Track Times Today - With Bernie Dickman - Racing, Breeding, Pari-Mutuels

Monday, July 7, 2025

Violence colt is 2-for-2 . . .

Leland Ackerley Racing’s Obliteration (Violence- I’mclassyandsassy, by Master Command) improved to 2-for-2 in his burgeoning career when he scored a dominating 10 1/2-length victory in the Gr. III, $175,000 Sanford, a six-furlong test for juveniles, at Saratoga Race Course to lead the slate of stakes-winning OBS grads.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the son of Violence broke his maiden by 7 1/2 lengths on June 12 at Churchill Downs prior to his Spa effort and hit the wire Saturday in a final time of 1:10.65. Obliteration was a $200,000 purchase by his owner at the 2025 OBS March Sale from the consignment of breeder Ocala Stud after breezing in :21 3/5.

Other stakes-winners included Kingsolver (Omaha Beach - Famous Writer, by Speightstown) who graduated in Friday’s Listed $150,000 Schuylerville, a six-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies during the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Kingsolver is owned by Storyteller Racing, who purchased her and own her in partnership with Michael Schroeck, Open Gate Horse Ventures, Brian Cahoe, Scott Catlett, Dave Russel, Matthew Ransdell, Michael Motley and Joel Braun.

She was purchased for $95,000 at the 2025 OBS March Sale from the JVC Training and Sales consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

At Presque Isle Downs, D. J. Stable’s Horsepower (Good Samaritan - Bear's Lightning, by Maria's Mon) rallied past by Breeders’ Cup winner Nobals for an upset win in the $100,000 Karl Boyes Stakes. Horsepower, trained by Joe Orseno, won for the third time in five starts and earned his first stakes score. He was purchased by D.J. Stable for $60,000 from the Whitman Sales consignment at the 2023 OBS March Sale after breezing in :10 1/5.

At Prairie Meadows, Patricia’s Hope and Carolyn Wilson’s Sassy C W (Yaupon-Sassy Miss Sue, by Tiznow) went gate to wire to take the $100,000 Prairie Gold Lassie and remain unbeaten in three career starts. Trained by Larry Rivelli, the filly previously captured the $150,000 Astoria Stakes on June 5 at Saratoga. Consigned by Top Line Sales, Sassy C W was a $375,000 purchase at the 2025 OBS March Sale by Carolyn Wilson after breezing in :9 4/5.

At Horseshoe Indianapolis, Resolute Racing’s Dana’s Beauty (Not This Time – City Siren, by City Zip) got up at the wire to win the $100,000 Indiana General Assembly Distaff and become a millionaire. Trained by Mike Maker, Dana’s Beauty improved her record to 13 wins from 47 starts with a career bankroll of $1,034,495. The daughter of Not This Time is a two-time OBS graduate, sold first by Bobby Jones Equine for $47,000 at the 2019 October Yearling Sale then sold for $70,000 by Blue River Bloodstock, Agent to Sarah Russell Stables & TNT Equine Holdings at the 2020 Spring Sale after working in :21 3/5.

Also at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Paradise Farms Corp.’s Willy D’s (Lookin At Lucky – Boston Mine, by Mineshaft) went wire-to-wire to take Saturday’s $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial by 4 1/2 lengths, setting a track record of 1:37.98 for a mile and 70 yards. The son of Lookin At Lucky was purchased by Danny W. Brown for $60,000 at the 2023 OBS April Sale from the Woodside Ranch consignment after breezing in :22 1/5.

At Gulfstream Park, jockey Edgard Zayas guided BC Racing’s Prevent (Neolithic - Bossy Gal, by Pioneerof the Nile) to a front-running victory in the $75,000 Soldier’s Dancer Handicap. Trained by Carlos David, Prevent was purchased for $15,000 by Brian Cohen at the 2022 OBS Winter Mixed Sale from the Las Palmas Farm consignment.

