Turf News

As the fillies were entering the gate for the eighth race at Finger Lakes yesterday, Diamonds for Lily, a 3-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike, was sitting at 6/5 and Iova was the second choice at 8/5. When they headed to the first quarter a short time later, Iova had dropped to even money, and Diamonds for Lily edged up to 8/5. It turned out the bettors got it wrong.

The pair broke in tandem and Diamonds for Lily took the lead, with Iova right on her tail and the rest several lengths back. It remained that way into the stretch and it appeared as though Iova was going to nail Diamonds for Lily and go on for the score. But Diamonds for Lily found a second wind with rider Oscar Gomez and drew off from Iova in the final sixteenth, then held off 24-1 shot Coups De Party, who was trying to sneak through on the inside.

Diamonds for Lily didn’t race at two, and is now 2-2-0 in six starts in 2022, with both victories and both seconds while paired with Gomez. She raced a mile and 70 yards in 1:48.49, won by a length, and collected a check for $7,560.

There were several reasons why handicappers who pay attention could have bet on first-time starter Flawless Cat in the 5th race at Aqueduct Sunday.

First: The 2-year-old Neolithic gelding was making his debut after six excellent morning trials at Monmouth Park, including a bullet first work of 36 seconds flat for three furlongs on Aug.8

Second: He had the services of Madeline Rowland, the apprentice sensation who is enjoying a break-out season, gets a five-pound break in the weights, and is a prime candidate for an Eclipse Award.

Third: He was making his debut in a $50,000 maiden claimer, as opposed to the tough New York maiden specials.

Fourth: Bred at Pleasant Acres by Joe and Helen Barbazon, he’s a half or full brother to five winners.

Despite all the positive aspects, Flawless Cat was allowed to go off at 12-1 in the race at six furlongs over a sloppy track. Rowland took him out quickly from the No. 1 post and the gelding did the rest, never being threatened as he passed the furlong markers in :23.32 and :47.36 en route to a 5 1/2-length score in 1:12.40. He paid a generous $26.80 and earned a check of $27,500 for owner/trainer Mike Dini.

At the OBS June sale, Bell Racing paid $25,000 for Extendo, a 2-year-old colt by Handsome Mike bred by the stalwart partnership of Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson. That purchase already looks like a major bargain based on the colt’s eye-catching debut at Gulfstream Park yesterday.

Extendo went off at 2-1 for his 5 1/2-furlong trip after posting a pair of bullet works at Palm Meadows and he more than ran back to his trials. With Emisael Jaramillo in the saddle, Extendo went wire-to-wire, putting up swift fractions of :22.75, :45.55 and :57.20 en route to scoring by nearly eight lengths. His clocking of 1:03.45 missed the track record by just 77/100ths of a second.

Extendo earned $19,600 for his maiden-breaker, plus a juicy award for his breeding partnership.

Gone Astray has been so red-hot lately that he accomplished a feat yesterday not likely to be duplicated in the near future – if ever.

The son of Dixie Union added Gulfstream winner Alluramore to his list to give him 42 in that category for the year, and he had one of last week’s winners – Gone Paradise – win again at Arapahoe in a $10,500 quarter horse race at 870 yards.

Leading rider Miguel Vasquez was aboard Alluramore, a 4-year-old filly bred by Dr. Thomas Brokken, in a $43,000 allowance optional claimer at six furlongs. She broke well and Vasquez eased her into second along the backstretch before launching a strong move on the turn to take the lead and put the field away. Alluramore tracked behind a quick pace – :22.61 and :45.89 – and crossed the finish line in 1:10.35, winning by 4 1/4 lengths. The victory was worth $25,800 to trainer/co-owner Steve Dwoskin and his partners in Remington Oaks Stable.

Against the quarter horse set, Gone Paradise vied for the early lead under Hugo HerreGone Astrayra, took over heading into the stretch and prevailed by two lengths. The 5-year-old gelding paid $12.80 and collected a check for $6,300.

Bucchero’s excellent beginning to his freshman season took another step forward yesterday when Anamnestic broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park in his fourth start.

The 2-year-old colt bred by Belvedere Farm carried Edgar Perez to the wire in 1:42.61 in the $40,000 maiden special at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta track. The colt’s first victory was worth $24,000 and increased his total to $35,600. Anamnestic enjoyed a dream trip along the inside, never leaving the rail, and outfinishing two rivals to the wire by a pair of necks.

Bucchero now has six winners from his 16 starters, plus six more who have finished second or third. As a group, they have made 39 starts and finished in the top three 22 times.

