Gulfstream Park: Falling Sky nearly breaks track record dominating Gulfstream Sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After jubilantly walking into the winner’s circle Saturday following the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint, trainer George Weaver said he had to take a call on his cell phone.

“He sure ran a hole in the wind, didn’t he?” exclaimed Weaver. “I was like, whoa, he’s on his game today.”

It didn’t matter who was on the other end of the call, for Weaver was speaking the truth. His exciting new prospect, Falling Sky, had just finished seven furlongs in 1:20.65 – a stakes record and nearly a track record – in topping huge exotic payoffs in the 39th running of the Grade 3 Gulfstream Sprint.

A 14- shot under Luis Saez, Falling Sky shot to the early lead and was never headed when turning back Singanothersong and then finishing 5 1/2 lengths ahead of Narvaez, a 139-1 shot. It was another half-length back to Brujo de Olleros, who was up late for third, a head in front of Catron, the 2-1 favorite in a field of 11 older horses.

Falling Sky returned $31.60 with his first victory in more than a year, dating to the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes last February at Tampa Bay Downs. His clocking was just .20 of a second off the track mark set in 2011 by Hilda’s Passion.

A 4-year-old Pennsylvania-bred colt by Lion Heart, Falling Sky was making his third start since being turned over to Weaver by owners Newtown Anner Stud and Joseph Bulger. The colt finished far back in his comeback in a November stakes at Laurel Park before rounding to form in a Jan. 11 Gulfstream allowance mile with a close runner-up finish to Revolutionary. He now has won 4 of 10 overall and has earned $320,470 after banking $60,000 Saturday.

Weaver, a Louisville, Ky., native and former assistant to Todd Pletcher, said he began training Falling Sky after the colt returned from a break following a 19th-place finish at 39-1 in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, when the colt was still trained by John Terranova.

“He’d been on the Derby trail and just needed some time,” said Weaver.

The $2 exacta (5-3) paid $1,627.60, the $1 trifecta (5-3-6) returned $5,077.60, and the 10-cent superfecta (5-3-6-9) was worth $3,233.14.