On June 30, Golden Afternoon (Goldencents – Afternoon, by Street Cry (IRE)) prompted the pace and drew off by 2 1/2 lengths to capture the $100,000 Tom Ridge Stakes at Presque Isle Downs to give Nick Vaccarezza his first win as a licensed trainer. The gelding is owned by a partnership headed by Carlo Vaccarezza, Nick's father, and includes Eddie and Pat Greco, Scott Jaffe, and Michael Cloonan. Golden Afternoon was purchased by Carlo Vaccarezza at the 2024 OBS April Sale for $70,000 from the Ocala Stud consignment after breezing in :21 2/5.

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Neolithic Colt Can't Be Prevented From Soldier's Dancer Score

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Zayas wins a pair of stakes . . .

HALLANDALE BEACH - Jockey Edgard Zayas put the finishing touches on a three-win Saturday at Gulfstream Park by guiding BC Racing’s Prevent to a front-running victory in the $75,000 Soldier’s Dancer and give the Royal Palm Meet’s leading rider a sweep of the afternoon stakes.

Racing with blinkers following an 11th-place finish in the 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida on March 1 on the Gulfstream turf, the 4-year-old colt by Pleasant Acres stallion Neolithic ($14.40) completed one mile and 70 yards on the all-weather Tapeta course in 1:39.31 to register his fifth career victory. It came four races after Zayas rallied Implementation to the wire first in the $75,000 Smile Sprint.

“It’s been a great day,” said Zayas, who tops the Gulfstream riders with 74 wins. “I’ve been getting on some good horses and getting pretty good support from all the trainers and owners. It’s been really good.”

Prevent broke alertly from Post 5 in a field of eight and went the opening quarter-mile in :23.63 seconds, given closest chase by turf stakes-winner and Gr. III-placed Tocayo in second with Spy Novel saving ground in third inside 24-1 long shot I Know I Know. The half went in :46.58 with no change in the top two, and Prevent straightened for home with a lead he held through the lane despite getting leg weary late.

“He was drifting out a little bit late but he’s the type of horse if you start fighting with him he gets to messing around,” Zayas said. “He drifted out but there was no one to the outside and he was running pretty good so I let him go. I feel like he’s a really tough horse to deal with and he can get a little rank,” he added. “There was some speed in the race so I was trying to let him go and see if he could settle a little bit, but he didn’t. He just took the lead and just kind of let him run and do his thing and he held on.”
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Kalik, sent off at 17-1, emerged from a tight pack in second, with I Know I Know third, 3-2 favorite Just a Photo fourth and Tocayo fifth. Grand Mo the First, the 9-5 program favorite, was scratched.

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Mati Gol Upsets $75,000 Carry Back

Saturday, July 5, 2025

Here Comes Francis fails at 1/5 . . .

HALLANDALE BEACH - Trainer Victor Barboza Jr. visited the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle following the $75,000 Back as expected, not with the previously undefeated 1-5 favorite, Here Comes Francis, but with 25-1 outsider Mati Gol.

“The horse that won was a surprise at 25-1, but for me, the horse wasn’t a big surprise,” Barboza said. “The horse has been improving all the time.”

Here Comes Francis, who won his first two career starts in commanding front-running fashion, again went right to the front in the Carry Back, a seven-furlong test for 3-year-olds. He went on to set blistering fractions of :21.80 and :43.99 during the first half-mile over a sealed sloppy track, opening up on his five rivals by four lengths under Emisael Jaramillo. Meanwhile, Mati Gol settled far back in fourth under Jose Morelos along the backstretch.

While the sizzling pace would prove to be the undoing of Here Comes Francis, it certainly benefited late-running Mati Gol, who accelerated on the far turn while hugging the rail before swinging to the outside entering the stretch. Here Comes Francis had no answer for the fresh legs that carried Mati Gol to a commanding 3 ½-length victory.

“The race set up perfect. I was riding the horse the way the trainer told me – to stay off the speed. In the stretch, the horse came on strong on the outside to win the race. That was the plan, and we surprised everyone,” Morelos said. “The favorite was going very fast, so I was happy the pace was extremely fast. My horse was relaxed in the back of the pack, and I knew it was perfect for him to close.”

