Long Range Toddy's 2 1/4-length score in a seven-furlong allowance/optional claimer July 16 was his first victory since Mar. 16, 2019, when he took a division of that year's split GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park, two prep races prior to his brush with infamy in the Kentucky Derby.

Despite his win drought being ended, another remarkable aspect of Long Range Toddy's career remains intact: Although he flirted with favoritism before Sunday's race went off, he closed as the 2.4-1 second choice. Amazingly, this means that despite bankrolling more than $1.2 million in earnings in a career that now spans 37 starts all up and down the class structure, the betting public has never once sent off Long Range Toddy as the favorite in the wagering.

How many other equine millionaires can claim that feat? TDN is not sure, because such esoteric stats aren't easy to verify (although we'd welcome input from readers with better memories or access to a more robust database).

For a large chunk of his career Long Range Toddy was campaigned by his breeder, Willis Horton. Owner Zenith Racing acquired him in the spring of 2022. In a trainer switch on Sunday, he started for the first time for conditioner Victor Barboza, Jr. The winning rider was Emisael Jaramillo. It was lifetime win number five Long Range Toddy.

In the 2019 Kentucky Derby, Long Range Toddy was a 54-1 long shot already beginning to fade on the far turn when he was forced to check sharply as part of chain-reaction crowding that the Churchill Downs stewards deemed to have been caused by first-across-the-wire Maximum Security.

After 22 agonizing minutes of examining replays, the stewards took the win away from Maximum Security, placing him behind Long Range Toddy, who ended up 17th under the wire. Country House was declared the official winner of the Derby via DQ. The connections of Maximum Security sued in federal court to get the result overturned, but the DQ stood.

As fate would have it, this past week actually turned out to be newsworthy for the only three remaining active alums of that bizarre 2019 Derby.

On July 12, Gray Magician (Graydar), who finished 19th and last in the 2019 Derby, won a $20,000 claiming sprint at Canterbury Park by 3 1/2 lengths as the 9-10 favorite. He's been claimed five times and has had six different trainers while racing at 15 different tracks globally, from Meydan to Arizona Downs. His lifetime record now stands at 5-for-41 with $921,460 in earnings for current owner Kirk Sutherland and trainer Jose Silva, Jr.

Also on Sunday, just hours before Long Range Toddy's win, the connections of Tax (Arch), who crossed the wire 15th in the 2019 Derby, announced the retirement of the 7-year-old, who most recently ran second in the Mar. 11 GIII Challenger S. at Tampa Bay Downs. Tax retires at 5-for-19 and with $1,102,190 in earnings. He was owned in partnership by R.A. Hill Stable and trainer Danny Gargan.

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Bad Beat Brian ($10.20) ran five furlongs in :54.78 over a firm turf course to extend trainer Mike Maker's record to 19 career Claiming Crown victories with his first in the Canterbury. He has won at least one race in all but three Claiming Crowns since 2007.

“Hopefully, we'll get a couple more,” Maker said.

Bad Beat Brian was unhurried under jockey Emisael Jaramillo while saving ground in the early going, as Oct. 2 Laurel Dash winner Xy Speed went right to the front and was challenged by Admiral Abe through a sizzling opening quarter-mile in :21.12. Xy Speed maintained an advantage around the turn and straightened for home in front after going a half in :43.46, with Jaramillo swinging out into the clear.

“The horse broke really sharp and the pace was lively. I was just hoping we'd have a chance somewhere to get out, and he did and ran them down,” Maker said. “As soon as he got him out without getting stopped, I felt pretty confident.”

Xy Speed held second, with 24-1 long shot The Connector third, and Harry's Ontheloose fourth. Discreet Tune was fifth with narrow 3-1 favorite Belgrano checking in seventh.

A 4-year-old Jack Milton gelding, Bad Beat Brian had gone winless in four starts since being claimed back by Maker for $40,000 July 16 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., after losing him for $62,500 one start earlier at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

“He's good. He's a maintenance-free horse, very easy-going,” Maker said. “He's a favorite around the barn.”

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Owned by former Major League Baseball star Victor Martinez's Victoria's Ranch, King of Dreams was coming off a pair of off-the-board finishes in turf stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. The 3-year-old son of Air Force Blue had previously won twice in five starts over Gulfstream's turf course.

