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Boca Boy Takes To Slop, Upsets Breeze On By In Florida Sire Stakes In Reality

Breeze On By had dead aim on Boca Boy and a historic sweep Saturday of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes for male 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

With a furlong to the wire, he had pulled to within two lengths of the frontrunner.

But Boca Boy refused to allow the 1-5 favorite to blow on by and held on for the two-length victory in the $400,000 In Reality Division of the annual series for offspring of registered Florida sires, springing the upset at odds of 12-1.

Ridden by jockey Edgard Zayas, Boca Boy – who was coming out of a mile-long turf stakes – took well to the sloppy going, assumed early command of the 1 1/16-mile stakes, and maintained his lead to the wire, defeating the heavy favorite in the process.

Boca Boy, trained by Cheryl Winebaugh for owner Kenneth E. Fishbein, is a 2-year-old son of Prospective. He was making his fourth career start on Saturday, and the victory was his first since breaking his maiden over a sloppy track at Gulfstream on July 17.

The two geldings met in the first leg of the series, the six-furlong Dr. Fager Division, back on Aug. 1, with Boca Boy finishing more than nine lengths back in third.

But he was a new horse Saturday, and both the slop and added distance of the In Reality proved to his liking.

“I came into the race planning to make the best out of my horse and, at the same time, find a way to beat Breeze on By,” Zayas said. “I was trying to get the trip I wanted and put him in the spot to control the race from there. My horse kept on fighting and relaxed very well on the lead, which helped him a lot in the stretch.”

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Record $319.80 Winner Triggers Closing-Day Pick 5 Carryover At Monmouth Park

It was just around noon that jockey Tomas Mejia learned he'd picked up a mount on what looked like a hopeless longshot in Saturday's 13th race at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

A little more than six hours later he'd etched his name in the track's record book.

Andrez Conquist, a 158-1 shot ridden by Mejia, returned the biggest win price in Monmouth Park's 75-year history when he paid $319.80 in a shockingly easy four-length victory that erased a 69-year-old mark.

The former record for the highest win payoff in Monmouth history was $229.20, set on July 15, 1951.

Melvin Ovando owns and trains Andrez Conquist.

The stunning victory resulted in a Pick 5 carryover of $34,067 that will be part of a mandatory payout on closing day on Sunday. The carryover applies to the Pick 5 that starts in the first race on the 13-race card.

There is also a Jersey Shore Pick 6 carryover of $3,766 that will be part of a mandatory payout as well.

“I don't know what to say. Wow,” Mejia said after learning of the record-setting win. “They told me all the other jockeys that have ridden this horse have wanted to come from behind. The trainer said `get him close to the lead this time.' So I was able to sit behind (The Mormon Mauler) for most of the race and then he just finished strong. I don't know what else to say.”

Andrez Conquist tracked The Mormon Mauler for most of the mile and a sixteenth turf race before pulling away in the stretch.

Mejia only picked up the mount because Jorge Gonzalez opted to ride Storm Afleet, who came off the alternate list because of a scratch. Gonzalez had listed Andrez Conquist as his second choice in the race.

“My agent called me and told me I picked up a mount in the 13^th race and I said `okay, that sounds good,' ” said Mejia. “Then I looked and saw it was a longshot. But it was okay because I have ridden for Ovando before.”

In fact, the only three wins of Ovando's two-year training career have come with Mejia riding. Mejia booted home Reina La Kelsey for a $79.20 win mutual for Ovando's first career victory on July 24. Those same connections hooked up for a win on Sept. 6 at a win mutual of $24.20.

Andrez Conquist had been 0-for-6 lifetime entering the race, never finishing better than sixth.

First race post time for Sunday is 12:50 p.m.

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Mr. Money Rides Rail To Victory In Ack Ack At Churchill Downs

Allied Racing Stable and Spendthrift Farm's 4-year-old Goldencents colt, Mr. Money, saved ground throughout under Gabriel Saez, coming from off the pace to win Saturday's Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Bourbon Calling finished second, with Thirstforlife third and Dinar fourth in the field of 13 older runners going a one-turn mile on a fast dirt tracksa. Mr. Money covered the distance in 1:34.85, a stakes record, and paid $14.80.

Mr. Money is trained by Bret Calhoun.

Warrior's Charge, the 6-5 favorite, broke from the rail and set a quick pace, going the opening quarter in :22.61 and half mile in :44.48. American Anthem and Pioneer Spirit applied pressure on the frontrunner as the field turned into the stretch after six furlongs in 1:09.11, with 65-1 shot Pioneer Spirit poking his nose in front briefly at the top of the stretch.

