FLORIDA CUP AT TAMPA BAY DOWNS

Florida Cup Showcases Florida-bred Stars AGAIN ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ in Quality-Laden Program ★★ ★ ★ ★

BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Tampa Bay Downs and the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association presented the 18th renewal of the Florida Cup March 28 and the appealing program included six stakes for Floridabreds.

The appeal was especially evident to those watching the races on TVG as host Ken Rudolph noted to commentator Matt Carothers on air.

“Oh my goodness Matt,” Rudolph said. “You are not kidding about the quality today at Tampa Bay Downs.”

“Some races are better than others,” Carothers replied, “There’s not a bad race in the entire sequence. The races are either good or great at Tampa.”

Each Florida Cup race offered a $100,000 purse with a $10,000 win bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association for horses eligible for the Florida Sire Stakes.

“Oh my goodness Matt, you are not kidding about the quality today at Tampa Bay Downs.” –Ken Rudolph, TVG Host

Tap It to Win Makes 2021 Debut With NYRA Bets Sprint Victory

Tap It to Win made his first start of the year a big success as he won the $100,000 NYRA Bets Sprint by four-and-a-quarter lengths. Ridden by Antonio Gallardo, Tap It to Win bested five other older Florida-breds who went six furlongs.

Fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes won by Tiz the Law on June 20 and second to Echo Town in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 1, Tap It to Win finished his sophomore campaign at Churchill Downs with a third-place finish behind fellow Florida-bred Rushie in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on Sept. 5.

Tap It to Win came into the Sprint as the 4-5 favorite and lived up to the support from his wagering fans with a dominating victory.

R Mercedes Boy made for an eventful beginning to the Sprint as he veered out and bumped with Hauntedbythemusic then Tap It to Win before sprinting to the front with Cajun Brother to his outside. Meanwhile, Tap It to Win found position between horses from about two lengths back as they finished the run down the backstretch in a quick :22.16.

R Mercedes Boy and Cajun Brother continued to battle around the turn as Gallardo steered Tap It to Win through a ground-saving trip on the rail.

As they turned for home after completing the half-mile in :44.82, Tap It to Win found room on the rail and shot through the opening with urging from Gallardo and took command as they raced into the final furlong. They quickly opened up a clear advantage and throttled down to an easy victory in 1:09.43 with R Mercedes Boy

coming to the finish in second and a length-and-three-quarters better than Hauntedbythemusic in third.

The time was just .76 of a second off the stakes and track record of 1:08.67 set by Florida-bred It’s Me Mom in 2012.

Cajun Brother, My Boy Lenny and Old Time Revival finished in that order.

“I started asking him a little when I saw [R Mercedes Boy] come off the rail, and when I asked him, he showed how nice he is,” Gallardo said. “This horse showed me he was the best horse in the race.

Casse assistant trainer Jimmy Miranda was also pleased that Tap It to Win appears to be living up to the expectations after such as accomplished campaign last year.

“He was coming off a very good 3-year-old year, but you keep your fingers crossed he’ll come back to that same form,” Miranda said. “That’s what happened. He was very good in the receiving barn and is just a real pro.”

Tap it To Win is a bay ridgling by Tapit out of the multiple stakeswinning mare Onepointthreekarats, by Medaglia d’Oro and the Live Oak Plantation homebred is trained by Mark Casse.

Onepointthreekarats has also produced graded stakes-placed Souper Stonehenge by Speightstown for Live Oak Plantation, who was scratched from the Turf Classic. Baby Boomer, Game Boy Benny and Shivaree also scratched.

He paid $3.80 to win for his fourth career victory in 10 starts with two seconds and a third. He has now earned $333,672.

R Adios Jersey Remains Unbeaten In Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies

R Adios Jersey won for fourth time in four career starts and earned her first black type by taking the seven furlong Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies by two-and-a-quarter lengths. In addition to the winner’s share of the $100,000 purse, the daughter of Ocala Stud leading sire Adios Charlie out of Marion Theatre, by Montbrook also earned a $10,000 bonus from the FTBOA as a Florida Sire Stakes eligible winner.