The Tiny Equestrian Group’s Mati Gol, who had finished a late-closing third in the five-furlong Roar on turf last time out, ran seven furlongs in 1:23.25. Insurmountable closed from off the pace to finish second, 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Forged Steel, who nosed out a tired Here Comes Francis for third.

Mati Gol ($59.80) often ran into trouble while winning one of his first five starts but couldn’t have gotten a better trip than he received under a hot-riding Morelos.

Here Comes Francis, a $250,000 2024 OBS April purchase, overcame early bumping to grab control of his March 15 Gulfstream debut and went on to score a 1 ½-length victory over next-out winner Pursuitneversleeps, earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure while running six furlongs in 1:09 2/5. He came right back to run away with a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance April 26 at Tampa Bay Downs by a handy 5 ¼ lengths. Both victories came over fast tracks.

“It’s too soon to have an analysis of his race. Was it the sloppy track, the 43-second half, the no Lasix? All very important,” Barboza said. “I need to check on the horse tomorrow.”

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Bernies Blog

Three Graded Stakes for OBS Grads

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Roll On Big Joe rolls on in Kelly's Landing . . .

Rancho Temescal, White Fence and Richard Hale Jr.’s Roll On Big Joe (Prospective –Nina’s Gift, by Victory Gallop) collared speedster Booth at the top of the stretch en route to a three-quarters of a length victory in the $220,000, Gr. III Kelly’s Landing at Churchill Downs, becoming one of three OBS grads to earn graded wins over the past week.

Trained by Bob Hess Jr., the gelded son of Prospective earned his second graded stakes win, having previously annexed the $100,000, Gr. III Palos Verdes at Santa Anita in February. He was purchased by Rancho Temescal for $90,000 at the 2022 OBS June sale from the Gayle Woods consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

At Woodbine on Saturday, Al and Bill Ulwelling’s Mansetti (Collected-Gidget Girl, by Sky Mesa) rebounded from a troubled fifth-place finish in his previous start, the Queenston Stakes, to post a stellar showing in the $150,000, Gr. III Marine Stakes. The Kevin Attard-trained colt previously notched stakes scores in this year’s Woodstock and the 2024 edition of the Clarendon. Consigned to the 2024 OBS Spring Sale by Eddie Woods, Agent, Mansetti was sold for $40,000 to his owners after breezing in :20 4/5.

D J Stable's Dream On (Not This Time – Mamma Kimbo, by Discreet Cat) earned his first graded stakes victory when he captured the Gr. III, $400,000 Penn Mile Stakes at Penn National Race Course. The Mark Casse-trained colt, third in the Gr. I Summer Stakes last September, was purchased by D. J. Stable for $380,000 out of the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training from the de Meric Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

Steve Asmussen’s Neom Beach (Omaha Beach – Giant’s Causey, by Giant’s Causeway) captured the $125,000 Wasted Tears at Lone Star Park for her second straight stakes win. Neom Beach was purchased by Nwadr Stables for $210,000 out of the 2023 OBS April Sale from the consignment of Julie Davies after breezing in :10 flat.

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Racing Loses D. Wayne Lukas

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Hall of Famer was "a true icon of the sport."

1/ST joins the entire Thoroughbred community in mourning the loss of Hall of Fame legend D. Wayne Lukas. With a career that spanned seven decades and redefined excellence, Wayne stood as a true icon of the sport.

Throughout his storied career, Wayne’s notable accomplishments included:

20 Breeders’ Cup victories including the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park with Cat Thief.
15 Triple Crown race winners including seven Preakness Stakes triumphs
Four Santa Anita Derby wins at Santa Anita Park
Two Florida Derby wins at Gulfstream Park

In 2024, at 88 years old, he became the oldest trainer ever to win a Triple Crown race, securing the 149th Preakness Stakes with Seize the Grey.

Beyond the victories and trophies, Mr. Lukas inspired generations with his relentless work ethic, sharp eye for talent, and unwavering belief in what was possible. His legacy lives on not only in the horses he trained and the records he broke, but also in the many horsemen and women he mentored and elevated along the way

Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and the countless lives he touched. Though we’ve lost a legend, the sport he shaped remains richer for his presence, and his rich legacy will endure.

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