Mr. Money, never far back, found a perfect spot on the rail in the long run down the backstretch and never left the wood, going through an opening in the stretch when Warrior's Charge drifted out and hitting the front inside the furlong pole.

“We sat a perfect trip,” said Saez. “This horse hasn't had things go his way this year and showed us the real Mr. Money today.”

The victory was the first for Mr. Money in five starts this year. He put together a four-race win streak of Grade 3 stakes in 2019 – the Pat Day Mile, Matt Winn Stakes, Indiana Derby and West Virginia Derby – then was beaten a neck in the G1 Pennsylvania Derby before finishing seventh in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Bred in Kentucky by Spruce Lane Farm, Mr. Money has now won six of 17 career starts.

“Gabe worked out a perfect trip on him,” said Calhoun. “I thought his last few tries weren't a fair assessment of who this horse is. He showed us who he was today. He loves this track and got to run out of his own stall.”

Calhoun said Mr. Money may make a second run in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, to be run at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

“Fingers crossed that will take us to the Breeders' Cup,” Allied Racing's Chester Thomas said. “We are so thrilled for this horse, Bret, his entire team and Gabe.”

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Horse For Course Firenze Fire Scores in Vosburgh

Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior), just a nose shy in a heart-stopping renewal of the GII Vosburgh S. last year, contested then as a Grade I, continued his love affair with Belmont Park in this ‘Win and You’re In’ for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland.

Firenze Fire sat a stalking trip in second through an opening quarter in :22.33, made his move at the leader as they stacked up four across the track past the quarter pole, and kicked home nicely to punch his ticket to Lexington. Favored Funny Guy (Big Brown) was second.

Previously campaigned by indicted former trainer Jason Servis, Firenze Fire’s Belmont Park highlight reel also includes wins in the 2017 GI Champagne S., 2018 GIII Dwyer S. and this term’s GII True North S. June 27.

He made four prior starts for Kelly Breen in 2020, following his win in the True North with a respectable fourth behind the brilliant Volatile (Violence) in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. July 25 and an 11th-place finish in a heavy downpour in a sloppy renewal of the GI Forego S. Aug. 29.

“You can put a line through his last race and he really performed today,” Breen said. “He loves Belmont. We’ll have to get him as used to Keeneland as he is to Belmont. I’ll bring a couple of buckets from here and put it down the Keeneland stretch and bring our track to Keeneland. He’s doing great. He looked great today and we’re on to the Breeders’ Cup [Sprint].”

Pedigree Notes:

Poseidon’s Warrior is the sire of Firenze Fire and black-type winner Navy Commander. The son of Speightstown started his stud career at Pleasant Acres in Florida, moved to Darby Dan in Kentucky for 2019, and relocated once again to Equistar in Pennsylvania for 2020. Firenze Fire is one of 66 stakes winners out of Langfuhr mares, and those numbers include champion Proud Spell (Proud Citizen) and 2017 GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky). Dam My Every Wish is out of a full-sister to 2011 Broodmare of the Year Oatsee (Unbridled), whose five black-type winners include MGISW Shackleford (Forestry) and GISW Lady Joanne (Orientate). Firenze Fire was his dam’s first foal, while her yearling, a colt named Just Leo, is a full-brother to the Vosburgh winner. Her colt born this year and already named Andiamo a Firenze is by Poseidon’s Warrior’s sire, Speightstown. My Every Wish was bred to Poseidon’s Warrior for 2021.

Saturday, Belmont
VOSBURGH S.-GII, $145,500, Belmont, 9-26, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.74, ft.
1–FIRENZE FIRE, 124, h, 5, by Poseidon’s Warrior
                1st Dam: My Every Wish, by Langfuhr
                2nd Dam: Mille Lacs, by Unbridled
                3rd Dam: With Every Wish, by Lear Fan
O/B-Mr Amore Stables (FL); T-Kelly J. Breen; J-Jose Lezcano.
$82,500. Lifetime Record: 29-12-3-2, $2,038,250. Werk Nick
Rating: A+ Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Funny Guy, 124, c, 4, Big Brown–Heavenly Humor, by
Distorted Humor. ($10,000 Ylg ’17 EASOCT; $45,000 2yo ’18
OBSAPR). O-Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable;
B-Hibiscus Stables (NY); T-John P. Terranova II. $30,000.
3–Share the Ride, 124, g, 5, Candy Ride (Arg)–Belle of the Hall,
by Graeme Hall. ($47,000 RNA Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $175,000 2yo
’17 FTFMAR). O-Silvino Ramirez; B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY);
T-Antonio Arriaga. $18,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 1 1/4, 4 3/4. Odds: 2.60, 1.90, 5.30.
Also Ran: True Timber, Engage. Scratched: Stan the Man. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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