Dreaming of Kona put up to first on DQ of Legacy Isle in Mucho Macho Man Stakes
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Legacy Isle crossed the wire first but it was runner-up Dreaming of Kona who was standing in the winner’s circle getting his picture taken 10 minutes after the finish of Sunday’s $100,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park.
Legacy Isle led the one-mile Mucho Macho Man from start to finish, but drifted out under a left-hand stick from jockey Emisael Jaramillo while tiring in late stretch, forcing Dreaming of Kona to check briefly and alter course approaching the wire. Following an inquiry, a claim of foul by jockey Scott Spieth against the winner and a lengthy deliberation, the stewards reversed the original order of finish.
Dreaming of Kona was also involved in a bumping incident with General Jim near midstretch prior to being impeded by Legacy Isle. General Jim finished fourth as the 2-1 favorite in a field of 11 3-year-olds.
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The victory was the second in three starts for Dreaming of Kona, who won his debut by 9 1/2 lengths over the synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs on Oct. 17 before completing his brief 2-year-old campaign with a third-place finish in Tampa Bay Downs’s Inaugural Stakes six weeks later.
On Sunday, Dreaming of Kona prompted the pace from start to finish and held gamely to the end while making his first start beyond six furlongs in the Mucho Macho Man.
Legacy of Isle won his two juvenile starts by an average margin of four lengths and was already proven at a mile, having overcome a troubled trip to register a three-length victory here at the distance on Nov. 27. Breaking from post 1 for the third time in as many starts on Sunday, Legacy Isle quickly sprinted to command along the rail and was never headed, bravely fending off several challengers through the final furlong despite never switching off his left lead down the lane.
Lord Miles came wide into the stretch and was going best of all at the end, finishing a neck behind Dreaming of Kona to be third. General Jim raced well placed throughout while saving ground, bumping with Dreaming of Kona while trying to find clearance through midstretch before giving way gradually through the final sixteenth of a mile.
Dreaming of Kona, who paid $41.40, was ridden to victory by Scott Spieth for his wife, trainer Aldana Spieth. Final time for the Mucho Macho Man over the fast track was 1:37.55.
Limehouse Stakes
Super Chow led throughout to register a one-length decision over the rail-skimming Turbo in the $100,000 Limehouse Stakes for 3-year-olds. The six-furlong Limehouse turned out to be strictly a two-horse affair, with Turbo crossing the wire nine lengths in front of third-place finisher Two of a Kind.
Super Chow, whose only loss in six career starts was a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Saratoga Special in August, gave his connections and backers some anxious moments when he bore well off the rail into the stretch and finished out near the middle of the track under Chantal Sutherland. He had shown a tendency to bear out in several of his earlier starts as well.
Super Chow, a son of Lord Nelson, is trained by Jorge Delgado for Lea Farms LLC. He paid $4.20 as the favorite after completing six furlongs in 1:09.88.
“The plan was to send the horse no matter what,” Delgado said. “Chantal managed to get the horse in good position. He seems to be getting better with every race. I don’t know why, but when he runs here he drifts a little bit. It only happens to him here, but he set good fractions and he beat a good bunch of horses.”
Delgado said the Grade 3 Swale here on Feb. 4 could be next for Super Chow.
Cash Run Stakes
Infinite Diamond parlayed a perfect trip under jockey Jose Ortiz into a 2 ¼-length triumph over co-favorite Padma in the $100,000 Cash Run for 3-year-old fillies. Infinite Diamond, an impressive maiden winner here going a mile late last summer, bounced back after being eased to the wire in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland on Oct. 7.
Ortiz was aboard Infinite Diamond for the first time in the one-mile Cash Run. Trained by Patrick Biancone for Diamond 100 Racing Club, Infinite Diamond returned $9.20. Her final time of 1:36.70 was nearly a full second faster than males completed the same distance a couple of hours later in the Mucho Macho Man.
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