Nic's Style breaks through with Fillies and Mares Sprint victory
?q=100)
On a stacked 12-race card on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, including six statebred stakes, several high-profile Florida-breds found themselves right at home.
All six $100,000 stakes were presented by the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, allowing bettors to wager on a rare all-stakes Rainbow 6. The highly anticipated bet might not have offered a stellar return, paying $114.04 with four heavy favorites, but trackgoers were still rewarded with high-quality racing throughout the day.
Fans didn’t get the highly anticipated matchup they wanted in the FHBPA Fillies and Mares Sprint, but Nic’s Style still managed to kick things off in style, taking the first stakes on the card in a flashy 5 1/2-length score.
When trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. scratched Mystic Lake, the 7-5 morning-line favorite, there was little doubt that Nic’s Style would inherit favoritism and a likely victory in her return to statebred company at 6 1/2 furlongs. The Bill Mott trainee had finished second in her last four starts, but she was not denied again in the shortened field of four Saturday. She went off as the 1-9 favorite and paid $2.20 to win.
Love Actually, an 8-1 outsider, tried to make a race of it early and led through an opening quarter-mile in 22.82 seconds, but jockey Junior Alvarado didn’t waste much time aboard the favorite. Nic’s Style shook off fellow stalker Girvin Star to challenge for the lead and blew right past when Love Actually faded on the far turn. She breezed home, completing the 6 1/2-furlong distance in 1:17.13.
Just a Philly, the 9-2 second choice trained by Herbert Miller, never came close to challenging the winner but finished 13 3/4 lengths clear for second. Girvin Star dragged home for third at 20-1 for Marcial Cornejo, finishing 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Joe Orseno-trained filly Love Actually.
Sprint
Alvarado and Mott connected again for their second stakes victories on the card when Damon’s Mound romped home as the 3-5 favorite to win the $100,000 FHBPA Sprint by 5 1/2 lengths. It was the 6-year-old’s third statebred stakes victory this year.
After racking up graded stakes wins at every stage of his career to this point, it has not been all that surprising that Damon’s Mound has found a comfortable home in statebred company recently. He received stiffer challenges in the $75,000 Sunshine Sprint at Gulfstream and $110,000 NYRA Bets Sprint at Tampa Bay Downs, but he truly lived up to his odds in the FHPBA Sprint, paying $3.40 to win in a dominant effort.
Tracking close behind Miguel Clement-trained front-runner Hurricane Nelson through an opening quarter-mile in 22.49 seconds, Alvarado quickly urged Damon’s Mound to assert himself in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint. He pushed ahead on the far turn and never looked back.
Salty contenders Classic of Course and Flood Zone stalked the pace and launched compelling bids on the far turn, but as soon as Damon’s Mound took over through a half-mile in 45.12, he was in control and driving. He completed the distance in 1:15.32.
Classic of Course, a 4-year-old gelding trained by Patrick Biancone, successfully worked around a stubborn Hurricane Nelson to take second by a neck. Flood Zone, the 3-1 second choice trained by Brad Cox, flattened out in the stretch and had to settle for fourth.
Turf
Tank got back to his winning ways in the $100,000 FHBPA Turf, kicking clear on the front end and holding on to win by a length. It was the colt’s first victory since rattling off three straight in stakes last year.
Encouraged by his torrid stretch in Florida as a 3-year-old, trainer Carlos David shipped Tank to New York for a tough slate of graded stakes last summer. He carried on against stronger rivals for a time, but he eventually regressed during his stint in New York and went on the shelf in September. Returning in December, he finished third in 3 of 4 starts before finally breaking through again Saturday. He paid $7.60 to win.
Making the most of the Florida-bred’s tactical speed, jockey Samy Camacho sent Tank to duel for the early lead in the field of seven older horses, vying with 19-1 longshot Tapit Kissit Winit through an opening quarter-mile in 22.90 seconds. He took over to lead by a length through a half-mile in 46.43.
Firmly in command early in the 1 1/16-mile race, it was up to Camacho to manage the 5-2 second choice and leave him something for the stretch run. Private Thoughts, the 6-5 favorite trained by Ron Spatz, made that more difficult with an early move on the backstretch, but he had little to offer turning for home.
