Steal Sunshine gains revenge on Tumbarumba in Gulfstream Park Mile

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -- Steal Sunshine outfinished Tumbarumba and came up on the right side of the bob to win Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile by a nose.

The result enabled Steal Sunshine to avenge a three-quarter-length defeat to Tumbarumba in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper Stakes and gave Steal Sunshine his first victory in a graded stakes. It was his ninth try in such a race.

“It’s big for the breeders, it’s big for me, it’s big for me trying to attract business,” trainer Bob Dibona said. “I got a strong percentage this season. This helped me cap off the meet.”

The win was the eighth from 27 starts for Dibona. When reminded that there is still four weeks go in Gulfstream’s winter meet, Dibona said, “I don’t have more like him.”

In a field reduced to five due to the scratches of Castle Chaos, Wit, and Ticking, Steal Sunshine was fourth of five early on while glued to the rail by Paco Lopez.

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Il Miracolo, under Javier Castellano was on the lead with Tumbarumba, under Luis Saez, right to his outside. Saez said it was not his plan to be dueling with Il Miracolo.

“The plan was to break quiet, but he broke pretty sharp. We were right there with [Il Miracolo], that was not the way we thought it was going to be,” Saez said. “But when we came to the stretch it was time to get going. The winner came flying. He tried to come back, but it was too late.”

After staying on the inside for the opening six furlongs, Lopez tipped Steal Sunshine outside for the stretch drive. He came up alongside Tumbarumba and the two duked it out to the wire with Steal Sunshine getting the bob.

“I started picking it up at the three-eighths. He was right there and I took him out and he gave me a big run,” Lopez said. “Bobby told me this time, he’d be ready.”

Steal Sunshine, a 5-year-old gelding by Constitution owned by Carrie Brogden and Michael and Jules Iavarone, covered the mile in 1:35.74 and he returned $5 as the favorite. Steal Sunshine received a Beyer Speed Figure of 96, the same figure as his last two races.

Dibona said that in the Fred Hooper, Steal Sunshine was difficult in the gate. After a few schooling sessions, Steal Sunshine was better on Saturday.

“He behaved himself, broke much more forwardly placed,” Dibona said. “When I saw him that close, I had all the confidence but, Jesus, [Tumbarumba] gave me everything I wanted. It was a hell of a race.”

Kingsbarns returns a winner

Kingsbarns, the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner in 2023 but away from the races since June, rallied to win a multi-conditioned allowance race on Saturday by a half-length.

Stuck on the inside down the backside, Luis Saez was able to get Kingsbarns into the clear in upper stretch and was able to run down Vivir Con Alegria in the final strides.

“He was in a pocket there waiting for a place to go,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He was able to tip out at the right time, closed resolutely. Good effort I thought off the layoff.”

Kingsbarns, a son of Uncle Mo, covered the seven furlongs in 1:22.47.

Pletcher said Kingsbarns was away for so long “because he just wasn’t’ doing any good. No surgeries.”

Pletcher said he wasn’t sure what this race would lead to next for Kingsbarns.

“He’s now won from seven-eighths to a mile and three-sixteenths,” Pletcher said. “He’s a pretty versatile horse.”

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