Monday, September 22, 2025
James Thares’ Mad House (Vekoma-Stifled Heiress, by Munnings) made the trip from...




James Thares’ Mad House (Vekoma-Stifled Heiress, by Munnings) made the trip from Canterbury Park to Parx Racing worthwhile as he gave trainer David VanWinkle his first career graded stakes score when he posted the upset in the Grade 2, $400,000 Gallant Bob Stakes Sept. 20 on the Pennsylvania Derby Day undercard to lead the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.

 

The 3-year-old Vekoma gelding sprang a 23-1 shocker in the Gallant in his second stakes appearance, defeating the 83-1 Gateskeeper by 2 3/4 lengths with the 56-1 and fellow OBS grad Fire Pit another half-length back in third.

 

“Once he turned for home and he looked like he was on the lead pretty comfortably I thought we might be alright,” VanWinkle told Parx publicity. “We started sprinting him and I think this is what he wants to do.” 

 

Mad House was purchased by his owner at the 2024 OBS April Sale for $47,000 from the Wavertree consignment after breezing in :10 2/5.

 

At Aqueduct on Sept. 20, Lindy Farms’ Ready for Candy (Twirling Candy-Enoree, by More Than Ready) took over in upper stretch and dug in gamely over fellow OBS grad Paradise City to notch her first graded victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Winter Memories Stakes, giving trainer Philip Antonacci his first graded stakes victory. The daughter of Twirling Candy had placed in three Woodbine stakes from seven outings as a maiden last year for trainer Mike DePaulo

 

Ready for Candy was purchased by Game Time Racing for $60,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale from the consignment of Tom McCrocklin after breezing in :20 4/5.

 

One day earlier at Presque Isle Downs, Gal in a Rush (Ghostzapper — Hudson River Gal, by Dynaformer) captured the $301,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (G2) for trainer Miguel Clement, drawing off to win by a length and earn her second career graded stakes victory.

 

Gal in a Rush is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Christ Larsen and Titletown Racing Stables. She was purchased by West Point for $375,000 at the 2021 OBS March Sale out of the de Meric Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

 

At Parx on Sept. 20, C2 Racing Stables and Stefania Farms’ Mystic Lake (Mo Town – Salty Soul, by Itsmyluckyday) continued her run of success when she took the lead in the first 100 yards and was never headed in capturing the $150,000 Liberty Bell Stakes over fellow OBS grad Volleyballprincess. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Mystic Lake collected her fourth straight stakes win and improved her career mark to 11-for-20 with $1,447,642 in earnings.

 

Mystic Lake is a two-time OBS graduate, sold by Summerfield (Francis & Barbara Vanlangendonck), Agent, at the 2022 October Yearling Sale and then purchased by

Turf Express Racing Partners for $130,000 out of the Tom McCrocklin consignment at the 2023 March Sale after breezing in :20 4/5.

 

Happy Tenth Stable’s Buccherino (Bucchero – Bellimbusto, by First Dude) capped the stakes action on Pennsylvania Derby Day with a victory in the $150,000 Parx Sprint Stakes Saturday at Parx Racing. The 4-year-old son of OBS grad Bucchero notched a 1 1/2-length victory to improve to 6-for-7 at Parx for trainer Alfredo Velazquez. He was purchased for $75,000 from the Blue River Bloodstock, Inc. consignment at the 2023 OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 flat.

 

At Gulfstream Park Sept. 20, Baalbek Corp.’s Wayne’s Law (Tiz the Law- Mollie Merisa, by Harlan’s Holiday) swept past fellow OBS grad Road Forever and drew clear to a 7 ¼-length victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Aventura Stakes.

 

Trained by Amador Sanchez, Wayne’s Law registered his second straight victory. Bred in Florida by Margaret McFarland, he was purchased by Baalbek’s Christian Abumohor for $25,000 from the JP Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2025 OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 2/5. He was previously offered at the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale by the Crowning Point Farm consignment.

 

At Los Alamitos Sept. 20, heavily favored Nothing Like You (Malibu Moon – Miss Derek, by Brother Derek), a two-time Grade 2 winner, took advantage of an ideal trip to capture the $75,000 Dark Mirage Stakes. Owned by Georgia Antley Hunt, Jeff Giglio and John Rogitz and trained by Bob Baffert, the 4-year-old Malibu Moon filly went on to prevail by 1¾ lengths as the 1-5 choice.



Nothing Like You was purchased by Rogitz at the 2023 OBS April Sale from the Wildheart Thoroughbreds consignment for $190,000 after breezing in :10 flat.



