Dreaming of Snow ($78) surprises in Suncoast Stakes

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Gerald Bennett has enjoyed innumerable happy moments as the perennial leading trainer at Tampa Bay Downs.

He added a new one Saturday.

Dreaming of Snow, on the lead from the opening bell, held off heavily favored Wonder Wheel with a 38-1 upset in the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes on the Festival Preview Day card.

“My dreams were answered and my prayers were answered,” said the 78-year-old Bennett, who last January became just the 14th trainer in North American history to win 4,000 races.

Dreaming of Snow, ridden by the meet’s leading jockey, Samy Camacho, returned $78 after finishing the one-mile, 40-yard distance in 1:40.18. The Florida-bred daughter of Jess’s Dream earned the 20 qualifying points to the Kentucky Oaks that were at stake as well as an additional state-bred win-only bonus of $50,000 atop the normal $60,000 winner’s share.

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There was a reason Dreaming of Snow, owned by Team Equistaff and Winning Stable, was such a big price in a field of eight 3-year-old fillies. The Suncoast marked her first start both beyond seven furlongs and around two turns – she had been a modest 2 for 4 coming into this race – while Wonder Wheel was making her first start since winning the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in becoming a divisional Eclipse Award champion. Not surprisingly, Wonder Wheel was the 1-2 favorite.

Dreaming of Snow, well rated throughout, was challenged at the top of the stretch by Wonder Wheel, but Camacho kept his mount battling. In the final furlong, Wonder Wheel and jockey Tyler Gaffalione had every chance to push past, but they did not. The margin on the wire was a neck.

“Tyler said she just got a little tired at the end,” said Mark Casse, trainer of Wonder Wheel. “I’m not at all unhappy. In fact, it kind of reminded me of her Spinaway effort,” a reference to her only defeat from five starts last year.

An objection by Gaffalione for alleged deep-stretch interference was quickly dismissed by the Tampa stewards.

Julia Shining, the 2-1 second choice, tracked Wonder Wheel for the last five furlongs before settling for third, another 1 1/4 lengths back.

The Suncoast was run amid a rain that began as a light drizzle about an hour beforehand prior to picking up with intermittent intensity as nightfall approached.

Sibelius wins Pelican

Trainer Jerry O’Dwyer is thinking big with Sibelius, and why shouldn’t he? The 5-year-old gelding sped six furlongs in a stakes-record 1:08.75 when emerging best in a nearly race-long duel with Doctor Oscar in the 43rd running of the $75,000 Pelican.

“Hopefully this will get us an invitation to Dubai,” to compete in the $2 million Golden Shaheen on March 25, said O’Dwyer.

Almost from the start, Sibelius, ridden by Junior Alvarado, raced closest to the rail with Doctor Oscar to his outside. In the final 100 yards, after getting a half-mile in 43.88 seconds, Sibelius edged away to finish a length to the good, returning $5.20 as favorite in a field of 10 older horses.

Sibelius, by Not This Time, now has won four of his last six starts, including a stakes victory last September at Pimlico that graded out to a 106 Beyer Speed Figure. He is owned by Jun H Park and Delia Nash.

Gatsby was third and Absolute Grit was fourth, while Willy Boi, the 7-2 second choice, was compromised by a sluggish break when finishing seventh.

Doctor Oscar, a 4-year-old Minnesota-bred, “ran a beautiful race” at 9-1, said trainer Tim Padilla. “Just beautiful.”

Drifaros upsets Minaret

Drifaros turned back all challengers, including heavily favored Caramel Swirl, when posting her fourth straight victory in the Minaret, the female counterpart to the Pelican.

Always part of the pace when carefully reserved by Daniel Centeno, Drifaros finished 1 1/4 lengths clear of Olivia Darling before returning $17.80 as fourth choice in a field of seven fillies and mares. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to My Destiny, who had three-quarters of a length on Caramel Swirl, the 2-5 favorite. The six furlongs went in 1:09.85.

Drifaros, based at Gulfstream Park with trainer Terri Pompay for longtime client Wanda Polisseni, races under the familiar My Purple Haze Stables banner. This was the fifth start for Drifaros, a 4-year-old Kantharos filly who was defeated in her December 2021 debut before embarking on a four-race blitz, with the Minaret marking her stakes debut.

“We’ve had problems with her feet, but obviously we’ve got her going good right now,” Pompay said.

Caramel Swirl, unraced since finishing second in the Grade 1 Ballerina behind eventual divisional champion Goodnight Olive at Saratoga last August, had no mishap when going evenly throughout. “Zero excuse,” said her jockey, Junior Alvarado. “I was following the winner and thought maybe her class would get us home, but she just didn’t punch.”

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