Lea Farms' Lightening Larry, second in back-to-back stakes to end his juvenile campaign, turned away previously undefeated favorite Of a Revolution at the top of the stretch and sprinted clear to a front-running half-length triumph in the $100,000 Limehouse Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
The fifth running of the six-furlong Limehouse and the seventh renewal of the $100,000 Cash Run for fillies were among five stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds worth $550,000 in purses on a New Year's Day holiday program headlined by the $150,000 Mucho Macho Man.
Lightening Larry ($8.60) broke alertly and quickly established command under regular rider Romero Maragh, going the opening quarter-mile in 21.75 seconds pressed by Concrete Glory with Of a Revolution settled in fourth on the inside. Maragh remained unmoved as Of a Revolution tipped out to launch a bid leaving the far turn.
“He was just sitting on him, so I felt pretty good turning for home because he hadn't asked him at all. When he did ask him, he responded,” winning trainer Jeff Engler said. “This horse just keeps getting better.”
Of a Revolution, a winner of both his 2-year-old starts, had the length of the stretch to get by but couldn't reel in Lightening Larry, who ran five furlongs in 56.59 before finishing up in a sharp 1:09.40 over a fast main track.
“I didn't expect to be in front, honestly. I thought [Bueno Bueno] would break on top, but we broke so sharp and he just got out there comfortable and just kicked on, which was really nice,” Engler said. “He's a super nice colt.”
Of a Revolution was a clear second, with O Captain, stakes winning filly Last Leaf, Concrete Glory and Bueno Bueno completing the order of finish.
By Uncaptured, the Sovereign Award winner as Canada's champion 2-year-old and Horse of the Year in 2012, Lightening Larry now has three wins and three seconds in seven lifetime starts. He ran second to subsequent Remington Springboard Mile winner Make It Big in the seven-furlong Juvenile Sprint Oct. 30 at Gulfstream and most recently the six-furlong Inaugural Dec. 4 at Tampa Bay Downs.
“He's a grinder. He's a blue-collar horse that just goes out there and tries his heart out every time,” Engler said. “He lays it all on the line, and when he broke sharp I knew we were in a good spot.”
Engler said he has not settled on a next start for Lightening Larry. Upcoming dirt sprints for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream include the seven-furlong Claiborne Swale (G3) Feb. 5 and six-furlong Hutcheson March 19.
“We'll just see how he comes out of it and pick something from there,” Engler said.
Kathleen O. Powers Home a Winner in $100,000 Cash Run
Winngate Stables' Kathleen O., in just her second career race, overcame a poor start to sweep past horses on the far turn and power through the stretch to a 8 ½-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Cash Run at Gulfstream Park.
Handled by the Hall of Fame combination of jockey Javier Castellano and trainer Shug McGaughey, Kathleen O. ($6) completed about one mile in 1:35.97 over a fast main track to earn her second victory in as many tries. She raced once at 2, rallying from last for a head maiden special weight triumph in the slop Nov. 12 at Aqueduct.
“I was hoping she'd break better but she did that the first time. She didn't break that well and it takes her a few strides to get herself up underneath her,” McGaughey said. “Then when she does, [Castellano] said she was there and in a good flow. She got to horses in a hurry and finished up well, so I was very pleased with her. I think she's got a nice future in front of her.”
Breaking from Post 2 in a field of seven under Castellano, also aboard for her debut, Kathleen O. got shuffled back out of the gate and trailed the field as Mi Negrita led the group through splits of 22.74 and 44.94 seconds. Castellano began to let Kathleen O. roll in the clear three wide and she quickly began picking up horses, taking over the top spot from Mi Negrita once straightened for home.
“She has to come from behind. She showed first time in New York at Aqueduct on a sloppy track,” Castellano said. “I don't want to take that away because she doesn't want to be close to the pace. I let her do what she wants. I think Shug he did a great job with the horse. I think she's going to be a really good filly.”
Mi Negrita was a distant but determined second, followed by Fast and Flirty, Queen Camilla, Freccia d'Argento, Jumeirah and Surreal Fantasy.
“I think we've got a lot to look forward to,” McGaughey said. “I'm very pleased with the way she's come along and the way she ran today, and her maturity level. I was just saying to [my wife] Alison, think of what she's going to look like in a year from now. She's always been tall and she's still filling out.”
Kathleen O. is the first horse for Winngate's Patrick Kearney, a Chicago native who spent $275,000 for the dark bay or brown daughter of Upstart, millionaire winner of the 2015 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream. Kearney also has a 3-year-old Noble Mission colt named Cloudy, who went 0-for-2 in 2021.
“They're some people I've known for a while. I play golf with him and he kind of got to asking some questions last winter. I didn't know exactly where he was coming from, but then we ended up buying two horses. One of them is on the farm now but he'll be back, and this filly,” McGaughey said. “This is their first horse, so that worked out pretty good for them.”
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