King of Dreams' victories were achieved in front-running fashion while racing around two turns, but jockey Emisael Jaramillo employed opposite tactics Saturday for the one-turn 5 ½-furlong overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up over the all-weather surface. The Kentucky-bred 3-year-old settled well behind pacesetter and 4-5 favorite Wind of Change, who was closely stalked by Harry's Ontheloose and Yes I Am Free along the backstretch and far turn. Wind of Change held off Harry's Ontheloose through the stretch but was unable to withstand the far-outside surge of King of Dreams, who prevailed by three-quarters of a length at 11-1.

King of Dreams ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:06.42. Wind of Change finished second, a neck ahead of Harry's Ontheloose.

Earlier on the program, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. saddled Make It Big for a most promising debut victory in a seven-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds. Owned by Red Oak Stable, the Florida-bred son of Neolithic scored an 8 ½ -length front-running triumph under Edgard Zayas. The 4-5 favorite was bought at the OBS April sale for $120,000.

Rajiv Maragh is back in winning form after a slow start to the 2021 season. The multiple Grade 1 stakes-winning jockey with more than 1900 wins and $100 million in purses-won visited the winner's circle for the fourth time in the last two days with Free Play ($8.80) in Saturday's Race 9. Maragh, who multiple Grade 1 stakes aboard champion Groupie Doll and Main Sequence, rode three winners on Friday's program.

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The In Reality, a 1 1/16-mile route for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida stallions, co-headlined Saturday's 12-race program with the $400,000 My Dear Girl, the 1 1/16-mile finale for Florida-sired 2-year-old fillies.

Coming off a front-running score in the $200,000 Affirmed, the seven-furlong second leg of the lucrative series for Florida-sired juveniles, Octane offered a repeat performance while carrying his natural speed around two turns for the first time.

The homebred son of Brethren broke alertly from his No. 7 post position to take the lead on the first turn and show the way along the backstretch, where he came under strong pressure to his outside by Cattin. Octane put away Cattin on the far turn, where Cajun's Magic, the Affirmed runner-up, launched his bid after saving ground behind the pacesetters. The winner of the first leg of the FSS Series, the $100,000 Dr. Fager, kicked in through the stretch but was no match for Octane, the even-money favorite who scored by 1 ¾ lengths to win his third straight race since finishing second in his career debut.

The Carlos David-trained Octane ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.97 under Emisael Jaramillo. Cajun's Magic, who was ridden by Jesus Rios, finished 6 ½ lengths clear of third-place finisher Cattin.

“I have plenty of confidence in Jaramillo. He's a great rider. He's one of the top jocks here in the summer and in the winter, as well. The plan was, obviously, he's got speed, so we don't want to take that away from him. Just break good, sit outside a little bit and whenever he wants to make the lead, let him do it and see where he goes,” David said. “He's got that speed and every time you have a horse that goes to the lead [distance] is always a question. I'm just glad he was able to do it. He's got a lot of talent.”

Octane exceeded the early expectations of Arindel stable manager Brian Cohen with his impressive two-turn debut.

“It's great. Carlos has done a great job. Back before we sent him to Carlos, he worked one time on the farm super-fast. I wanted to send him a good one. He's a little horse and Carlos does great with these speed horses,” Cohen said. “I never thought that he'd be doing the mile and a sixteenth. He just gets out there and doesn't stop. We're so happy. We have the perfect rider for him. It was just a great effort and a great effort by those guys.”

By passing the two-turn test in the In Reality, his connections have reason to at least take a look at the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., Nov. 5.

“We'll see how the numbers come back and we'll talk to Carlos and see how we fit,” Cohen said. “No rush, but we'll make a decision in the next week or so.”

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The Rainbow 6 will begin with the fifth race, a maiden claiming event for 3-year-olds and up over a 1 1/8th mile turf course. There are three turf races in the sequence.

Sunday's program signals the end of the Spring/Summer Meet. While Saffie Joseph Jr. has the training title wrapped up and Arindel will be leading owner, the Spring/Summer riding title will come down to Sunday between Edgard Zayas and Emisael Jaramillo.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

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The Bear's Den, a 7-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds, headlined Sunday's 10-race program that also featured the $60,000 Pembroke Park, a five-furlong overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Officiating, who is stakes-placed on turf, seemed to relish the sloppy track Sunday, when a heavy mid-afternoon shower forced the Bear's Den, scheduled for 7 ½ furlongs on turf, to be run on the main track at seven furlongs.

