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Breeze On By Leads 1-2-3-4 Finish For Stonehedge In FSS Affirmed

Breeze On By led a 1-2-3-4 finish for Stonehedge LLC at Gulfstream Park with a commanding 7 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $200,000 Affirmed, the second leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes for juveniles sired by accredited Florida stallions at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla..

The Affirmed, a seven furlong open division, co-headlined Saturday's program with the $200,000 Susan's Girl, a seven-furlong stakes for fillies, which were supported by the $75,000 Proud Truth, a mile turf stakes for 2-year-olds, and the $75,000 Sharp Susan, a mile turf stakes for juvenile fillies. All four stakes were included in the six-race sequence of the Rainbow 6 on a day when a mandatory payout was held.

Trainer Ralph Nicks, who saddled Breeze On By for a victory in the $100,000 Dr. Fager in the first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes four weeks earlier, won his fourth consecutive running of the Affirmed. The son of Cajun Breeze also gave Nicks his eighth Florida Sire Stakes success since 2016 while providing Gil Campbell's Stonehedge Farm with a 15^th victory in the tradition-rich series.

“I just feel blessed to be in Florida for seven years and win this many [Sire] Series,” said Nicks, who also captured the Affirmed the previous three seasons with Soutache (2017), Garter and Tie (2018) and Liam's Lucky Charm (2019). “I learned early on that you need to be a part of this and was lucky to have owners send me some talented horses and it's worked.”

The Nicks-trained Big Daddy Dave and Seazan finished second and third, respectively, while the Kathleen O'Connell-trained Top Boss finished fourth to round out the Stonehedge superfecta.

Breeze On By, the 4-5 favorite ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, broke alertly from the starting gate but was beaten for the early lead by Gatsby, the 5-2 second choice who showed the way along the backstretch under a hustling ride by Hector Berrios. Breeze On By pressed the pace during swift fractions of 22.14 and 44.22 for the first half mile before putting away the tiring pacesetter on the turn into the homestretch and drawing away to a comfortable victory.

Breeze On By, undefeated in three starts, ran seven furlongs in 1:22.75. Big Daddy Dave made a wide bid of the final turn and finished second, 2 ½ lengths ahead of a late-rallying Seazan.

“They're nice horses. Thank you to Stonehedge for sending us some great horses. We're lucky to work with such talented horses,” Nicks said. “Breeze On By was able to rate and sit there with Big Daddy Dave in the hunt and could have pushed if he needed to, but he will settle and follow if he needs to.}

Breeze On By is scheduled to make a bid to become the fifth male to sweep the Florida Sire Stakes in the $400,000 In Reality, the 1 1/16-mile series finale Sept. 26. With a victory he would join Three Rules (2016), Sir Oscar (2003), Seacliff (1995) and Smile (1984)

“Doing this series is tough on them and we'll see. There are two other horses in this race that ran well so nothing will be a gift, but it's nice to have a horse this talented and have those options in front of you.”

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Breeze On By, Gatsby Prep For Rematch In Florida Sire Stakes Affirmed Division

Stonehedge LLC's Breeze On By is scheduled to seek his third straight victory and second leg of the 2020 Florida Sire Stakes series Aug. 29 in the $200,000 Affirmed at Gulfstream Park.

The gelded son of Cajun Breeze is set to square off against Arindel's Gatsby, whom he defeated by a hard-fought length in the $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager, the Aug. 1 first leg of the tradition rich series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida stallions. The homebred gelding rushed to the lead from his rail post position, set a pressured pace and battled back when headed by Gatsby to prevail in the six-furlong sprint.

Trained by Ralph Nicks, Breeze On By is undefeated in two starts, including a sensational front-running six-length victory in his July 12 debut at Gulfstream. Stonehedge and Nicks will also be represented by Seazan, a son of Khozan who broke his maiden in his second career start on the Dr. Fager undercard.

Gatsby, a homebred son of Brethren who finished 8 ¼ lengths clear of the third-place finisher in the Dr. Fager, won his April 12 debut, in which he chased odds-on favorite Golden Pal into the stretch before edging away to victory by three-quarters of a length. The Wesley Ward-trained Golden Pal went on to finish second in the Norfolk (G2) at Royal Ascot, while Gatsby finished off-the-board in the June 27 Bashford Manor (G3) at Churchill Downs. Gatsby rebounded with a strong effort in the Dr. Fager.

