Turf News

On the closing day of Gulfstream Park’s championship meeting, Forty Fathoms broke out on top under Nik Juarez, put up a fraction of :22.48 for the first quarter while opening up a three-length lead, and never looked back while scoring an eye-catching victory in just his second career start. The 3-year-old colt by Poseidon’s Warrior increased the margin to 6 1/2 lengths in the stretch before coasting home by nearly 13, clocked in 1:12.12 for the six furlongs. Forty Fathoms, bred by Mary Robinson, became the seventh winner for his sire this year, and the $17,000 winner’s check boosted his seasonal earnings to $372,777. Sometime this month, Poseidon’s Warrior will reach the $1 million mark in progeny earnings with his first crop; he currently stands at $971,243.

Navy Commander and jockey Frankie Pennington have formed the perfect union in Pennsylvania, the pair teaming up for three victories in their last four races for owner/breeder Swilcan Stables. Pennington guided the 3-year-old Poseidon’s Warrior gelding to a blockbuster score at a flat mile on Tuesday, worth $38,640 out of the allowance purse of $61,220. Pennington took the PA-bred away quickly from the No. 5 post and immediately engaged Jw’strickymischief for the lead. They raced as a team down the backstretch, but Navy Commander put his rival away and began to draw off on the turn. With his rider sitting still, the gelding galloped away in the last eighth to score by 10 3/4 widening lengths. Ironically, Navy Commander had won his first two races by a combined total of 10 3/4 lengths (3 1/2 and 7 1/4). Poseidon’s Warrior is Florida’s leading second-crop sire and Navy Commander is poised to become his second $100,000 earner with a total of $93,848.

After making her debut at Gulfstream Park in September, Blouberg Beach was laid up for six months by co-owner/trainer Ian Hemingway, returning in a one-mile turf race at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday. Hemingway chose Ademar Santos to handle the 3-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach and the long shot specialist more than lived up to his reputation. At odds of 35-1, Santos guided Blouberg Beach to a hard-fought maiden victory by one-half length, worth $8,270 to Robert Lloyd and Hemingway Racing. The filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon and the Treasure Beach Syndicate rewarded her backers to the tune of $73.

Pirate Beach has won two of his last three starts at Gulfstream Park after he turned in a strong performance at 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass yesterday. With Jose Batista aboard, the 3-year-old Treasure Beach gelding broke well from the No. 9 post but was pushed wide going to the first turn. Batista didn’t take back, though, sending Pirate Beach to an easy lead as the field entered the backstretch. There was never a serious threat after that, and Pirate Beach continued on to a 2 1/4-length score over 2-1 favorite Remember the Maine with an excellent clocking of 1:29.83. The victory was worth $17,800 to the gelding’s owner, Shade Tree Thoroughbreds.

One definition of messiah is: “a leader or savior of a particular group or cause,” and that’s just what the 3-year-old Anthony’s Cross colt Messiah did for his backers at Fair Grounds yesterday after he was nearly taken out of the race rounding the first turn. Sent off as the 3-1 second choice in a $42,000 maiden special at “about” one mile on the grass, Messiah and rider James Graham were pushed about eight wide heading into the turn, a position few horses have the ability to recover from. But Graham settled his colt into seventh place down the backstretch, swung wide on the final turn, and Messiah gamely oufought the remaining two leaders to the wire, winning by a neck in a three-horse photo. Messiah had finished second, third and fourth in his three previous tries, closing in each. His first career victory was worth $22,800, raising his total to $35,780.

A switch in tactics by jockey Malcolm Franklin proved to be no problem for Nymue’s Treasure, who made it 2-for-2 yesterday with a come-from-behind victory racing 6 1/2 furlongs at Turfway Park. The 3-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach had broken her maiden with a 3 1/2-length, wire-to-wire score in her career debut on Jan. 26. This time, the filly bred by Ed Seltzer, Beverly Anderson and Joe and Helen Barbazon broke slowly and was seventh after a quarter of a mile. But Franklin sent her up five wide on the turn and Nymue’s Treasure responded with a strong burst through the lane, drawing off by 1 1/2 lengths at the wire.