Officiating, who was ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, settled nicely on the backstretch a few lengths behind a solid pace set by Exchange Day and pressed by Dark Timber. The pacesetters were joined by Papetu, who made a three-wide sweep on the far turn. Dark Timber took the lead into the stretch off half-mile fractions of 22.46 and 45.31 seconds with Papetu looming boldly on the far outside. Eased off the rail for the stretch run, Officiating quickly accelerated and surged between Dark Timer and Papetu to grab the lead inside the 1/16th-pole with legs fresh enough to hold the favorite at bay and claim his first career stakes win.

Formerly trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Officiating ran seven furlongs in 1:23.11 in his third start for Joseph. Papetu, who won the Carry Back two starts back, finished second under Edgard Zayas, four lengths ahead of Dark Timber and jockey Edwin Gonzalez.

The Pembroke Park was also moved from the turf course to the main track, which posed no inconvenience to Golden Kernel Racing Stable's Yes I Am Free, who scored a narrow hard-fought victory and second success in as many starts on off going.

The Laura Cazares-trained Yes I Am Free also notched his first stakes victory since winning the Texas Glitter at five furlongs on turf at Gulfstream in February 2019.

The son of Uncaptured also benefitted from troubled trips that compromised graded-stakes winners Miles Ahead, the 2-1 favorite who trailed the field early after being bumped at the start, and Double Crown, who was forced to race very wide after breaking a step slowly from his far-outside post position.

Yes I Am Free chased early pacesetter Malroux before taking over the lead heading into the stretch with Double Crown on the attack to his outside. Double Crown's progress slowed in mid-stretch but Yes I Am Free was in the sights of rallying Man of Honor and Miles Ahead. The Florida-bred gelding responded to urging from Miguel Vasquez to win by a neck over a surging Miles Ahead, who had launched a very wide extended rally on the far turn. Man of Honor finished third, another neck back and a half-length ahead of Double Crown.

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The Affirmed, a seven-furlong open-division sprint, and the $200,000 Affirmed, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies, co-headlined Saturday's second leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes for juveniles sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida.

Octane, one of four Arindel homebred sons of Brethren in an 11-horse field, broke alertly from his rail position and rushed up to lead along the backstretch, pressed by Lightning Larry and stalked by Big and Classy, $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager winner Cajun's Magic, and King Cab. Octane set fractions of :22.50 and :45.24 for the first half-mile with Cajun's Magic looming prominently in pursuit turning into the stretch. The Dr. Fager winner gave it his best shot, but Octane kicked clear through the stretch under Emisael Jaramillo to complete the seven furlongs in 1:25.16.

Cajun's Magic, the 7-5 favorite, finished second under Jesus Rios, three lengths ahead of Big and Classy and jockey Edwin Gonzalez.

Octane, who finished second in his June 18 debut, was coming off a July 17 maiden victory in which he overcame traffic and fractious behavior at the starting gate.

“I love this little horse. He's small but he has a ton of heart,” trainer Carlos David said. “He was a little bit nervous prior to his second start. He was a little wild behind the gate. I had to put a lot of gate work into him and teach him to stand right. He's got some growing up to do, but I think he's going to be all right.”

Octane, who was sent to post at 10-1, was stretching out two furlongs from his five-furlong maiden score.

“I think the workout he had about a week ago was key. It was five furlongs, galloping out three-quarters in 1:13. That told me that he can definitely get the distance. I was very confident coming into this race,” David said.

The 2021 Florida Sire Stakes series will conclude Sept. 25 at Gulfstream with the open-division $400,000 In Reality and the $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies. Both races will be run around two turns at 1 1/16 miles.

“I know the next leg is a mile-and-sixteenth, so it is challenging. I'll have to talk to the connections. Arindel has been great. They've given me the opportunity to train for them,” David said. “We have great communication. We'll talk about it and make a plan.”

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Bred by Gil Campbell's Stonehedge LLC, The 5-year-old son of With Distinction, who captured the 2019 Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs in Tampa, Fla., won his sixth race from nine starts since coming off a layoff following a private purchase by his trainer Kathleen O'Connell.

“He needed some time off and Mr. Campbell has a lot of horses. I was willing to give him some time off,” O'Connell said of the sale. “It's a gamble. Sometimes, they come back and sometimes they don't. I have ones come back that have never been half of what they were. I'm just glad he made a whole recovery, and Mr. Campbell still reaps the benefits because he's the breeder. It's a win, win, win.”