The field for the seven-furlong Affirmed is also expected to include Kenneth Fishbein's Boca Boy and Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa's Famous Gent, who finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Dr. Fager.

Kenny McPeek, who trains the No. 1-ranked 3-year-old filly in the country in Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) and Alabama (G1) winner Swiss Skydiver, will seek dominance in the Florida Sire Stakes filly division with newcomer Raining Sunshine in the $200,000 Susan's Girl . Martin Erin Haught's homebred daughter of First Dude graduated in her second career start while romping to a 5 ¾-length maiden victory at Gulfstream Aug. 2.

Stonehedge LLC, which has won 14 Florida Sire Stakes series races, will also be well represented in the seven-furlong Susan's Girl by Go Jo Jo Go, who captured the first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series for fillies. The Michael Yates-trained daughter of Khozan closed from last to capture the $100,000 Desert Vixen by 1 ¼ lengths over favored Princess Secret. Stonehedge LLC will also be represented by Oh Deborah, a Ralph Nicks-trained daughter of Winslow Homer who debuted with a 3 ½-length victory in a $50,000 maiden claiming race by 3 ¼ lengths July 19.

Princess Secret, a daughter of Khozan owned and trained by Daniel Pita, is expected to try to make amends in the seven-furlong Susan's Girl. Princess Secret, who debuted May 7 with a four-length victory, finished a troubled second behind highly regarded Papetu while taking on the boys in a July 5 allowance before finishing second in the Desert Vixen.

Arindel's Freak, a daughter of Brethren who finished a nose behind Princess Secret while checking in third in the Desert Vixen, is slated to return in the Susan's Girl. Arindel will also be represented by Lyrical, a daughter of Brethren who finished sixth in the Desert Vixen.

Trainer Steven Dwoskin's Alluramore, a daughter of Gone Astray who finished an even fourth in the Desert Vixen, is expected to run in the Susan's Girl.

The Florida Sire Stakes series is scheduled to wrap up Sept. 26 with the $400,000 In Reality and the $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies.

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Trainer Ralph Nicks Doubles Up In For Florida Sires Stakes Dr. Fager

Trainer Ralph Nicks has become a major Florida Sire Stakes player in recent years, saddling the winners of six races since 2016 in the tradition-rich series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida.

Nicks, who has been based year-round in Florida since Gulfstream Park instituted a Spring/Summer Meet in 2013, will seek to continue his Florida Sire Stakes success in the $100,000 Dr. Fager, which will co-headline Saturday's Florida Sire Stakes program with the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies. Both stakes will be contested at six furlongs.

Nicks' two entries in the Dr. Fager – Stonehedge LLC's Breeze On By and Jacks or Better Farm's Little Demon – aren't likely to be regarded lightly in the first leg of the series. Not only will they be saddled by a trainer who has demonstrated a deft hand with juveniles, but they will also represent the two most successful owners in the history of the series that was inaugurated in 1982.

Gil Campbell and his Stonehedge Farm have amassed 12 Florida Sire Stakes victories, including a series sweep by Scandalous Act (2013). Fred Brei's Jacks or Better Farm has won a record 19 races in the lucrative series, including series sweeps by half-brothers Jackson Bend (2009) and Fort Loudon (2011), as well as Awesome Feather (2010), who went on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and an Eclipse Award.

Nicks has already visited the Florida Sire Stakes winner's circle with Stonehedge LLC's Lucky Charm (2019 Affirmed) and Jacks or Better Farm's Garter and Tie (2018 Affirmed) among his six FSS successes.

“They both have good programs and they're both great to work for,” Nicks said. “We're on the same page.”

Stonehedge LLC's Breeze On By made a rather auspicious debut while capturing a July 12 maiden special weight race at Gulfstream by six lengths. The homebred son of Cajun Breeze ran the six-furlong distance in 1:11.82.

“It was a very impressive race. I'm not crazy about the three weeks wheel-back,” said Nicks, who would have had as many as three Dr. Fager entrants had Stonehedge LLC's sharp debut winner Big Daddy Dave not come down with a fever. “But with the one sick, and the one doing well, you better lead him over there.”

