Breeze On By breezes for return in Pasco or Swale

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Breeze On By, the best of the locally based 2-year-olds here in 2020, did just that Wednesday, working an easy half-mile in 48.43 seconds here as he begins to gear up for his much-anticipated 3-year-old campaign.

Working for just the second time since finishing a very troubled second as the 1-5 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality on Sept. 26, Breeze On By finished strong, completing his final quarter in 23.21 without being urged over a racetrack that was on the cuppy side all morning.

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Breeze On By won his first three starts by a combined margin of 14 1/2 lengths, including the opening two legs of the Florida Sire Series, the six-furlong Dr. Fager and seven-furlong Affirmed. His bid to sweep the series fell short in the In Reality when he chased wire-to-wire winner Boca Baby. His chances were compromised when he got shuffled badly, losing valuable position in the run down the backstretch.

“Let’s just say he didn’t get the best of trips in the In Reality and leave it at that,” trainer Ralph Nicks said Wednesday. “This was just his second work after getting a little break, and I thought he looked very good this morning.”

Nicks said he plans to turn back Breeze on By to seven furlongs in either the Pasco on Jan. 16 at Tampa or the Swale at Gulfstream two weeks later. The Pasco is worth $125,000 and offers bonus money to Florida-breds, while the Swale is worth $100,000 and doesn’t offer the bonus money.

“With the Florida-bred bonus, the money is better for the Pasco – it’s a big payday – although the timing works out best for the Swale,” he said.

Nicks, who won the Pasco last winter with Liam’s Lucky Charm, also sent out his Florida-bred stakes winner Garter and Tie to work five furlongs in company in 1:00.87 on Wednesday. Garter and Tie galloped out a solid six furlongs in 1:14.26. Garter and Tie, winless in seven starts this season, is coming off a fourth-place finish over a sloppy track in the Sunshine Millions Classic Preview last month at Gulfstream Park West.

Nicks also reported that Shivaree, runner-up in the Grade 1 Florida Derby here in March, came out of his impressive 2 1/4-length victory over Jackson in the seven-furlong FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes two weeks ago at Tampa in good order. Shivaree will likely be pointed for the Grade 3 Fred Hooper at a mile on the Pegasus World Cup undercard here Jan. 23.

“I thought that was a huge win for him and a great way to finish out the year, especially after what we threw at him during the middle of the season,” Nicks said. “Seven furlongs to one mile, all those races should be well within his grasp this year.”