Well Defined, who was sent to post as the 6-5 favorite in a field of seven in the seven-furlong stakes for Florida-breds, was beaten to the lead by Travy Boy, who set fractions of :22.75 and :45.03 seconds for the first half mile while pressed by the favorite. Well Defined took the lead entering the stretch under Emisael Jaramillo but started to falter in the final yards and was just able to hold off the late outside surge by Shivaree, a multiple-stakes winner who finished second behind Tiz The Law in the 2020 Grade 1 Florida Derby.

“I think he's better loose on the lead, but I think Jaramillo made a great decision sitting off a horse that was sharp coming off a layoff,” O'Connell said.

Well Defined, who earned a $25,000 Florida Sire Stakes Win Only bonus in addition to the winner's share of the purse, ran seven furlongs in 1:23.47. Shivaree finished three-quarters of a length ahead of third-place finisher Pro Quality.

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The City of Dania, a one-turn mile overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up, headlined an 11-race program that wrapped up a weekend of racing action that included Papetu's victorious comeback in the $75,000 Carry Back and Competitive Speed's return to winning form in the Hallandale Beach on Saturday.

Out of a half-sister to 2010 Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Big Drama and full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Sheer Drama, Noble Drama with Emisael Jaramillo collected his seventh career stakes victory at Gulfstream Park with a 1 1/2-length decision over pacesetter I'm a G Six.

“What a horse,” said trainer David Fawkes, who also campaigned Noble Drama's more famous family members.

Jesus' Team, who finished sixth in the $10 million Grade 1 Dubai World Cup March 27 after checking in second behind Knicks Go in the $3 million Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Jan. 23, raced evenly under Samy Camacho while proving unable to employ the stretch kick that powered him to a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes.

“Samy said he felt good but that maybe he needed a race,” trainer Jose D'Angelo said. “I know he had a lot of weight. Now we just have to check him and make a decision.”

Jesus' Team carried 127 pounds as the starting highweight while conceding between five and 12 pounds to his seven rivals, including five pounds to Noble Drama.

The victorious 6-year-old gelding, who went to post as the 5-2 second betting choice, was coming off a late-rallying triumph in the My Name's Jimmy overnight handicap May 22 off a four-month layoff.

“That last race took a lot out of him but it gave him plenty of time to recover. This week while training he's been bucking and playing like a yearling,” Fawkes said. “He's so much fun. He shows up every time.”

I'm a G Six, who was coming off an impressive optional claiming allowance victory, was hustled to an early lead by jockey Rajiv Maragh and proceeded to set a blistering pace, putting up eye-catching fractions of :22.81 for the first quarter and :45.12 for the first half mile and 1:08.89 for six furlongs. Pro Quality chased the pacesetter into the stretch under Chantal Sutherland and briefly appeared on his way to victory inside the eighth pole, but Noble Drama loomed in full strike on the far outside and claimed the victory. I'm a G Six battled back to finish second, a neck ahead of Pro Quality.

Noble Drama ran the mile in 1:35.09.

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“I very happy to win this race, because when I came into this country Bob Umphrey helped me so much. At the time, he was the racing secretary at Calder,” said the Italian-born Cioffi, who emigrated from Venezuela in 2001. “I'm proud to win this race.”

The Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint, a five-furlong turf dash for 3-year-olds and up, wrapped up the Fourth of July Weekend stakes action that got underway on Saturday's Summit of Speed card, highlighted by Ce Ce's triumph in the $350,000 Grade 2 Princess Rooney Invitational and Miles Ahead's mild upset victory in the $200,000 Grade 3 Smile Sprint Invitational.

Warrior's Pride, a 3-year-old son of Poseidon's Warrior who was sent to post at 9-1, rocketed to the early lead as Caribou Club, the 8-5 favorite, and Ete Indien, the 7-2 second choice, got away slowly. The Cioffi trainee set fractions of :22.03 for the first quarter and :44.92 seconds for the first half-mile while maintaining a clear lead into the stretch under Emisael Jaramillo. Tiger Blood, the veteran turf sprinter with 19 career victories, made a late surge from off the pace but fell a neck short of catching the pacesetter. Yes I Am Free finished third, 1 ¼ lengths back.

Warrior's Pride earned a $25,000 'Win Only' bonus available to Florida-bred starters as well as the winner's share of the purse after running five furlongs in :57.30 over a 'good' turf course. The Umphrey score was Warrior's Pride's second turf victory in two starts on the grass. He captured the five-furlong Texas Glitter during the Championship Meet prior to finishing fifth in the 6 ½-furlong Roar on the main track.

“He's so speedy. This is the race for him,” Cioffi said.

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