At Aqueduct on Sept. 19, DiRico Racing and Breeding’s Sweet Montreal (Instagrand- Passeporta, by Rockport Harbor) set the pace and didn’t look back when winning her stakes debut in the $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma, a six-furlong outer turf sprint. Trained by Jim Ryerson, the daughter of Instagrand entered off a 42-1 debut upset sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs versus fellow state-breds on Aug. 6 at Saratoga Race Course.



Bred by Torie Gladwell, Sweet Montreal was a $120,000 purchase by Joseph DiRico from the Top Line Sales consignment at the 2025 OBS March Sale where she breezed in :10 flat.
Sunday, September 21, 2025
Last 4 races scrapped . . .
    HALLANDALE BEACH - A severe thunderstorm bringing heavy rain and lightning through the area caused Gulfstream Park to cancel its final five races today out of an abundance of caution for horses, horsemen and fans.

    The decision was made following a lengthy weather delay prior to Race 6 with steady rain forecast into early evening.

    Exactas, Trifectas and Superfectas were refunded. The $1 Double (7-ALL) returned $4.10 and the $1 Pick 3 (3-7-ALL) returned $51.20.

     The Sunshine Meet will resume Friday with a nine-race program headlined by the $75,000 Hallandale Beach for 2-year-old fillies going a one-turn mile on the main track. Recent maiden winner Vita Mia is the 9-5 program favorite. Willow Case and Tessellate, respectively 1-2 in the Aug. 9 Sharp Susan, are also entere
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Thursday, September 18, 2025
Veteran has won more than 5,700 races . . .

    HALLANDALE BEACH - Joe Bravo turned 54 during the three months he was sidelined with a broken right pinky finger, giving the journeyman rider with more than 5,700 career victories a brief glimpse into retirement. Suffice it to say, it wasn’t for him. At least not yet.

    “I could retire tomorrow, yes, but if you wake up and you have no purpose, it’s kind of tough,” Bravo said. “For the last quite a few years now, I’ve not tried to ride a lot of races. I want to kind of hold on to my job. By not riding a lot of races, I think I can keep my job going a lot longer.

    “Every day you go out, especially here at Gulfstream Park, you’ve got these maiden special weight races that come out and you never know who’s going to come out of here. I remember going back to a thing like Curlin coming down the stretch in his maiden victory. That horse was coming down the middle of the racetrack. Nobody knew who he was … and it was tomorrow’s superstar. I’m kind of hoping to team up with one of those again.”

    Bravo is named on Fausto Gutierrez-trained 3-year-old colt Rashid in Race 7 Friday at Gulfstream, a claiming event for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for one mile on the turf. They are rated at 4-1 on the morning line, third choice in a field of seven.

    On Saturday, Bravo is named to ride stakes winner Big Data for trainer Michael Lerman in the $70,000 Duke of Mischief overnight handicap and Gutierrez’s Show Off in the $75,000 Ginger Punch Handicap on the undercard of the $200,000 Princess Rooney (G3), a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

    “I was off three months so it took me like two weeks I was getting on horses. I’m going to take another two weeks here at Gulfstream before I start,” Bravo said. “I only ride one race [Friday]. I want to see how it all goes. I ride two on Saturday, both stakes races. I like that. Stakes are good.

    “It’s all going to be touch and feel,” he added. “To be honest, in the back of my head I’m thinking, ‘I carry a stick.’ I broke my little pinky so when I go to hit, it’s going to be pretty interesting. That’s like the only question, physically, I have. It seems like, ‘it’s just a pinky,’ but that little pinky kept me out all summer.”

    Bravo, whose 5,719th and latest victory came June 6 at Churchill Downs, has not ridden since June 13 at Gulfstream when he was hurt following Special Aviator’s fourth-place finish as the favorite in one-mile optional claiming allowance on the grass. A seemingly minor incident turned into an unplanned summer holiday.

    “Everybody’s asking, ‘What happened? Where’s Joe been all summer long?’ You don’t really hear [about] it because it was pulling up after a race. I was galloping a horse out, and this game is so dangerous,” Bravo said. “It was one of those things where you don’t think you’d get injured. All of a sudden the horse stopped and she decided to go the other direction. I came off and when I went, I tried to brace myself.

    “They ended up having to do surgery. They put a screw in it, so all summer long I’ve been on vacation. It was kind of a nice time to step back from racing, but then I looked outside the racing world and said, ‘What [have] I miss[ed]?’ It seemed like every trip I did it was Saratoga, Del Mar, Monmouth Park. I missed racing. I was born 5-[foot]-2 for a reason. I was born for this stuff. I’m a jockey. What do you do on vacation? I visit racetracks.”

    Though diligent in his recovery, Bravo got a quick reminder of the demands riders face on a daily basis once he returned to the irons to gallop during morning workouts.

