Poppy's Pride Wins Third Straight Stakes in Inaugural
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ftboa.com • Monday • December 7, 2020 FEC/FTBOA PUBLICATION FLORIDA’SDAILYRACINGDIGEST FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION or to subscribe, please call Antoinette at 352-732-8858 or email: [email protected] In This Issue: True Timber Gives Carmouche First G1 Victory in Cigar Mile Score Elle Z Holds Off Favorite to Win Pan Zareta Jesus’ Team Reigns Supreme Malathaat Remains Undefeated Brooklyn Strong Shows Determination Amoss Honored With Turfdom Award Varda Scores Upset in Starlett Stakes Sharp Starr Shines in Go for Wand Florida-bred Poppy’s Pride/SV PHOTOGRAPHY Gulfstream Park Charts Poppy’s Pride Wins Third Tampa Bay Downs Charts Straight Stakes in Inaugural Track Results & Entries Florida Stallion Progeny List Also takes Florida Sire Stakes “Win Only” Bonus Florida Breeders’ List BY BROCK SHERIDAN ____________ field of six juveniles reached the main track Wire to Wire Business Place and promptly put a three length margin Gilbert and Marilyn Campbell’s between himself and Arindel’s multiple Stonehedge LLC-homebred Poppy’s stakes-placed Gatsby in second before click- Click for Holiday Hours Pride was not the fastest from the starting ing off a quarter-mile in a blazing :21.89. gate but scampered to the lead shortly However, Camacho was able to coax thereafter on his way to winning the Poppy’s Pride into a more subtle pace Featured Advertisers $100,000 Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay while moving towards the far curve as Downs as the 6-5 favorite Saturday. Gatsby and jockey Daniel Centeno edged Florida Department of Agriculture The Florida-bred gelding and jockey closer while leaving the others some FTBOA Samy Camacho started a bit slow from the three lengths in arrears. Gatsby made a Gulfstream Park inside post one in the six furlong Inaugural run at Poppy’s Pride turning for home as Journeyman Stud as 30-1 longshot Thealligatorhunter darted they finished a half-mile in :44.70 but Ocala Breeders’ Feed & Supply from post four to take a momentary lead. was never able to get within a length of Ocala Stud But Poppy’s Pride shot to the front before the See TAMPA BAY DOWNS on page 3 Seminole Feed Back to Top Page 3 Tampa Bay Downs Continued from COVER the leader while 9-2 fourth choice Al Heyday had rallied from fifth to challenge for second. However, Poppy’s Pride found another gear with Camacho’s urging at the top of the stretch and accelerated away to another three-length lead ahead of Gatsby and Al Heyday, who were now fighting each other for second. Poppy’s Pride continued on to win by two-and-three-quarters lengths ahead of Al Heyday in second with The Alligatorhunter finishing another half-length farther back in third. The quick final time of 1:10.05 on the fast track was just .73 of a second off of the stakes record as Gatsby, Arrest Me Red and Tapsasional completed the order of finish. It was third consecutive stakes victory and fourth straight overall for Poppy’s Pride who had most recently defeated Gatsby by a length-and-a-half in the $60,000 Juvenile Sprint Stakes over a sloppy and sealed six-and-a-half furlongs at Gulfstream Park West on Nov. 14. “This [Inaugural] was a little sooner than what we anticipated running him back” trainer Michael Yates said. “But he came out of that race so well and was doing so well, it just made sense to do it. I thought he ran Michael Yates/CUNNINGHAM PHOTO a great race today. He was used a little harder than normal early and had to dig in, but he kept on running. He’s a real horse. “I was very concerned because [Gatsby] is a nice horse and he was here to run.” See TAMPA BAY DOWNS on page 5 Holiday Toy Drive Donate Now – ends December 8 Click to View Back to Top Back to Top Page 5 Tampa Bay Downs page 3 Continued from Poppy’s Pride earned the $30,000 winner’s share of the Inaugural purse plus a $50,000 “Win Only” bonus from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association for being eligible for the lucrative Florida Sire Stakes program. It was his fourth win in six starts with a second and a third and increased his earnings to $211,724. By Journeyman Stud’s leading sire Khozan out of the Lovely Lexi, by With Distinction, Poppy’s Pride won his first race in his third try on Aug. 27 against state-bred special weight maidens going five furlongs at Gulfstream Park. He then took the off the turf, $75,000 Armed Forces Stakes at Gulfstream Park on a sloppy