Stud Vendaval Inc. and trainer Amador Sanchez's Todo Fino has clearly demonstrated he knows how to win, having captured 11 of his 16 career starts in both Chile and the U.S. The 6-year-old win machine will seek to add a graded-stakes victory to his impressive resume Saturday in the $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
The Chilean-bred sprinter is scheduled to make his 2023 debut in the six-furlong 'Summit of Speed' feature that will headline an 11-race program.
“The horse is training nice for this race. I wanted to run the horse a month ago, but the race didn't go. I waited for the stake,” Sanchez said. “I think this is a good race for him.”
Todo Fino was sired by Verrazano, a son of More than Ready who launched his career with back-to-back wins at Gulfstream Park before going on to win the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), Wood Memorial (G1) and Haskell (G1) in 2013.
Multiple stakes-winning Todo Fino captured his final race in Chile by six lengths carrying 130 pounds in April of last year. He surfaced at Del Mar Sept. 2 while making his U.S. debut for Sanchez, who ventured from Chile to South Florida in 2019. After racing at five-furlong and six-furlong distances in Chile, Todo Fino impressively captured a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance by a half-length after resisting race-long pressure.
Todo Fino came right back to register a front-running victory in a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance at Santa Anita six weeks later to conclude his 2022 season.
“The horse needed the time, and now he's right,” said Sanchez, whose Smile entrant breezed a half mile from the gate in 47.68 seconds, the fastest of 66 workouts recorded at the distance on June 17 prior to working a half-mile in 47.41 seconds Sunday at Gulfstream.
Sanchez expects Todo Fino to set or contest the pace in the Smile.
“He's very fast. For me, he's run in the front. He's very good in the gate,” said Sanchez, who also entered Matriarca's Figureti, a Chilean-bred who finished third behind Todo Fino at Santa Anita before winning one of five starts this year.
Edgar Perez has the mount on Todo Fino, while Edwin Gonzalez has the call on Figureti, a stretch-running son of Constitution.
Lea Farms LLC's Willy Boi is scheduled to make a title defense in the Smile, which he won by a length last year. The Jorge Delgado-trained son of Uncaptured went on to finish third in the Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga in his next start.
After finishing a successful season with an off-the-board finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland, the 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding has been winless in four starts this year, including a fifth-place finish in the Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico last time out.
Jose Batista is scheduled to ride Willy Boi for the first time Saturday.
Stonehedge LLC's Dean Delivers enters the Smile off his first stakes victory in the May 20 Big Drama, a race won by Willy Boi prior to his Smile score. The 4-year-old son of Cajun Breeze, who drew off by 3 ¾ lengths, was graded-stakes placed in the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector (G3) and mile Harlan's Holiday (G3) during the Championship Meet.
Emisael Jaramillo has the return mount aboard Michael Yates-trained Dean Delivers.
Keith Johnston's Big and Classy is scheduled to make his stakes debut in the Smile on a streak of six victories, the last four for trainer Bobby DiBona. The 6-year-old gelding, who had won only one of his first 10 races, started his winning streak in the $20,000 claiming ranks and most recently captured a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance.
Leonel Reyes, the Royal Palm Meet's leading rider, has the return mount on Big and Classy.
Starship Stables and trainer Steve Dwoskin's Starship Renegade, Russell Staggs' Doc Amster, and Champion Equine LLC's Spankster round out the field.
The post ‘Now He’s Right’: After Winter Off, Chilean-Bred Sprinter Todo Fino Chasing Graded Status In Smile Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