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There were two runners by Gone Astray entered at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, and Emisael Jaramillo was aboard on both. In the seventh race, the $150,000 Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap, Jaramillo brought multiple stakes-winner Noble Drama home third, and four races later, he guided Rubysa to her second victory, and first of this year.

Noble Drama has been a cash cow for breeder Harold Queen since making his debut as a 3-year-old in January of 2018. He came from well off the pace to get third, but had too much ground to make up late. The 7-year-old gelding, co-owned with Queen by trainer David Fawkes, is now a sensational 9-7-5 in 33 starts, and his check for $15,760 lifted his career earnings to $763,157. All of his races have come at the three Florida tracks, so aside from his sizeable bank account, there have been a slew of breeder’s awards.

Rubysa, a 4-year-old filly, raced just once at two and twice at three, and came into this mile and 70-yard race on the Tapeta surface with three seconds, two thirds and a fourth in her last six tries. She went off at 2-1, stalked the pace in second, moved on the turn and opened up late to win by nearly six lengths with announcer Pete Aiello adding one of his best lines,”Rubysa bids this field good evening.” She’s 2-3-3 in 12 tries and her check for $12,200 raised her earnings to $46,850.

In seven rides aboard Dream Astray at Tampa Bay Downs and Monmouth Park, Manny Jimenez was able to guide the Gone Astray gelding to three seconds, but never into the winner’s circle. He also never put the 4-year-old gelding on the lead.

That ended at Meadowlands yesterday when Gulfstream sensation Madeline Rowland hopped aboard Dream Astray for the first time in a race at one mile on the turf course. Rowland sent Dream Astray to the lead out of the gate, and the gelding put up fractions of :23.73, :47.91 and 1:12.06 en route to a wire-to-wire score in 1:38.58. Dream Astray edged away on the final turn and was never threatened in the stretch, breaking his maiden by two lengths with his best ‘E’ speed figure of 80, and paying $4.60.

Dream Astray, a California-bred, earned a check for $9,900 and gave Gone Astray his 40th winner of 2022.

In a six-furlong test over a sloppy track at Finger Lakes, Jaqueline Davis guided New York-bred Big Cyn to a come-from behind victory by a head at odds of 2/5. In her last nine starts, the 5-year-old Handsome Mike mare bred by Patricia Generazio is 2-3-3, and she’s 6-3-6 in 28 career starts. The check for $7,560 boosted her earnings to $107,820.

Gone Paradise showed he was ready for his best at Arapahoe Park yesterday with a solid second-place finish two weeks before. The bettors agreed, and the 5-year-old Gone Astray gelding was sent off as the 7/5 favorite in the race at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Adrian Ramos gunned Gone Paradise away quickly and they immediately hooked up in a duel with 8/5 Shotgun Rider. The duo opened up daylight on the backstretch and into the turn, where Gone Astray began to edge away after a half in :46.20, and he coasted to the finish 4 1/4 lengths in front. He was clocked in a quick :52.64, picking up his first victory of 2022 and giving Gone Astray 39 winners.

Gone Paradise, bred by JDAB Stables, lifted his record to 4-6-3 in 28 starts, with earnings of $43,607.

Toddchero, who finished second in the $100,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes at Prairie Meadows in his second career start, became stakes-placed again yesterday, finishing third in the $82,500 Kip Deville Stakes at Remington Park.

Lane Luzzi was aboard the 2-year-old Bucchero colt in the race at six furlongs, and had the $77,000 OBS 2-year-old in mid-pack early. He finished nicely in the race that went in 1:11.17 but was unable to threaten the leaders.

Toddchero is now 1-1-1 in four tries and the check for $8,250 lifted his earnings to $48,990.

After a solid second-place finish in her last start at Gulfstream Park, Poiema was sent off at 1/2 yesterday in a $43,000 allowance optional claimer with Edgar Perez riding.

The 3-year-old daughter of Neolithic didn’t disappoint for owner/trainer Larry Bates, jumping out to the lead and controlling the pace for the entire mile over the main track. The $14,000 OBS June 2-year-old in 2021 was 6 1/2 lengths in front after the mile run in 1:36.78, and she paid $3 while receiving an ‘E’ speed figure of 91. The runner-up was Our Fantasy, a daughter of Amira’s Prince, and the all-Pleasant Acres $2 exacta paid a miniscule $7.60.

Poiema, who was bred by Cheryl J. and James P. McGuire, collected a check for $25,800, increasing her earnings to $135,705, with $96,055 coming this year, all at Gulfstream. In 13 starts, she’s compiled a record of 3-2-2.