Turf News

Neolithic came a step closer to reaching his best single-season number of winners when Neophyte went wire-to wire racing 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta surface at Gulfstream Park. The 7-year-old gelding bred by Belinda Kitos at Southern Chase Farm became winner number 45 in 2026, just 8 away from his sire’s best of last year.

With Anthony Thomas up on a showery afternoon, Neophyte sped past the furlong markers in :22.12 and :44.92, en route to a 6-length score, clocked in 1:04.08. The check for $16,600 ballooned his lifetime bank account to $204,187, on a record of 7-8-9 in 44 tries. He paid $19.20.

Vanishing Wish’s lead was anything but vanishing in the lane in a five-furlong race on the turf at Belterra Park, culminating in her finest performance in four years.

The 5-year-old daughter of Neolithic shot to the lead under Santiago Gonzalez, whistled through on top via fractions of :21.92 and :45.23, then coasted away in the stretch to score by six widening lengths, clocked in :56.89, just 1 1/5 seconds off the course record. The mare bred by Just For Fun Stable registered her best Equibase ‘E’ speed figure in her 25 races, and now sports a record of 2-3-5. She was 12-1 on the morning line but paid just $11.60, and the check for $5,760 increased her career total to $58,440.

It must have been karma – two Neolithic runners reaching the winners’ circle, more than 1,000 miles apart, and only six minutes apart.

MISS NEO – The 6-year-old mare bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson, broke from the Monmouth Park starting gate at 4:29 p. m. for a six-furlong test with Sebastian Orellana in the saddle. It was just her third start after a 9-month vacation and she was looking for her second victory in that span.

Off at odds of 8-1, Miss Neo came from off the pace with a strong rally and won by 2 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:11.05. She paid $19.40 and earned a check for $9,600, bringing her total to $63,660 on a record of 4-5-0 in 18 starts.

GUNS AND COFFEE – In just his second start, the 3-year-old gelding, a $21,000 OBS Open 2-year-old bred by Patrick Hoppel, left the gate with Edgar Perez at 4:35 at Gulfstream Park just as Miss Neo was posing for pictures up north. He battled up front for a half, took over on the turn, and continued on to also win by 2 1/4 lengths, clocked in 1:19.30 for the 6 1/2 furlongs in the $65,000 maiden special.

Guns and Coffee paid $6.60 and collected $39,000 for his initial score. He became 2026 winner No. 43 for Neolithic.

With more than four months remaining in the 2026 racing year, it appears that Neolithic has a good chance to break his single-season personal best of 52 winners; Big Bucksalot’s daylight score at Thistledown made him winner No. 42.

Alexander Chavez was aboard Big Bucksalot in the race at a flat mile, and they were off slowly, settling into sixth place down the backstretch. When Chavez roused the 6-year-old gelding coming to the turn, he inhaled the pack, took over heading into the lane and cruised to the wire in front by 3 1/2 lengths, clocked in 1:40.14.

Big Bucksalot paid $3.80 and earned a check for $7,080, lifting his career total to $113,997. The gelding bred by Julie Jackson now sports a record of 8-4-6 in 38 starts.

Every thoroughbred owner and trainer would exult in having a runner in the barn with a record even approaching that of Great Venezuela. The people at owner/breeder Orlyana Farm must certainly feel that way – the 5-year-old mare by Neolithic, after winning at five furlongs on the grass at Gulfstream Park, raised her eye-opening slate to 10-4-5 in 21 starts.

Diego Herrera was aboard Great Venezuela in the $62,500 allowance claimer, and she broke out quickly from the No. 8 post, battling for the lead in the 2 path through a sizzling quarter in :21.03 and a half in :43.22. On the turn she took a slim lead, then continued on to a neck victory in :55.02, less than two seconds off the course record. She paid $4.00 and earned a check for $40,100, spiking her career total to $493,220. She became her sire’s 41st winner of 2026.

Neolithic reached winner No. 40 for 2026 with the victory of My Lil Poker Face in a race at five furlongs over the turf course at Louisiana Downs.