track going seven furlongs on Sept. 26 before he defeated Feeling Mischief/SV PHOTOGRAPHY runner-up Gatsby in the Juvenile Sprint. lengths on Aug. 3 at Colonial Downs in Virginia in a swift He paid $4.40 to win. :57.65 for five furlongs. Although Yates was impressed with the effort, he was non- A skin issue that kept her from fully extending herself and committal when asked if Poppy’s Pride would comeback for the Campbell’s decision to rate her off the pace in her next start on seven furlong Pasco Stakes for 3-year-olds at Tampa Bay Oct. 4 at Keeneland contributed to a disappointing third-place Downs on Jan. 16. The $125,000 purse for the Pasco includes finish. But the veteran Campbell was brimming with optimism another $50,000 “Win Only” bonus for Florida Sire Stakes run- entering Saturday’s Sandpiper Stakes, especially after jockey ners and a $25,000 “Win Only” bonus for Florida-breds. Jesus Castanon breezed her four furlongs over the Tampa Bay We’re going to let the horse tell us what we’re going to do Downs main track on Tuesday in a moderate, but useful, :51 flat. with him,” Yates said. “I feel blessed to be part of the team and Feeling Mischief moved smartly to the lead on the turn for I want to thank the Campbells and Larry King, the [Stonehedge home in the Sandpiper and was never threatened down the Farm South] farm manager, and all the guys at the farm who stretch, winning by two lengths under Castanon in stakes-record have done a great job.” time of 1:09.76 for the six-furlong distance. The Campbell’s Stonehedge Farm South is located in “I thought she was a [sure] winner today,” Campbell said of Williston, Fla. the Kentucky-bred daughter of top sire Into Mischief out of the Latent Heat mare True Feelings. “She is just a spectacular horse, and today I let her go because she doesn’t want to be Feeling Mischief Runs to Expectations in restricted. She wants to be a free-running horse and we took that Winning Sandpiper approach. “[Castanon] was smart enough not to let her do too much [in Michael B. Campbell, the trainer of Sandpiper Stakes-win- Tuesday’s work], and we got a nice breeze into her to pick up ner Feeling Mischief, knew he had something special in his her airway, motivate her and put some speed into her,” barn when the 2-year-old filly broke her maiden by eight See SANDPIPER on page 9 Tampa Bay FSS Win Only Supplements Date Race Conditions Distance Purse 1-16 Pasco Stakes 3yo 7 fur. $125,000** 1-16 Gasparilla Stakes 3yo fillies 7 fur. $125,000** **Includes $50,000 Win Only Supplement for Florida Sire Stakes Eligible Horses, and $25,000 Win-Only Florida-bred Supplement **Closing Jan. 2 Back to Top Back to Top Page 7 Sandpiper page 5 Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Continued from Campbell said. The list of 22 nominations for the City of Ocala includes: Feeling Mischief’s record-setting performance was one of • William Stiritz’s 4-year-old filly Wildwood’s Beauty, a two- numerous highlights on a Festival Cotillion Day card featuring time stakes winner at Tampa Bay Downs who is Grade 2 and all 2-year-old races. Grade 3-placed; Castanon enjoyed a dream trip on 3-1 favorite Feeling • D. J. Stable and Jonathan I. Green’s 3-year-old filly Ceci Mischief in the Sandpiper, prompting the pace behind Florida- Valentina, a two-time stakes winner; bred Briella in the 11-horse field. “I really liked her attitude • Ron Paolucci Racing’s 6-year-old mare Liza Star, 11-for-34 when I got on her earlier this week,” Castanon said. “She was lifetime with earnings of more than $320,000; all business, and today she broke out of the gate like a bullet. I • Paradise Farms Corp.’s 5-year-old mare Tiz Possible Dear, was able to sit off the leader and when I asked her to pick it up, whose rags-to-riches saga features competing for an $8,000 she went about her business. Basically, it was all her.” claiming tag in March to winning last month’s Millions Preview Gulf Coast and Gallardo rallied for second, followed by Distaff Stakes at Gulfstream Park West. Little Nesso in third and Briella in fourth. They were followed No matter which horses face the starter, both races are cer- in order by Florida-breds Battle Cry and Special Princess; tain to deliver plenty of excitement while showcasing the state’s Wholebodemeister, You Never Call, Striking Chrome, Molly’s rich heritage of breeding and raising quality thoroughbreds. Angel and Hara. In addition to sponsoring both stakes, the FTBOA is offering Florida-bred Nurse Judy and Sister Aurora were scratched.