the backstretch. Kip the Distance made an early wide move, took the lead on the turn and won decisively by 2 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:10.85. The filly bred and trained by Angel Rodriguez paid a generous $23.60 and earned a check for $15,750, increasing her total to $238,551 on a record of 5-5-6 in 32 starts.

Neolithic passed the $12 million mark in career progeny earnings in the past week, and one of his helpers was Sisterlithic, who proved to be much the best in a 5-furlong test at Belterra Park, a race originally scheduled for the grass.

Joe Stokes was aboard Sisterlithic, who has now won three of her last five starts for co-owners Liz and Norman Wilson, also partners in her breeding. She got off well and tracked the leaders in the three path down the backstretch. A well-timed move on the turn shot the 3-year-old filly to the lead and she sprinted away late to score by four lengths in :58.95.

She paid $6.80 and collected a check for $4,800, lifting her total to $26,580 on a record of 3-2-1 in 12 starts.

Joe and Helen Barbazon and Matalona Thoroughbreds are the co-breeders of Neoequos, Neolithic’s top money-winner, who added $90,000 to his bank account with a near record-breaking performance in the $150,000 Presque Isle Mile Stakes.

With Paco Lopez in the saddle, the 4-year-old colt, a $22,000 OBS October yearling, tracked the pace just behind 5-1 pacesetter Grounded until the turn. Lopez swung him out to mid-track for the stretch run and Neoequos sprinted away, winning by nearly five lengths in 1:41.56, just 33 hundredths of a second off the track record.

He paid $5.20, and the healthy paycheck jumped his career earnings to $741,550 on a record of 5-4-4 in 18 starts, with $284,000 coming this year, during which Neoequos has gone 2-1-2 in six tries.

Big Bucksalot has won two of his last three plus a second after his smart victory as the even-money favorite going a flat mile at Thistledown under Alexander Chavez.

The 6-year-old Neolithic gelding bred by Julie Jackson sat a comfortable second down the backstretch, was carried out to the six path for the stretch run, then drew off under a hand ride, winning by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:39.18. He paid $4.20 and earned a check for $7,320, lifting his career total to $124,197 on a record of 9-5-6 in 40 starts.

He was claimed out of the race.

High Lateen didn’t race at 2, and finished sixth in his first try at Gulfstream this year. But now he’s turned it all around and has won three in a row.

Diego Herrera was aboard for victory No. 2 on July 18 and repeated in No. 3, a $62,500 allowance optional claimer at a mile and 70 yards over the tapeta surface, a race that was taken off the grass. The 3-year-old Neolithic gelding bred by DeLuca & Sons Stable out-gamed even-money favorite Redland Rebels to the wire by a neck and considering his record, paid a generous $13, clocked in 1:39.97. He earned a check for $35,750 and has now banked $96,330.

If ever it seemed inevitable that a mare would win her next outing, it was Nelida in a mile and 70-yard race over the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs. After all, the 6-year-old daughter of Neolithic was coming off finishes – in order – of 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2. And win she did.

Alex Gonzalez was aboard Nelida, who broke fifth and last in the 5-horse field. She was nine lengths back after a quarter, but Gonzalez put her in another gear and she scored by 1 1/2 lengths, clocked in 1:44.16. She paid $3.40 and added $9,000 to her bank account, which now stands at $83,680. The mare bred by Just for Fun Stable sports a record of 3-7-3 in 31 starts and became winner No. 47 for Neolithic in 2026.