Turf News

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.

Keyed by a pair of winning favorites (High Lateen – $5.40) and If Not For Luck ($4.60) at Gulfstream Park, Neolithic has passed the $2 million mark in 2026 progeny earnings.

HIGH LATEEN – The lightly-raced 3-year-old gelding bred by DeLuca & Sons Stable has won two in a row, the latest in a $65,000 allowance test at one mile over the turf course with riding sensation Diego Herrera. High Lateen sat comfortably off the pace behind leisurely fractions, then proved to be best in the stretch, scoring by two lengths in 1:34.96. He earned $39,000, and has banked $60,580 in just three starts.

IF NOT FOR LUCK – The 7-year-old gelding has always been competitive, but he’s reached his peak this year. A two-time $35,000 OBS purchase, based on his recent form he was 6/5 in a race at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta course with Pedro Pena in the irons. He was last after the first quarter, but a four-wide run on the turn propelled him into the lead and he won by a neck in 1:04.06.

Bred by Juan Rodriguez, If Not For Luck earned $20,300 in the $35,000 starter optional claimer, and boosted his career total to $300,790 on a record of 9-3-8 in 27 starts. Most important, he’s 5-1-1 over his last eight. Neolithic’s progeny earnings stand at $2,005,566.

Zaddy turned in perhaps his best performance in three seasons, coming from out of the clouds to win going six furlongs at Mountaineer Park.

Leaving from the 9 post with Norberto Arroyo Jr., the 4-year-old Neolithic gelding bred by Paradisus Acres Thoroughbreds was off slowly and was three wide down the backstretch. He began a strong run coming to the turn, fanned five wide into the stretch and closed with authority, winning by a neck in 1:13.53. The $20,000 OBS October yearling was coming off a second-place finish yet still paid $15.80, collected $5,220 and raised his record to 5-6-2 in 32 starts, with earnings of $60,037.

Another winner for Neolithic, another breeders’ award for Joe and Helen Barbazon.

Bayou Brigid is about to add her name to the list of Neolithic runners with more than $200,000 in earnings. The 3-year-old filly won a $70,000 allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park with red-hot Leonel Reyes in the irons, getting one mile on the grass in 1:35.49.

After riding the rail early, the $20,000 OBS April 2-year-old came off the inside at the top of the stretch and finished gamely to win by a neck, earning a check for $39,500 and increasing her bank account to $191,750. She paid $6.40 and raised her record to 3-2-3 in 12 starts. This year, she’s 2-1-2 in six tries with earnings of $109,260.

Last year was the best on Neolithic’s resume: with his fifth crop at the races, he had 53 winners who earned $3,494,000. Just two weeks into the second half of 2026, he’s well on his way to eclipsing both milestones with 36 winners and progeny earnings of $1,925,462.

The red-hot son of Harlan’s Holiday added two more winners over the weekend, old reliable Private Thoughts ($5.80) at Gulfstream Park and They Call Me Sue ($7.60) at Monmouth.

PRIVATE THOUGHTS – The team of attorney David Romanik and trainer Ron Spatz struck again in a $50,000 Starter Optional Claimer at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface with Leonel Reyes in the saddle. Reyes sent the 5-year-old gelding to the front out of the gate and Private Thoughts never relinquished the lead, winning by four lengths in 1:40.54. The $11,000 OBS March 2-year-old bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon has proven to be quite a bargain; the check for $25,900 raised his career earnings to $398,524. He has an imposing record of 9-4-3 in 22 starts.

THEY CALL ME SUE – The 3-year-old gelding bred by Martin and Emily Goodell broke his maiden in his 10th start and collected a check for $9,000. In the race at six furlongs he was off third with Noel Herman, then slipped through on the inside down the backstretch, battled gamely into the lane and prevailed by half a length in 1:13.54. He’s compiled a record of 1-4-2 in his 10 tries with earnings of $34,965.

Neolithica, a rare Maryland-bred 5-year-old mare, cruised to victory at Penn National and has now won 11 times, including two of her last three under Yabriel Ramos.

In her latest, the daughter of Neolithic bred by Maria M. Haire sat second early in the race at six furlongs, went up for the lead with a half in :45.47, then kicked away to score by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:10.40. She paid $2.80 and banked $13,200, lifting her career total to $230,094 on a record of 11-2-1 in 30 starts.