Turf News

Congratulations to Pompeyo Gomez, trainer of the 6-year-old mare Miss Neo, for making her workouts appear to be mediocre after a nine-month layoff, then unleashing her for a juicy $47 payoff in her return at Monmouth Park.

Making her first start since September of 2025, the daughter of Neolithic bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon in partnership with Ed Selter and Beverly Anderson, had Noel Herman in the irons for the six-furlong trip around the New Jersey oval.

Miss Neo stalked the leaders early, came three wide on the turn and quickly took over into the stretch, then drew off to score by nearly two lengths, clocked in 1:12.89. She collected a check for $9,300, raising her career total to $53,260 on a record of 3-5-0 in 16 starts. All three victories have come at Monmouth Park.

Neolithic has had 32 winners in 2026, second most among all Florida sires.

Neolithic’s success has reached across the sea, where Dialithic scored one of the most eye-catching victories of the season at Camarero Race Track in Puerto Rico.

The 5-year-old mare bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon had won two races back in March at Gulfstream Park before finishing off the board at Tampa Bay Downs, then shipping to Puerto Rico. In a race at 6 1/2 furlongs, with Samuel Cardona riding, she mesmerized her rivals and coasted to victory by nearly 13 lengths, clocked in 1:18.47.

The $25,000 OBS October yearling paid $5.70 and earned a check for $3,770, lifting her total to $103,560 on a record of 4-7-3 in 27 starts.

Neolithic has passed the $11 million mark in career progeny earnings!

His latest winner is Landman Friday, who carried Rajiv Maragh to a 1 3/4-length victory in a $65,000 allowance test at a mile and 70-yards over the Tapeta surface at Gulfstream Park. The 4-year-old colt bred by Grassroots Training & Sales was away alertly and took up a position in third place on the inside heading down the backstretch. Maragh never steered him off the inside and Landman Friday slipped through on the rail and won going away, clocked in 1:42.43.

For his second victory in a row and third in his last four starts, the $175,000 OBS April 2-year-old paid $3.40 and earned a check for $39,000, raising his career total to $137,050, with $92,000 coming this year. He now sports a record of 4-1-2 in 11 starts and has received his highest Equibase ‘E’ speed figures – 93 and 94 – in his last two scores.

Pontevecchio established himself as the leading 3-year-old in Venezuela with a commanding score Sunday in the country’s first 2026 Triple Crown event, the Gr. I Clasico Jose Antonio Paez at La Rinconada in Caracas.

The Neolithic colt bred by Haras La Orlyana, who had previously won the Gr. III Clasico Juan Vicente Tovar in April, drew the No. 4 post with Hemirxon Medina in the saddle for the race at 1,600 meters. They broke in mid-pack, coasted in sixth place down the backstretch, made a strong run on the turn to take the lead in the stretch, then cruised to the wire while widening with every step, and winning by nearly 10 lengths in 1:38.27.

Pontevecchio is now pointing for the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Cria Nacional; he’s won three of 11 starts.

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.