With his favored rival spent behind him, Tank surged ahead by 2 1/2 lengths at the top of the stretch and had to handle only one challenger near the wire. Adios Cole did his best to close from fifth for trainer Sam Wilensky, but his determined bid came up short. Tank held on to earn his fourth stakes victory by a length, completing the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:38.94.
Junction Road, a 5-year-old trained by Rohan Crichton, picked up the pieces from last to finish third, two lengths behind Adios Cole.
Sophomore Fillies Sprint
The last time Mythical ran against state-restricted rivals last year, she was an overwhelming presence and easily picked up two stakes victories. She has gotten better since and proved it in the $100,000 FHBPA Sophomore Fillies Sprint, kicking clear to win by 5 1/2 lengths in a shortened field of five 3-year-old fillies.
Coming off a two-length score in the $125,000 Any Limit at Gulfstream last month, for which she earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure, few bettors were fooled by the 3-year-old filly returning to statebred company Saturday for trainer Jorge Delgado. She paid $2.20 to win.
Patient to a point in the six-furlong sprint, Mythical and jockey Edgard Zayas settled in third in the early going, tracking 37-1 longshot Flowko and 5-1 second choice Love Like Lucy. Times for the race have not been made available.
Moving well behind the dueling front-runners, Zayas didn’t need to do much for Mythical to kick into gear, easily shooting out in front around the far turn and easing away from the field.
La Chismosa, a 16-1 shot trained by Renaldo Richards, closed from last and was clear by 5 1/2 lengths for second, with Rory Miller-trained filly Flowko even clearer for third.
Sophomore Sprint
My Boy Star pulled off the only significant stakes upset Saturday, leading a deep field every step of the way in the $100,000 FHBPA Sophomore Sprint. With a fearless ride from Sonny Leon, the 3-year-old colt blew through hot early fractions and never gave an inch, paying $18.20 to win.
Coming off a maiden victory at Tampa last month, trainer Alejandro Mendieta was not afraid to test the 8-1 outsider against proven stakes runners, many of whom were involved early in his stakes debut.
Rockies Balboa, the 6-5 favorite trained by Dale Romans, stalked behind him through an opening quarter-mile in 22.07 seconds and half-mile in 45.28. Maykomotion, the 2-1 second choice, was also in a stalking position early but quickly faded to seventh, while 16-1 longshot Sweeping Shadow proved more stubborn in third.
When My Boy Star rounded the far turn in front, Leon asked for a bit more and received it, as the colt extended to lead by 1 1/2 lengths at the top of the stretch. Rockies Balboa tried to make up ground from second with Sweeping Shadow close behind, but neither posed a serious challenge.
My Boy Star kicked clear by 2 1/4 lengths at the wire, completing the 6 1/2-furlong distance in 1:11.01. Rockies Balboa finished a neck ahead of Sweeping Shadow, who bounced back from a disappointing fourth in the $125,000 Hutcheson for trainer Lisa Lewis.
Fillies and Mares Turf
Leon wrapped up the card at Gulfstream with another perfect ride aboard Souper Zonda, who stalked the early pace and surged home to win the $100,000 FHPBA Fillies and Mares Turf. The Mark Casse trainee is now unbeaten in three statebred stakes attempts.
In a sparkling 4-year-old turf campaign so far, Souper Zonda’s only blemish is a distant finish in the Grade 3 Honey Fox. Her three stakes victories have all come in remarkably similar fashion, as three different jockeys have now worked out effective trips from just off the pace.
With Leon aboard for the first time Saturday, the 9-5 favorite settled into third in the early going of the mile race, content to let Nina’s Last Gift and Miss Mary Nell duel through an opening quarter-mile in 22.51 seconds. The order remained unchanged through a half-mile in 45.68.
Miss Mary Nell, a salty 40-1 longshot trained by Carlos David, ground down her front-running rival and took a short lead entering the stretch. Souper Zonda was one of several rivals bearing down on the leader, but she dug in and made them all work for it in a game stretch run.
Souper Zonda was the only one within range at the top of the stretch, which made the difference in the late stages. After finally overpowering Miss Mary Nell for command in midstretch, she managed to hold off late-closing Dreaming of Abba by three-quarters of a length at the wire. She completed the mile in 1:33.19 and paid $5.60 to win.
Dreaming of Abba, who is still looking for her first stakes victory for Kathleen O’Connell, never came all that close to challenging Souper Zona for the victory. She managed to nip Miss Mary Nell by a neck for second.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.