Jacks or Better Farm's Little Demon will enter Florida Sire Stakes action as a maiden but showed promise while finishing second in his June 20 debut, in which he chased loose-on-the-lead Papetu and finished 2 ¾ lengths clear of the third-place finisher. Papetu went on to capture the first allowance for 2-year-olds this year at Gulfstream and is being pointed to the Aug. 7 Saratoga Special (G2).

“He came out of a good race. He ran well and is training well,” said Nicks, who saddled Raroma Stable's Phantom Ro for a victory in the 2017 Dr. Fager. “Hopefully, he'll move forward.”

Before going on his own, Nicks was involved in the training of two-time Horse of the Year Cigar and many other veteran stakes stars as an assistant to Hall of Fame Bill Mott, but he has rapidly built a reputation for developing promising juveniles.

“It's always fun to see them come up and see them mature and develop. We got some earlier this year than in the past, but it's funny how some of them are just coming around and doing well,” Nicks said. “Two-year-olds – everybody shoots for them. If you don't have 2-year-olds, you don't have a future.”

Emisael Jaramillo has the return mount aboard Breeze On By, while Samy Camacho is scheduled to ride Little Demon for the first time Saturday.

Seven-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher, who has captured 16 Championship Meet titles at Gulfstream, appears to have a solid shot at winning his first Florida Sire Stakes while basing a stable division at Gulfstream during his first Sprint/Summer Meet for the first time.

J A G Racing and Jettany Thoroughbred Corp.'s Son of a Beast, a gutsy debut winner at Gulfstream, is scheduled to return for Pletcher in the Dr. Fager. The son of The Big Beast set a pressured pace throughout a five-furlong maiden special weight race June 24 and continued on gamely to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

“I thought he was impressive in his debut. I'm looking forward to running him,” said Pletcher, who will also be represented by debut winner Tamiami in the Desert Vixen. “He's always trained well. We expected him to come out running first time, so we sort of had this race in mind for a while.”

Edgard Zayas has the return call on Son of a Beast.

Arindel's Gatsby, an impressive debut winner April 17, will be looking to rebound from an off-the-board finish in the June 27 Bashford Manor (G3) at Churchill Downs. The homebred son of Brethren pulled off an upset victory over heavily favored Golden Pal in his debut at 4 ½ furlongs, chasing the Wesley Ward-trained odds-on favorite into the stretch before edging clear by three-quarters of a length. Golden Pal went on to finish second in the Norfolk (G2) at Royal Ascot.

Hector Berrios is slated to ride the Juan Alvarado-trained Gatsby for the first time Saturday.

Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. will seek his 13th Florida Sire Stakes success with Famous Gent, a son of First Dude owned and bred by his wife, Laurie, and Trilogy Stable.

Famous Gent rallied from off the pace to graduate in his second start June 5 while running five furlongs in 58.87 seconds. He lost all chance at the start of a subsequent allowance after encountering heavy bumping but closed to finish third behind highly regarded Papetu.

Cristian Torres has the return mount.

Kenneth Fishbein's Boca Boy enters the Dr. Fager off an impressive 7 ½-length win in his July 17 debut at Gulfstream. The son of Prospective led throughout the 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight race under Angel Arroyo, who has the return call on the Cheryl Winebaugh trainee.

Edward Schuster's Valiant Thor, a homebred son of Two Step Salsa, is slated to make his first start at Gulfstream Saturday after scoring a front-running 8 ½-length victory in his July 1 debut at Tampa Bay Downs. Ronnie Allen Jr. is named to ride by Dennis Ward-trained juvenile.

Trainer Michael Maker will be represented by two juveniles in the Dr. Fager – Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher's Casalsa, a son of Two Step Salsa who was claimed for $50,000 out of a front-running victory June 27 in his second start, and Three Diamonds Farm's Lost Lover, a son of Gone Astray who is slated to make his debut Saturday.

Magic Stables LLC's Paladio and Oakleaf Farm's Mr. Tingles, who both graduated in the claiming ranks, and All Together Stable's Social Equality, an unraced maiden, round out the field.

The Dr. Fager the Desert Vixen will be followed by the $200,000 Affirmed and the $200,000 Susan's Girl for fillies, both slated for seven furlongs Aug. 29, and the $400,000 In Reality and the $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies, both to be run around two turns at 1 1/16 miles Sept. 26.

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