Travy Boy pulls major upset in Sunshine Millions Sprint Preview

MIAMI – A pair of major upsets and the emergence of a couple of juveniles to watch during the Gulfstream Park Championship meeting this winter were among the highlights of Saturday’s Sunshine Millions Preview program at Gulfstream Park West.

Travy Boy and Picara lit up the tote board during the second half of the card. Travy Boy went wire to wire to capture the $75,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint Preview, while Picara slipped up the rail to take the Filly and Mare Turf Preview for the second straight year. The pair posted win mutuels of $45.80 and $58.60, respectively.

Travy Boy, who could not beat $6,250 conditioned claimers in June, has now registered three wins and three seconds from his last six starts and remains undefeated at Gulfstream Park West. Under clever handling by jockey Paco Lopez, Travy Boy led throughout and proved an easy winner despite drifting out past the middle of the racetrack through the final furlong.

Kentucky invader He Hate Me finished a disappointing third as the 3-5 favorite.

Travy Boy, a 4-year-old Gemologist gelding, is trained by Michel Arrieta for owner Manuel Real. He ran six furlongs in 1:09.70.

The fact Picara was sent postward as a 25-1 outsider in the Filly and Mare Turf Preview is somewhat surprising considering the 4-year-old filly won the race a year ago in gate-to-wire fashion at a more modest price of 4-1. Picara used somewhat different tactics to defend her crown, rallying from off the pace of the favorite Daddy’s Boo, slipping up the rail under jockey Rajiv Maragh to register her first victory in six starts this season.

Picara is owned by her breeder, P and G Stable, and trained by Jorge Delgado.

As Seen On Tv and Captain D will bear watching in the 3-year-old division this winter after posting popular and relatively easy victories in the $75,000 Juvenile Sprint and Juvenile Turf respectively.

As Seen On Tv ran down the pacesetting Smash Factor to win for the second time in three career starts, his lone setback a second-place finish behind the heavily favored Meru in the Smoke Glacken Stakes at Monmouth Park.

A son of Lookin At Lucky trained by Kelly Breen, As Seen On Tv returned $4.60 after completing 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.36. The win was the fourth on the day and third stakes tally for Lopez.

Captain D, multiple stakes-placed against open company during the Gulfstream Park summer meet, found statebred competition more to his liking, drawing off with authority to prove a popular winner of the 7 1/2-furlong Juvenile Turf.

“He’s an overachiever who tries hard and also probably appreciated the drop in class against Florida-breds today,” said trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. “He missed a work going into his last start but today came into the race as good as we could get him.”

Ridden to victory by Edgard Zayas, Captain D paid $3 while finishing a mile in 1:37.96. He is campaigned by Donald and Rebecca Ming.

Ceci Valentina, who rallied to an upset victory in the seven-furlong Susan’s Girl Stakes, middle leg of the Florida Sire Stakes, this summer at Gulfstream Park, won the $75,000 Juvenile Fillies Sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs. It was the third triumph in five starts for the Angel Rodriguez-trained filly, who was ridden to victory by her regular rider Marco Meneses. She returned $9.20.