    “The first day I got o horses, I was so sore,” he said. “That was the biggest frustration for me. Ever since the surgery on the hand, I had hand physical therapy but then I was lucky enough on the off days – it was like a seven-days-a-week process – of doing personal training, too. So I kept myself halfway in shape like that, but there’s nothing like being back on a horse.

    “You’ve got get your timing back and you’ve got to take baby steps. When the doctor releases you, you can’t just go do it,” Bravo added. “You’ve got to do the gym to get basic [fitness], you’ve got to get the fitness on a horse, but then you’ve got to get your timing down. Turning for home, throwing the cross and getting after them. It’s a baby-step process.”

    The son and grandson of jockeys, Bravo rode his first race March 6, 1988 at Calder Race Course, where his first winner came 11 days later. A 13-time meet leader at Monmouth, mere miles from where he was born in Long Branch, N.J., ‘Jersey Joe’ ranks ninth among active riders in victories and 26th overall. He has earned more than $204 million in purses from 32,035 mounts.

    “Everyone says, ‘Joe, how did you almost win 6,000 races?’ Well, when I was younger I was a little bit more ambitious,” Bravo laughed. “I feel really bad for the younger riders coming up these days, because there’s not as much opportunity just because there’s not as much racing going on. I was blessed when I came up. I was riding day and night. Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Garden State Parkway ran at night, Meadowlands ran at night. Many times I’d ride at Belmont [Park] during the day, go over and ride Meadowlands at night, sleep in Manhattan and go do it again.”

    During his down time this summer, when not working out or rehabbing Bravo did some television analysis during the Haskell (G1) program at Monmouth and also attended the prestigious yearling sales in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

    “Having the summer off, it gave me the chance to think, ‘What am I going to do the day that I can’t ride any races?’ I did dabble in a little bit of commentating and stuff like that, but another kind of passion that I thought about and I would love to try to get into is bloodstock,” Bravo said. “I went to all the sales at Saratoga and everything. Looking at horses and how they develop, it’s kind of what I’ve been doing every day for 30 plus years.

    “When I look at a horse I kind of look at what they could kind of develop into. It’s something I’d like to dabble with,” he added. “If I could kind of mingle that in with commentary and do some bloodstock … I don’t think I could ever walk away from horse racing. Horse racing’s pretty fun. Every day you don’t know what to expect.”

    Winner of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) with Blue Prize and third in the 2014 Kentucky Derby (G1) aboard Danza whose first Grade 1 win came on Formal Gold in the former Donn Handicap at Gulfstream, Bravo isn’t thinking about reaching 6,000 wins or any other career milestones.

    “All I can do is worry about trying my best on the next horse I ride,” he said. “Hopefully we have a couple more years left to enjoy this game. You can’t put a number on anything. You never know what’s going to happen. This is a crazy world. Be appreciative of what you’ve got around you at the moment. Everything else is cherry."

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Only third start for $165,000 purchase . . .




    David S. Romanik’s Argos (Nyquist - Athenian (IRE), by Acclamation (GB)) became a top-level winner and earned a fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) when he notched a thrilling victory in the $500,000 Summer Stakes (G1) at Woodbine Sept. 13, headlining the group of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week. 

    Argos, trained by Riley Mott, was making his third career start in the Summer after winning his debut over 5 ½ furlongs on the Ellis Park turf in July, and then finishing third in the Soaring Free Stakes at Woodbine Aug. 16. The bay son of Nyquist was a $165,000 purchase by Romanik at this year’s OBS March Sale from the Majestic consignment after breezing in :20 3/5.

    “This horse breezed at OBS in :30.4 and the only other horse I’ve ever owned who did that ran in the Breeders’ Cup in 1989, so thought I had something special,” Romanik said. “We thought he was this caliber.”

    Saturday’s Woodbine card produced another OBS highlight as Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach – Belatrix, by Giant’s Causeway), named after WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark, got herself back in the winner’s circle with a victory in the $150,000 Ontario Matron Stakes (G3).

    It was the fifth win from 14 starts for the chestnut filly, who was named Canada’s champion 3-year-old female. Owned by WinStar Farm LLC, last year’s King’s Plate winner, trained by Kevin Attard, was consigned by Off the Hook to the 2023 OBS Spring Sale where she sold for $375,000 after breezing in :10 flat.

    At Churchill Downs Sept. 13, Khrysselv Mavarez’s Leon King Stable Corp.’s Bentornato (Valiant Minister-Her Special Way, by Put It Back), who was making his first start since his narrow loss to Straight No Chaser in last year’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), dazzled in his 4-year-old debut when he drew of for a 5 ¼-length win in the $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes. It was the fifth stakes win for the son of Valiant Minister, who is trained by Jose De’Angelo and boosted his career earnings to $1,282,180.

    Bentornato is a two-time OBS graduate, having been sold by Stuart Morris at the 2022 October Yearling Sale and then purchased by Champion Equine for $170,000 out of the Golden Rock Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2023 March Sale after breezing in :20 4/5.

