florida-breds | Horse Racing Free Tips

Florida Sire Stakes Moved As FL-Bred 2YO Incentives Announced

In an effort to further enhance the 2-year-old program in the state of Florida, 1/ST RACING, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA), Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (FTHA) have announced that $1.75 million in Florida-bred racing incentives will be offered at Gulfstream Park in 2023. The renewed Florida-Bred Incentive Fund (FBIF) will pay out a total of $450,000 in bonus money to 2-year-old maiden winners.

The FBIF program offers Florida-bred two-year-old open maiden winners a minimum bonus of $2,500 for maiden-claiming races and up to $10,000 for a Florida-bred two-year-old winning an open maiden special weight race at Gulfstream.

The FTBOA will offer an additional $100,000 in win bonuses for eligible Florida-sired winners of open maiden special weights, paying $5,000 for up to 10 races for males and females.

“It's imperative that we all work together to promote and build a robust breeding and racing industry in the state of Florida,” Billy Badgett, 1/ST RACING's Executive Director of Florida Racing Operations, said. “To that end, it's important to attract new owners to our sport throughout Florida and the industry. These incentives, and the change in dates of the popular Florida Sire Stakes program, gives us a great opportunity to fulfill these goals.”

Additionally, the Florida Sire Stakes series, to be run at Gulfstream for the 10th straight season, offers $1.2 million in purses and have been pushed back on the annual racing calendar to give owners and trainers more time to prepare their Florida-bred juveniles for the lucrative series. The dates for the 2023 FSS are as follows:

Sept. 9–$100,000 FSS Desert Vixen S. and $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager S. at six furlongs;
Oct. 21–$200,000 FSS Susan's Girl S. and $200,000 FSS Affirmed S. at seven furlongs;
Dec. 2–$300,000 FSS My Dear Girl S. and $300,000 In Reality S. at 1 1/6 miles

“Florida's stakeholders are aligned with one focus–what can we do to help our breeding and racing industries?” said FTHA President Joe Orseno. “We need to find ways to make it worthwhile for breeders and owners to invest in our state. We believe that the new Bonus Program will encourage greater interest in buying and breeding Florida-breds. By moving the dates of the FSS races, late-developing 2-year-olds will have a better chance of participating. We are excited about the future of the Florida Thoroughbred industry.”

“FTBOA is pleased to work with Gulfstream and FTHA on a program for 2023 featuring our priority Florida Sire Stakes program while enhancing our Florida Breeders Incentive Fund for the benefit of our highly regarded Florida-bred 2-year-olds at Gulfstream on a summer through winter basis,” commented FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell.

FTBOA President George Isaacs added, “We are pleased with the continued FSS races as our industry centerpiece promoting Florida stallions and farms. I also consider it a plus anytime we can offer purse incentives for our bread and butter two-year-olds competing at all levels at Gulfstream. We anticipate this will be one of many cooperative efforts improving the industry economics and stability.”

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18th Annual Florida Cup Offers Six $110,000 Stakes At Tampa Bay Downs

A total of 53 horses have been entered in Sunday's six $110,000-guaranteed Florida Cup Day stakes races that are part of a 12-race Tampa Bay Downs card in Oldsmar, Fla. Post time for the first race is noon.

All of the Florida Cup stakes races are for registered Florida-breds.

The 18^th annual Florida Cup, which was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has attracted horses from the barns of top trainers such as Bill Mott, Todd Pletcher, Michael Maker, Mark Casse and Christophe Clement, as well as Tampa Bay Downs mainstays Gerald Bennett and Kathleen O'Connell.

A number of Gulfstream Park-based jockeys will make the trip north to ride, including Joe Bravo, Paco Lopez, Corey Lanerie, Edgard Zayas and Chantal Sutherland, who recently announced she will return to the saddle in Florida after a brief hiatus. Sutherland will be aboard the 5-year-old mare Kelsey's Cross in the Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf.

The Florida Cup action starts with the fifth race, the Equistaff Sophomore Turf for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the grass. Seven are entered, headed by Maker's Grade 3 stakes winner Chess's Dream, who will be ridden by Daniel Centeno.

Next up for Florida Cup runners is the seventh race, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomore for 3-year-olds racing seven furlongs on the main track. Top contenders in the eight-horse field are multiple-stakes winner Breeze On By, from the barn of Ralph Nicks, and Jeff Engler's stakes winner Willy Boi.

Zayas will be on Breeze On By and Lanerie will ride Willy Boi.

The eighth race is the 1 1/8-mile Grey Goose Turf Classic, with six horses set to go to the post. Pletcher's 4-year-old colt Shamrocket, to be ridden by Zayas, and Maker's distance-loving 4-year-old gelding Me and Mr. C, with Centeno named, appear to be the leading challengers.

