Turf News

More Than Striking struck for the second straight time yesterday at Finger Lakes, winning at 5 1/2 furlongs and collecting a check for $6,000.

The 4-year-old gelding by Handsome Mike went wire-to-wire under Luis Perez, opening up a four-length lead in mid-stretch and coasting home by two in 1:06.43. In winning for the third time in a nine-race career, More than Striking paid $3.40 as favorite. Handsome Mike’s 2020 progeny earnings are up to $854,046 as he closes in on a second straight million-dollar year.

After racing five times as a 2-year-old and showing a measure of promise by recording two seconds and a third, Real Doozie is spending 2020 by fulfilling that promise. The 3-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike scored a wire-to-wire victory at Monmouth Park yesterday and raised her record this season to 3-2-2 in 10 starts.

Antonio Gallardo sent the filly bred by Ballybrit Stable right to the lead and after posting fractions of :23.29, :47.79 and 1:11.93, she was coasting in mid-stretch with a 4 1/2-length lead, finally prevailing by 1 1/4 in a final time of 1:43.30. She paid $10.60, and the $15,300 winner’s check boosted her earnings to $74,350 while moving Handsome Mike into 10th place on Florida’s sire list.

Way out west, Black Elk turned in another monster effort racing five furlongs at Chippewa Downs. He shot to the lead from the rail under Larren Delorme, opened up five lengths after three-eighths, and stretched his margin to 12 lengths at the wire. The 3-year-old colt by Amira’s Prince paid $5.20 as second choice. He had broken his maiden at North Dakota Horse Park by 8 3/4 lengths on July 18.

It seems appropriate that Treasure Beach’s first graded stakes-winner should come on the transplanted Kentucky Derby day to make the date of the milestone achievement easy to remember.

The honor of becoming the stallion’s third stakes-winner, first graded, went to Raymundo’s Secret with her wire-to-wire score in the $151,500, Gr. II John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar. It was the second victory in a row for the 4-year-old filly bred by Ed Seltzer, Beverly Anderson and Joe and Helen Barbazon since returning from a break of 8 1/2 months.

Red-hot Flavien Prat shot favored Raymundo’s Secret to the lead out of the gate and the only time she was threatened during the 1 1/8th-mile trip was when second choice Lady Prancealot came flying at her in deep stretch. The charge fell a neck short and Raymundo’s Secret collected a check for $90,000, raising her total to $188,971 on a record of 5-0-0 in seven starts. She posted an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 107, her fifth 100-plus effort.

Treasure Beach has slowly been moving upwards on the Florida sire list and he has jumped into sixth place with progeny earnings of $1,122,050.

Treasure Beach needed just $232 Thursday to pass $1 million in 2020 progeny earnings. He reached that after his first runner hit the finish line early in the day, so victories by Sand Drift at Gulfstream Park and Calypso Key at Arlington later in the afternoon just added to his bottom line.

Sand Drift is one of her sire’s late bloomers. In her first seven career starts, the 4-year-old filly bred by Leverett and Linda Miller posted one victory, no seconds and no thirds. After yesterday’s score, she has compiled a record of 3-3-3 in her last nine starts dating back to July of 2019.

With Edgard Zayas aboard, Sand Drift sat off the early pace, then ran over the field in the stretch to win by seven lengths with 1 1/16 miles on the grass in 1:41.45. She paid $6 and earned a check for $15,400, raising her total to $88,520.

Calypso Key, bred and owned by Firefly Farm Racing, was also a slow starter. In her first five efforts she didn’t hit the board; in her last five, she’s 2-1-1, including victories in two of her last three for trainer David Flores, the former top-flight jockey. Also racing 1 1/6 miles on the turf, the 5-year-old mare sat second with Logan Cormier, took over heading into the lane and held on to win by a neck in 1:46.91. She paid $11.80.

Treasure Beach ended the day with $1,029,539 in 2020 earnings and in seventh place on Florida’s leading sire list.

Judging strictly by the Equibase chart, one would never realize just how special Beachtreasuregirl’s victory was in the second race at Delaware Park yesterday.

The 4-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach became her sire’s 33rd winner this year with an explosive run that began from 10 or more lengths behind. The official chart lists the filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon as never having been more than six lengths behind at any time over the 5 1/2 furlongs.

Skyler Spanabel was aboard Beachtreasuregirl, who was so far back coming to the turn she appeared to have no chance. But she saved ground by never leaving the inside and was up at the wire to win by a length. She paid $7.80, while earning a check for $9,000.