    At Monmouth Park on Sept. 13, heavily favored Dripping Gold, (Lemon Drop Kid - Aurelia, by Danzig) trained by Shug McGaughey, surged late to win the $1000,000 Presious Passion by three-quarters of a length.

    Dripping Gold was purchased by West Point Thoroughbreds, which campaigns the gelding in partnership along with NBS Stable and Titletown Racing Stables, for $300,000 at the 2021 OBS March Sale from the consignment of Woodford Thoroughbreds after breezing in :10 1/5.

Thursday, September 11, 2025
Meet opens Nov. 27 . . .
    HALLANDALE BEACH -Gulfstream Park’s 2025-2026 Championship Meet will offer a stakes schedule with 68 stakes, 27 graded, worth $15.2 million in purses, highlighted by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) Jan. 24 and the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 28.

    Gulfstream’s annual Championship Meet, the winter home of Thoroughbred racing’s most accomplished horses, trainers and jockeys, will begin Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27 and run through March 29.

    Stall applications for the 84-day meet are due Sunday, Sept. 28.

            The 10th Pegasus World Cup Day program will offer 10 stakes worth $5.55 million in purses. The 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup, the richest dirt race in the U.S. for older horses outside of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), and the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), a 1 1/8-mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up on turf, are among seven graded stakes on a program that includes the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2), a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares.

            Pegasus World Cup Day also includes the 1 ½-mile W.L. McKnight (G3) for 4-year-olds and up and the newly christened 1 ½-mile Christophe Clement (G3) named after the late trainer who won his first graded stakes race at Gulfstream and six editions of the race formerly known as the La Prevoyante (G3).

            The Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series has welcomed legendary Thoroughbred racehorses, including Arrogate (Longines 2016 World’s Best Racehorse and inaugural 2017 Pegasus World Cup Invitational winner), two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome, and Horses of the Year Gun Runner, Knicks Go and Bricks and Mortar; Preakness (G1) winner National Treasure; Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner City of Light and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan. Six of the nine previous Pegasus World Cup Invitational winners have also won Breeders’ Cup races. Meanwhile, the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational has welcomed horses from Japan, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and South America.

            Pegasus World Cup Day has also been a premier event on the Miami and South Florida social calendars. Post-race performances have included Post Malone, Black Coffee, Calvin Harris and Snoop Dogg while celebrities attending have included Jennifer Lopez, Camila Cabello, Pharrell Williams, Lenny Kravitz and Usher.

            The 75th Curlin Florida Derby will headline a program with 10 stakes, five graded, worth $2.45 million in purses. Forty-six starters in the 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds have gone on to win a remarkable 62 Triple Crown races, including 26 Kentucky Derbys. The $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies, will also be featured on the Florida Derby undercard along with the Orchid (G3), Ghostzapper (G3) and Pan American (G3) presented by Rood & Riddle.

            Tappan Street won last year’s Florida Derby by 1 ¼ lengths over Sovereignty, who has gone on to win the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes (G1), Jim Dandy (G2) and Travers (G1).

            The Road to the Curlin Florida Derby begins in earnest Jan. 31 with the running of the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3), a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds that will headline a card of five stakes, including the $150,000 Forward Gal (G3), a seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies.

            The $400,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2), a 1 1/16-mile dress rehearsal for the Curlin Florida Derby won by Sovereignty last winter and eventual Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch in 2024, will be featured on a Feb. 28 program with nine stakes, eight graded, worth $1.8 million in purses. The $200,000 Davona Dale (G2), a mile event for 3-year-old fillies, the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), a mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up, and the $200,000 Mac Diarmida (G2), a 1 3/8-mile turf stakes for 4-year-olds and up, will be featured on the Fountain of Youth undercard.

            Once again, Gulfstream will be the place for turf racing with 38 stakes races scheduled for the grass. Five turf stakes, four graded, will be run on Pegasus World Cup Day while six turf stakes, five graded, will be contested on Fountain of Youth Day. Gulfstream’s Dec. 20 program will include the Fort Lauderdale (G3), Suwannee River and Janus scheduled on the turf.

            The 2025-2026 Championship Meet stakes schedule will be kicked off with the $100,000 Wait a While, a 7 ½-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies on turf, Nov. 27 on a Thanksgiving Day Weekend that will feature the $600,000 finals of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Series Nov. 29. Florida-bred 2-year-olds will contest the 1 1/16-mile In Reality, while Florida-bred juvenile fillies will run in the 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl.

            The Fort Lauderdale, Harlan’s Holiday (G3) and Suwannee River, which have served as prep races for Pegasus World Cup Day, will be contested Dec. 20.