The ninth race, the NYRA Bets Sprint for horses 4-years-old-and-upward at six furlongs on the dirt, drew a wide-open field of 10. The 4-year-old colt Shivaree – last year's Florida Derby runner-up – won the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association Marion County Florida Sire Stakes in December and may be the post-time wagering favorite. Trainer Ralph Nicks has named Lanerie to ride.

A field of 10 fillies and mares 3 and upward will contest the Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf, which is the 10^th race at 1 1/16 miles. Trainer Darien Rodriguez's Crown and Sugar, the 2019 race winner, and Cam Gambolati's 6-year-old Bienville Street are among those who will attempt to deny Suthlerland a storybook comeback, at least on Sunday. Gallardo is named on Crown and Sugar and Lopez is named on Bienville Street. Another to watch is 5-year-old Beautiful Lover, trained by Clement and to be ridden by Bravo.

The Florida Cup action wraps up with the 11^th race, the Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies for 3-year-old lasses racing seven furlongs on the main track. The 12-horse field includes the O'Connell-trained Fan Fan, to be ridden by Hector Diaz, Jr., and the dead-heat winners of the Jan. 16 Gasparilla Stakes, Adios Trippi and Special Princess. Adios Trippi will be ridden by Gallardo and Special Princess will have the services of Jose Ferrer.

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‘Blue-Collar’ Noble Drama Set To Defend Title In Sunshine Classic

Harold Queen's Noble Drama has amassed earnings of more than $600,000 while winning five stakes and placing in 12 stakes during his 24-race career. Not bad for the “black sheep” of his family.

Noble Drama is out of a half-sister to 2010 Eclipse champion sprinter Big Drama and full sister to multiple Grade 1-stakes winner Sheer Drama.

While his exploits pale in comparisons to those of his Grade 1 kin, Noble Drama has been a most productive member of trainer David Fawkes' Gulfstream Park-based stable for the past few years.

“He's a little horse that always tries to win. He always tries hard. If you weren't looking for him, you wouldn't know he's in the barn. He's easy to deal with. There's never an issue with him,” said Fawkes, who also trained both Big Drama and Sheer Drama for Queen. “I'd take 20 of him.”

Queen's 6-year-old homebred gelding is scheduled to make a title defense in Saturday's $75,000 Sunshine Classic, one of four stakes for Florida-breds on Saturday's 12-race program in Hallandale Beach, Fla., with a 11:45 a.m. first-race post time. Noble Drama is also eligible for a win-only bonus of $25,000 offered to Florida Sire Stakes-eligible entrants.

The ever-versatile son of Gone Astray has never been a source of drama while winning from 6 ½ furlongs to the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Sunshine Classic.

“He's just a racehorse. He likes doing it. He's an easy-keeper. He's light, easy on himself. He's not a heavy-built horse,” Fawkes said. “He's a great blue-collar horse. We can take him anywhere we want. He doesn't have to take his surface with him. He's won at Calder; he's won at Tampa; and he's won here.”

Noble Drama is coming off a somewhat disappointing third-place finish as the 6-5 favorite in a seven-furlong Florida Sire Stakes race at Tampa Bay Downs Dec. 12.

“The race at Tampa, I really don't have an excuse for him, why he lost contact with the field. He left himself too much to do,” Fawkes said.

Noble Drama won back-to-back stakes in his two most recent starts at Gulfstream Park, where he scored in the seven-furlong Benny The Bull and the mile FSS Wildcat Heir.

Emisael Jaramillo, who rode Noble Drama in the Wildcat Heir, has the call.

Equine Authority Inc.'s Red Crescent, who finished a head behind Noble Drama while finishing second in last year's Sunshine Classic, is set for another clash this year. The John Vinson-trained 7-year-old gelding is coming off a sharp optional claiming allowance victory Dec. 3.

Paco Lopez has the return mount aboard Red Crescent.

Michael Dubb and partners' Last Judgment will drop from a troubled eighth-place finish in the Dec. 19 Mr. Prospector (G3, his first start for trainer Michael Maker since being claimed out of a Belmont optional claiming allowance win for $62,500.

Jose Ortiz has the call on the 5-year-old gelded son of Congrats.

IAB Stable and Walter Fralick's Quenane, who registered a 27-1 upset over Noble Drama in the Nov. 14 Sunshine Classic Preview over a sloppy Gulfstream Park West track; Mathis Stable LLC's Roman Empire, a Todd Pletcher-trained 4-year-old who finished second in a Dec. 9 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream; Dig Than Mine LLC and trainer Steve Klesaris' Scar, who won a Dec. 20 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream; and Marco Thoroughbred Corp.'s Kaufy Bean, a late-developing 4-year-old son of Adios Charlie, round out the field.