Poseidon Warrior’s sixth winner of 2018 came at Parx Racing yesterday, and it may have been his easiest score. Navy Commander, bred in Pennsylvania, proved to be a ton the best in a $46,474 starter allowance at seven furlongs. The 3-year-old gelding had broken his maiden by 3 1/2 lengths on Nov. 21 with Frankie Pennington aboard, and the two were paired again. Navy Commander broke sharply from the No. 6 post and wound up on the outside of a three-horse battle down the backstretch. Midway around the turn, Pennington asked him for more and Navy Commander sprinted away from the other two, reaching the wire 7 1/4 lengths in front. The victory was worth $30,240 to owner/breeder Swilcan Stables and raised Navy Commander’s bank account to $55,208. Poseidon’s Warrior leads Florida’s second-crop sire list with earnings of $274,457, and he’s sixth on the general sire list.

In just her second career start, Treasure for Gold became stakes-placed at Gulfstream Park, finishing third in the $75,000 Melody of Colors Stakes. The 3-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach had been successful in her initial try for trainer Todd Pletcher in a $60,000 maiden special back on July 2, and had not started since.

With Tyler Gaffalione riding, Treasure for Gold was off second in the five-furlong turf race and stalked a suicidal  pace – :21.49 for the quarter and :43.66 for the half. The pace took its toll on the filly, and she wound up earning $7,350 for third, which boosted her earnings for the two races to $47,350 for owner breeder Robyn Thompson.

On Feb. 2, Oh My Warrior finished second at Gulfstream Park, three-quarters of a length behind the winner, and three and three-quarters of a length ahead of the fourth horse, favored Hard Way Winner. Despite that, when the two met again yesterday racing 6 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream, the bettors sent Hard Way Winner and jockey Luis Saez off at 5/2 and Oh My Warrior and Leonel Reyes off at 10-1. It proved to be a big mistake.

Reyes moved the Poseidon’s Warrior ridgling off the rail on the turn and Oh My Warrior exploded in the stretch for a 2 1/2-length score over Hard Way Winner, becoming his sire’s fifth winner this year, paying $22.60 and earning a check of $21,000 for owner/breeder Just For Fun Stable. Poseidon’s Warrior now has $243,367 in 2018 progeny earnings, and is the leader among Florida’s second-crop sires.

Treasure Beach played his part in Gulfstream Park’s 11-stakes program yesterday, with Beach Waltz winning the $60,000 Mrs. Presidentress and Seattle Treasure finishing a fast-closing third in the $60,000 Sage of Monticello, both races contested at about 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass.

Beach Waltz, the 8/5 favorite, was off well from the No. 1 post and was right with the pace but was forced to steady down the backstretch and dropped back to fourth. Jose Ortiz swung the 3-year-old filly wide for the drive and she proved to be much the best, drawing off to score by 1 1/4 lengths. Beach Waltz, owned by leading owners and breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey and bred by them in Kentucky, earned $35,712 for the victory, bringing her total to $72,222 on a record of 2-2-0 in four starts. She fell a neck short in her previous start, preventing her from being on a three-race winning streak.

Seattle Treasure, at odds of 5-1, had a very eventful trip leaving from the 7 post in his race, beginning with being pinballed leaving the gate by the horses on either side of him. Irad Ortiz Jr. had to take back and the 3-year-old colt was a good 10 lengths behind heading down the backstretch. Ortiz began moving him up coming to the turn and at the top of the stretch swung the colt five wide for the drive. Seattle Treasure was eating up ground and bearing down on the two leaders inside the eighth pole, when the second horse, King Angelus, bore out, bumped him soundly, and pushed him even wider. Ortiz got him going again when King Angelus pushed him out a second time, and Seattle Treasure could only get within a neck of him at the wire. There was no inquiry. Seattle Treasure, stakes-placed for the second time and his sire’s leading money-winner, picked up $5,640 for third and is now 1-2-3 in nine starts with earnings of $87,045.