Turf News

Dropkick Murphy and Spy Hunter made their debuts yesterday in the fifth race at Gulfstream Park, a $40,000 maiden special at 5 1/2 furlongs. Both 2-year-old colts by Bucchero had been working well at the Palm Meadows Training Center, Dropkick Murphy posting two bullet works to one for Spy Hunter, and the bettors sent the former off as the 3/2 favorite, with the latter second choice at 5/2.

When the gate opened, the two sped to the front as a team and proceeded to dog each other through fractions of :22.45, :45:41 and :57.87, with no challenges from the rest of the field. At the top of the stretch, it was Spy Hunter who proved best, drawing off by 5 1/2 lengths in 1:04.62 and giving Bucchero his eighth winner in his initial crop.

Spy Hunter, a $28,000 OBS April 2-year-old, paid $7 and earned a check for $24,000, while Dropkick Murphy collected $8,400 for second. The $2 Pleasant Acres exacta paid $24.20.

Oh Donna gave Bucchero his seventh winner in his first crop with a professional performance in a $40,000 maiden special under Jorge Vargas Jr. at Meadowlands. The stallion by Kantharos is tied for first among Florida’s active freshman sires.

The 2-year-old filly bred by Edward R. Schuster was off alertly in the race at five furlongs over the turf course, and tracked the pacesetter in second until the top of the stretch. In the lane, Oh Donna out-gamed three challengers and won by a neck in 1:00.29. Her initial victory in three starts was worth $24,000 and raised her total to $37,620. A $35,000 OBS June 2-yeaar-old, she paid $8.60.

At Delaware Park, R Averie Lynn made her 12th start of the season a winning one, and raised her record to 6-11-2 in 28 starts. The consistent 4-year-old Gone Astray filly, 2-1-0 in her last three tries, collected $26,400 of the $44,000 allowance purse while getting her third victory this year. She has banked $102,383 since Jan. 1 and $154,802 overall.

Under high weight of 125 pounds, R Averie Lynn was away quickest from the rail under Daniel Centeno, sprinting to the quarter in :21.84 with just one challenger in hailing distance. She opened up on the turn, won by 1 1/2 lengths and paid $4.; it was another seven lengths back to third.

Coco Shell broke loose during the post parade prior to the third race at Delaware Park yesterday, but it turned out to have no ill effects on his race performance a few minutes later.

With Madeline Rowland aboard for the six-furlong test, the 2-year-old colt by Handsome Mike was away fifth while racing wide down the backstretch, then made a monster run on the turn and had the lead as they straightened out for home. Coco Shell went on to score by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:12.75 and paid $39.20, despite a sharp second-place finish in his previous start at Monmouth Park .

The colt owned and bred by Ballybrit Stable earned $13,200 for his maiden-breaker, becoming Handsome Mike’s 23rd winner of 2022.

At the 2017 OBS October sale, OBS financial officer Randell Edwards and his wife, Lucy, sold a Gone Astray yearling for a disappointing $3,500. Five years later, they have more than made up for it in the way of breeders’ awards via Septemberten’s outstanding performance at the track.

The now 6-year-old gelding has started 41 times, has never left South Florida, and after his heart-stopping victory at Gulfstream Park yesterday, has posted a record of six wins, seven seconds and 10 thirds. At award percentages of 10-3-2 (with a few subtractions for the season when the FTBOA stopped paying for second and third), the $3,500 sale is long forgotten.

Yesterday’s purse in the seven-furlong allowance optional claimer was $43,000, adding $4,300 to the breeders’ award account. Samuel Camacho Jr. took Septemberten away sixth from the rail and the gelding remained there until the final turn. Then Camacho swung him about five wide and Septemberten closed like a fire engine on the way to a blaze, getting up at the wire by a nose in 1:23.87 and adding $25,800 to his earnings, which now stand at $251,800.

When being interviewed by the media, trainers always stress that for their next start, all their horse has to do is “run back to their last race.” That’s exactly what Neon Summer did at Remington Park yesterday.

In her previous race at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Sept. 9, the 3-year-old filly by Neolithic missed winning her second race by a neck, with five furlongs on the grass in :58.32. Yesterday, at the same distance, the filly bred by Patricia Generazio engaged in a tough battle on the front end, and survived a three-horse photo in :58:58.

The $10,000 OBS June 2-year-old paid $4.40 and earned $20,196 in the $34,000 allowance test, boosting her total to $68,313 on a record of 2-3-1 in 10 starts, all as a 3-year-old.

Following his final race of 2021 on Dec. 8, Yeudiel didn’t make his return to the track for more than six months, until June 6. After his victory at Mountaineer Casino & Resort last night, the 5-year-old Gone Astray gelding has racked up a record of 3-1-2-1 in seven starts in 2022.

Luciano Hernandez was in the saddle for last night’s score, which came in the gelding’s 29th career start in which he’s 5-9-7 with earnings of $50,792.

Yeudiel broke alertly in the one-mile race, went three wide around the first turn and raced third down the backstretch. Hernandez sent him after the leaders coming to the turn and Yeudiel put away three challengers and out-gamed them to the wire, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:41.98. He paid $5.60 and collected a check for $4,930.

Takecareofbusiness showed his $134.80 debut score at Gulfstream Park was no fluke when he returned in his second start to finish a fast-closing second in the $65,000 Hollywood Beach Stakes at five furlongs over the Tapeta surface.

The 2-year-old gelding bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, Ed Seltzer and Bevely Anderson became the third stakes horse for freshman sire Bucchero, collecting $12,740 for his runner-up finish and increasing his two-race total to $43,740. The $40,000 OBS March 2-year-old’s late rush under Heriberto Figueroa missed by just half a length of getting him stakes victory No. 1. The race went in :56.67, less than one second off the track record of :55.90.

After recording a second and two thirds with Samuel Camacho Jr. in the saddle, all it took for My Billeeboy to become Long On Value’s first winner was a switch to Gulfstream Park’s leading rider, Miguel Vasquez.

In a $50,000 maiden special at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta surface, Vasquez gave the colt bred by Lavender Hill Stud his patented ride – stalk the leaders in third down the backstretch, swing three wide on the turn, run them down in the lane. My Billeeboy drew off by 1 3/4 lengths clocked in 1:04.24, earning a check for $31,000.

My Billeeboy is Long On Value’s only runner in his freshman crop thus far, and has compiled earnings of $51,800. He paid $10.80 and received his best Equibase E’ speed figure, a 77.

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.