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Shivaree, Heiressall Record FTBOA Stakes Victories At Tampa Bay Downs

Shivaree has danced some mighty big dances. He was second to Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in March and finished off the board in the Grade 1 Travers, also won by Tiz the Law, in August at Saratoga.

Keeping that kind of company, as well as winning a pair of Gulfstream Park stakes and finishing second in the Grade 3 Swale Stakes last winter, made Shivaree a formidable contender in Saturday's fourth edition of the $100,000, 7-furlong Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association Marion County Florida Sire Stakes for FTBOA-registered Florida-breds today at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

But trainer Ralph Nicks never expected the 3-year-old colt to have an easy time of it.

“I liked his chances, but he was going in against some established older horses,” Nicks said from his Fort Lauderdale home after Shivaree's 2 ¼-length victory from three-time Tampa Bay Downs stakes winner Jackson, a 4-year-old Grade 3 winner, in stakes-record time of 1:21.68. “(Jackson), Noble Drama, Gerald Bennett's horse (My Boy Lenny), Mr. (Fred) Brei's other horse (Old Time Revival) – it was a tough, solid group of older horses that will make a young horse run.”

Bettors agreed it was a tough task and regarded Shivaree as the third wagering choice in the seven-horse field behind Noble Drama and Jackson. Shivaree rewarded his backers by moving to the lead powerfully in the stretch under jockey Roberto Alvarado, Jr., and finishing strong to hand Jackson his first Tampa Bay Downs setback. Noble Drama, the 6-5 favorite, finished third.

The FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes for colts and geldings was one of two FTBOA-sponsored stakes races on Saturday designed to showcase the Sunshine State's rich breeding and racing industry. In the other, the $100,000 FTBOA City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes for registered Florida-bred fillies and mares, 5-year-old mare Heiressall moved smartly to the lead on the turn for home under jockey Antonio Gallardo and withstood a late rally by Independent Miss for a 3 ¼-length victory. Pace-setter The Goddess Lyssa finished third.

Heiressall posted a time of 1:23.35 for the seven furlongs. She is a homebred racing for Wanda Polisseni's My Purple Haze Stables and trained by Terri Pompay. She paid $5.80 as the betting favorite in the seven-horse field.

Back, for now, to Shivaree and the boys. Shivaree paid $13.60 to win the Marion County. Bred and owned by Fred Brei's Jacks or Better Farm in Reddick, Fla., near Ocala, he boosted his career bankroll to $433,475 by earning $60,000 with his fourth victory in 15 starts. Shivaree is by the sire Awesome of Course, out of the Anasheed broodmare Garter Belt.

He was saddled here by Nicks assistant Sonny Righter.

“It's a nice feeling,” Nicks said. “With him turning 4 (on January 1), hopefully he can be one of the better Florida-bred 4-year-olds. We gave him a break after the Travers, which he needed, and he wasn't quite all the way back for his last race (a fourth-place finish Nov. 14 in the Millions Sprint Preview at Gulfstream Park West).

“He stalked the pace today the way we wanted, he didn't have to be sent and we knew he'd stay steady and try hard down the lane. I knew he had a big chance at the sixteenth pole,” Nicks said. “Roberto gave him a patient ride, got through traffic well and was aggressive when he needed to be.”

Alvarado was riding a horse for Nicks for the first time, and he made a good impression, just as Shivaree did on him.

“When I asked him around the three-eighths-mile pole, he took a little while to get going, but as soon as I got him into the clear and we got going he just took off,” Alvarado said. “I knew I had a chance to get (Jackson), and my horse finished great.”

Heiressall and Antonio Gallardo winning the FTBOA City of Ocala Sire Stakes

Four races later, FTBOA City of Ocala FSS winner Heiressall improved to 7-for-20, and the winner's check of $60,000 boosted her lifetime earnings to $358,038. She is a daughter of Wildcat Heir out of Polisseni's Unbridled Song's mare, All Bridled.

Heiressall, who won the Sheer Drama Stakes at Gulfstream Park two races back, benefited from an early speed duel between The Goddess Lyssa and Tiz Possible Dear, allowing Gallardo to track them smoothly from third place. Heiressall took over from a game The Goddess Lyssa at the 1/8-mile pole and was home free from there.

“Everything came out how I wanted, really,” Gallardo said. “(Pompay) and the assistant trainer (Gerardo Perez) told me to let the speed go but keep her fairly close, and it worked out perfect. She looked beautiful in the paddock and she was ready. She was very relaxed in the race and when I asked her, she did everything right.”

Pompay enjoyed the show from her south Florida home, taking pride in Heiressall's continuing development as a 5-year-old. “She is a professional girl. She is all business on the racetrack,” Pompay said. “She loves what she does; you just have to put her in the right spots and she does her job.

“(Gallardo) rode a great race. He got her in good position and got her to run relaxed and forwardly, and when he asked for her best, she responded.”

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