Garter and Tie handles open company in Smooth Air Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Garter and Tie passed his first test outside of statebred stakes company with flying colors after wearing down the promising Souper Jackpot to register a hard-fought neck decision in the $75,000 Smooth Air, one of six 2-year-old stakes decided on the undercard of Saturday’s Clasico Internacional de Caribe program at Gulfstream Park.

Garter and Tie won the seven-furlong Affirmed division of the Florida Sire Series and was second best behind the pace setting Well Defined in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality here earlier this season. He rated kindly under jockey Tyler Gaffalione just off the early leaders in the one mile Smooth Air, swung wide commencing his rally into the stretch, then wore down Souper Jackpot in the closing strides.

Souper Jackpot, a game maiden winner in his second career start, turned in a gutsy effort in defeat in his stakes debut. He pressed the pace from the outset and disposed of a bid from the rail-skimming Maddy’s Last Dance through midstretch before succumbing grudgingly to the winner at the end.

Garter and Tie is a 2-year-old homebred son of Brooks ‘n Down owned by Jacks or Better Farm Inc. and trained by Ralph Nicks. He covered a mile over the fast track in 1:38.44 and paid $3.60 for his second win in six starts.

“He had to work, but that’s good,” said Nicks. “He’s a grinder, he’s a hard trying horse. He was a little fractious in the gate today, he made a few mistakes, he’s kind of got that in him, but at the end of the day he tries every time. The track was a little on the dead side but the main thing is, as long as it’s safe, I don’t care.”

Nicks said “obviously we’ll keep going forward” with him and "when he’s ready we’ll pick out the next spot."

Garter and Tie gave Gaffalione the first of his two consecutive stakes wins on the card. He came right back 30 minutes later to win the $75,000 Pulpit Stakes aboard the 6-5 Henley’s Joy, who outfinished the pace-setting Life Mission in his first start since finishing far back in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Louder Than Bombs was third.

Henley’s Joy, a son of Kitten’s Joy, was graded stakes-placed earlier in the season when beaten a nose by Current in Keeneland’s Grade 3 Bourbon. Henley’s Joy is trained by Mike Maker for Bloom Racing.

Henley’s Joy completed a mile on firm turf in 1:34.34, more than a full second faster than A Bit Special covered the same distance in the $75,000 Wait a While, filly counterpart to the Pulpit.

A Bit Special, an English-bred daughter of Mukhadram, finished with good energy down the center of the course once gaining clearance into the stretch to catch Fortunate Girl for her second straight stakes win. A Bit Special used similar tactics to capture the Our Dear Peg here on September 29. The rail-skimming Vow to Recover finished third.

Romero Ramsay Maragh rode A Bit Special for trainer Patrick Biancone. The tepid favorite in a field of 11 juvenile fillies, she returned $6.80.

Bye Bye J got the all stakes card underway with a two length decision over Iva in the $75,000 House Party for 2-year-old fillies. It was another 8 ½ lengths further back to Horologist in third with Paula Andrea finishing a disappointing sixth as the even money favorite.

Bye Bye J, is trained by Ron Spatz for the Monarch Stable and was ridden to victory by Miguel Vasquez. She paid $14.80.

Trainer Michael Stidham sent out the first- and second-place finishers in the $75,000 Hut Hut after his Classic Fit ran down stablemate Sweet Diane to post a neck victory in the one-mile stakes for juvenile fillies. Bella Ciao was another length back in third.

Classic Fit, a homebred daughter of Bernardini owned by Godolphin, was ridden to victory by Albin Jimenez and paid $29.80.

Zenden remained perfect in two starts after outfinishing Jackson to register a popular victory under Emisael Jaramillo for trainer Victor Barboza Jr. in the $75,000 Buffalo Man.