Trainer strategy paid off for Boca Boy in In Reality Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Nine 2-year-olds ran in Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile In Reality Stakes at Gulfstream Park, only two of whom had previous experience around two turns. One of those was Boca Boy, who parlayed his second-place finish on the turf in the one-mile Proud Man Stakes four weeks earlier into a two-length, upset victory over 1-5 favorite Breeze On By in the final leg of the open division of the Florida Sire Series.

Breeze On By entered the In Reality undefeated in three starts, including victories in the Dr. Fager and Affirmed divisions going six and seven furlongs, respectively. But the stretch to 1 1/16 miles had even his trainer, Ralph Nicks, a bit concerned heading into the finale with the son of Cajun Breeze attempting to become only the fifth juvenile to sweep all three legs of the open division in the series' history.

Boca Boy had already faced Breeze On By once before, in the Dr. Fager, disputing the pace with the odds-on favorite before fading to finish a distant third. Trainer Cheryl Winebaugh and her husband Ken, who serves as her assistant, opted at that point to skip the Affirmed and prep for the In Reality by trying him on the turf in the Proud Man. They also added a set of blinkers.

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“After the three-quarter race (Dr. Fager) we put some blinkers on him because he was running a little green at the time,” Ken Winebaugh said. “The first time he ran against Breeze On By he was kind of looking at him and shying from him when they were alongside each other. He’s been a different horse after that. We decided to try the Proud Man because he had a little pedigree for the turf and we felt the experience would be good for him, especially going around two turns before the In Reality.”

In the In Reality, jockey Edgard Zayas and Boca Boy took the race right to Breeze On By from the outset, getting the jump and forcing Emisael Jaramillo aboard the prohibitive favorite to take a hold of his mount and ease back into the first turn. Boca Boy was able to control the running from that point on, rating kindly on the lead before having plenty left to hold safe Breeze On By's stretch-long challenge, which was compromised by some traffic issues down the backstretch and failing to switch leads until deep stretch.

“I told Edgard if you can cut and squeeze him (Breeze On By) off a little going to the first turn go ahead and put our horse in front,” Winebaugh said. “I really thought he had a shot if he could make the lead and get this slowed down. And I knew he loved the slop, the way he won his maiden in it in his first start. And when I saw Edgard peek under his arm and look back at the half-mile pole, I was really confident he had plenty of horse at that point.”

Kenneth Fishbein owns Boca Boy as well as the majority of the 14 horses in Winebaugh’s barn.

“We usually winter down here at Palm Meadows and race at Arlington Park during the summer, but we stayed down here this year because of the pandemic, and the fact we knew they’d keep racing at Gulfstream but were uncertain of the future back home,” Winebaugh said. “And I can’t thank Mr. Fishbein enough for the support he’s given us since 2013.”

Winebaugh said he and his wife have not ruled out taking Boca Boy to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

“We’re talking about it (Juvenile), although we’ll see what the costs might be getting him eligible and to take him there before making a final decision,” Winebaugh said.