The 4-year-old filly bred by Matalona Thoroughbreds, coming off a third and a second, was bet down to 6/5 for this test. Isaac Castillo settled My Lil Poker Face in a stalking third position down the backstretch, and when he let her go, she proved best in the lane, winning by three-quarters of a length, clocked in :57.29 seconds.

My Lil Poker Face paid $4.40, collected $6,000 for the score, and lifted her lifetime total to $35,310 on a record of 2-1-5 in 18 tries. Her Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 72 is a career best.

Neoequos, leading money-winner for Neolithic, added $20,000 to his bank account vis a third-place finish in the $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes, a listed race at Mountaineer Park.

The 4-year-old colt bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon and Matalona Thoroughbreds was sent to the lead by Micah Husbands and was in front after a half-mile, but he began to falter and wound up missing second by a neck in the race at 1 1/6 miles. The $22,000 OBS October yearling increased his earnings to $651,550 on a record of 4-4-4 in 17 starts, with $194,000 coming this year.

In Puerto Rico, I’m a Chucky Doll became Neolithic’s 39th winner of 2026 with a a daylight score going 6 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy strip at Camarero Race Track. The 3-year-old filly bred by Kelly Lupton, a $15,000 OBS Open purchase, bested 3/10 favorite Dip Dip Dip by nearly three lengths and sports a record of 2-1-1 in 13 starts.

Neodera became the second winner in a week by Neolithic bred by Belinda Kitos at Southern Cross Farm, only this one she co-owns with attorney David Romanik. While Neonate won at Colonial Downs, Neodera went wire-to wire at Gulfstream Park, affording Mrs. Kitos a breeder’s award to go along with half the purse.

Edgar Perez was aboard the 4-year-old filly in a $41,000 starter optional claimer at five furlongs on the turf, and three late scratches left a field of four. Perez put her on the lead and she logged swift fractions of :20.81 and :43.04 en route to a 1 1/4-length score in :54.92, just 1 2/5ths off the course record. Viking Quest, the even-money favorite, finished second.

Neodera paid $13.60 and earned a check for $23,700, lifting her career total to $93,080 on a record of 3-1-2 in 9 starts. She became Neolithic’s 38th winner of 2026 and tied her best Equibase ‘E’ speed figure – an 84.

Neolithic added another pair of winners just two hours apart, Ghost Bike, getting his third victory of the year, at Thistledown, and Neonate, who won his first of 2026, at Colonial Downs.

GHOST BIKE – The 6-year-old gelding bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds, Geoff Roy and Tom Fitzgerald was eight lengths off the pace early down the backstretch in the race at a flat mile. But Deshawn Parker was able to get him going on the turn and the $32,000 OBS March 2-year-old was a ton the best late, drawing off to score by nearly two lengths in 1:40.96.

Ghost Bike paid $6.20 and earned a check for $7,560, raising his total to $89,157 on a record of 7-3-8 in 40 starts.

NEONATE – A $30,000 Fasig-Tipton March 2-year-old bred by SCF Inc., the 4-year-old gelding captured a $72,000 allowance test at 5 1/2 furlongs over the inner turf course by nearly three lengths with Jorge Ruiz in the irons. He was clocked in 1:03.00, just one second off the course record, and paid $18.

Neonate became Neolithic’s 37th winner of 2026 and collected a check for $43,200, increasing his career bank account to $83,270 on a record of 2-1-1 in 9 starts. He received a career-best 87 Equibase ‘E’ speed figure.

The German phrase ‘das ist alles’ translates into ‘that is all’ in English, and the 4-year-old Neolithic filly Das Ist Alles Ally said ‘that’s all folks’ in deep stretch for a sharp score in a race at 1 1/16 miles over the Tapeta surface at Gulfstream Park.

Miguel Vasquez was aboard the filly owned and bred by Terry Bruner, and she quickly lost position by breaking outward at the start and dropping back to sixth. She was 10 lengths or more behind down the backstretch, but Vasquez got her in gear coming to the turn and Das Ist Alles Ally moved up to fourth for the stretch run, split horses down the lane, and prevailed by half a length in 1:44.62. Winner of two of her last three, and fourth victory in her 18-race career, she paid $12.40 and earned a check of $16,600 for her owner, increasing her total to $76,462, with $41,034 coming this year.