Along with a third-place finish by 18-1 Duchess of Dublin at Presque Isle Downs which was worth $1,200, Treasure Beach’s career progeny earnings soared to $5,006,687 and his 2020 earnings to $999,768.

Treasure Beach will pass the $1 million mark in the second category early today, with 11 runners scheduled to compete at six tracks.

John’s Promise turned in the best performance of his nine-race career while winning his second straight under Raul Mena at Delaware Park yesterday.

In his previous try on Aug. 8, the 4-year-old gelding won by 2 1/4 lengths racing 5 1/2 furlongs, and posted an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 79. Stretching out to six furlongs yesterday, Mena guided the son of Handsome Mike to victory by 6 1/4 lengths with an “E’ figure of 89, best of his career.

Mena broke John’s Promise out quickly from the No. 2 post and was on the inside, one-half length behind the pace-setter, after a quarter in :22.46. As the half was registering :46.04. Mena shot John’s Promise through on the rail and in the blink of any eye, it was all over. The 3-1 third choice opened up by four in mid-stretch and was under a hand ride nearing the wire, or he would have broken 90 with ease. His final time was 1:11.91 and was worth $9,600, leaving Handsome Mike less than $3,800 away from reaching $800,000 this season.

Treasure Beach is just a stone’s throw away from passing the $5 million mark in career progeny earnings after Cajun Treasure made it two in a row at Del Mar yesterday. The lightly-raced 5-year-old gelding has taken several vacations due to physical problems throughout his career, but after scoring a sharp victory on July 31, he came back with an even better performance 29 days later.

With talented Flavien Prat riding, Cajun Treasure sat a comfortable third down the backstretch in the starter allowance race at 1 1/16-miles on the main track. On the turn, Prat went after the pace-setter and Cajun Treasure was in front as they straightened out for home. He drew off by 2 1/2 lengths at the wire and earned a check for $24,600, raising his career total to $107,062.

Aside from boosting Treasure Beach’s North American lifetime earnings to $4,996,147, the son of Galileo is about to pass $1 million for 2020 – he’s a little less than $12,000 away.

Benefiting from a heads-up ride from veteran Horacio Karamanos, R V Treasure scored her first career victory yesterday at Laurel Park, giving Treasure Beach his 32nd winner of 2020 and moving him closer to his two upcoming milestones.

The 3-year-old filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon was returning from a five-month vacation; she hadn’t raced since a solid second-place finish at Tampa Bay Downs on March 6. Karamanos got her off fifth in the one-mile turf race and she remained there down the backstretch, boxed in on the rail. At the top of the stretch a hole opened between horses and R V Treasure shot through, passing the favorite a sixteenth out, and then holding off fast-closing Amplio Esquema by a nose at the wire.

R V Treasure collected $15,930 for her maiden score, and Treasure Beach edged closer to his milestones, raising his 2020 earnings to $961,558 and his lifetime total to $4,969,677.

Treasure Beach’s leading earner, Saratoga Treasure, finished third in the $85,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes yesterday at the track that bears her name, and moved her sire closer to two milestones for 2020.

The 5-year-old New York-bred filly added $10,200 to her bank account, which now totals $335,003. That brought Treasure Beach’s progeny earnings for 2020 to less than $62,000 from the $1 million mark, and his career total to less than $54,000 from reaching the $5 million mark.

The Smart N Fancy was scheduled to be run at 5 1/2 furlongs on the grass, but a persistent rain at the Spa caused a switch to a muddy main track. Saratoga Treasure sat fifth in the early going, moved up on the turn and closed to be a non-threatening third, but seven lengths ahead of the fourth-place finisher. It was her second stakes-placed finish in her last three tries, and she’s now 5-2-5 in 20 starts for her owner and breeder, Patricia Generazio.

Whiskey Dash didn’t make his career debut until June 10 at Tampa Bay Downs, and he broke his maiden in his second try on July 1, first day of the track’s new season, which continues in November.

The 3-year-old gelding by Amira’s Prince now has raced five times, and he scored his third victory last night in a $25,000 starter allowance over the all-weather track at Presque Isle Downs.

Whiskey Dash, bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, broke well in the six-furlong race, tracked in the two path close to the leader down the backstretch, took the lead in the lane and held off three others in the race to the wire, winning by a head in 1:11.23. The $13,000 OBS Open 2-year-old paid $11.80 and earned a check for $15,000, raising his total to $31,595.