Trained by Georgina Baxter for Rick Averill’s Averill Racing LLC and Anthony Mattera’s ATM Racing, R Adios Jersey won her first three career starts at Gulfstream including her first race against $35,000 maiden claiming fillies by 12 ¾ lengths in December at six furlongs. She then won a first condition allowance race by two-anda-half lengths going five-and-a-half furlongs there on Feb. 3 before winning a $50,000 optional claiming starter allowance by a half-length at six furlongs on Feb. 26.

The quick filly again showed her speed in the Sophomore Fillies as jockey Paco Lopez had her in front by two lengths going into the turn after clicking off a quick :22.27 quarter-mile as the 8-5 favorite. Fan Fan and jockey Hector Diaz tried to apply pressure around the bend but never got closer than a length as they straightened away in the run for home with a :45.29 half-mile fraction.

R Adios Jersey shook free down the stretch as Psychic Ability made a late run to move into the second but R Adios Jersey proved to be much the best with a two-and-a-quarter length win in 1:23.35. Psychic Ability finished second, nearly four lengths ahead of Ray Arewethereyet in third. Special Princess, Princess Secret, Fan Fan, Sky Proposal, Go Jo Jo Go, East Wing, Quinoa Tifah and Adios Trippie completed the order of finish.

R Adios Jersey paid $5.20 to win.

Bred in Florida by Ocala Stud and J. Micheal O’Farrell Jr., R Adios Jersey has now earned $137,000 from her four career starts, proving a good investment for Averill, who purchased her under his Averill Racing banner at the 2020 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale for $12,000 from the Ocala Stud consignment.

Florida-bred R Adios Jersey ■ SV Photography

Summering Continues Success in Long Female Line of Glen Hill Multiple Stakes Winners

Although her dam Wishing Gate and second dam Rich in Spirit were both multiple graded stakes winners for Glen Hill Farm, Summering added to the generational credentials as she won her second career stakes as a homebred for the longtime Florida thoroughbred farm.

The 5-year-old Summering won the $100,000 Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf by a head over Classy Woman and seven others in the mile-and-one-sixteenth event on turf in her first start of the year. She also won the $102,000 Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes at Del Mar as a juvenile.

Off the board in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap won by Bodhicitta at Del Mar in her last start on Aug. 8, Summering found easier competition in the Distaff Turf and took advantage to produce the win.

Breaking from post eight with Jesus Castanon, Summering raced just off of longshot Classy Woman, who led through the early stages of the Distaff Turf with controlled fractions of :24.37 for the first two furlongs, the half in :48.75 and six furlongs in 1:12 flat.

Florida-bred Summering ■ SV Photography

Turning for home, Summering took the lead but Classy Woman would not let her get away with a courageous fight on the inside as those two separated in tandem from the rest. Summering put a head in front of her tenacious foe at the finish as they two mares finished in 1:41.50 and two lengths better than Lovely Luv in third. Sun Summers, Beautiful Lover, Bienville Street, Crown and Sugar, Sugar Fix and Here Comes Jackie finished up in that order.

Summering paid $10.40 to win.

Trained by Tom Proctor, Summering has now won four times with a second and a third from 11 starts with earnings of $193,731. She is by War Front and Wishing Gate is a daughter of Indian Charlie.

Indy Lyon Leads Gate to Wire in Equistaff Sophomore Turf

Indy Lyon, a winner of a $32,000 optional claiming starter allowance while leading from start to finish in his previous start, took the same strategy into the $100,000 Equistaff Sophomore Turf and won with jockey Ronnie Allen Jr. aboard to kick-off the Florida Cup 18 at Tampa Bay Downs Sunday.

Trained by Maria Bowerstock for Jerry Campbell, Indy Lyon held off a late challenge from Officiating in second and 3-5 favorite Chess’s Dream who completed the blanket finish in third.

The Sophomore Turf was the first of six stakes for Florida-breds on Florida Cup Day and saw a field of six 3-year-old Florida-breds go a mile-and-a-sixteenth on turf.

A winner of three of her previous four starts going back to a one length win against $32,000 maiden claimers going a mile on the turf at Tampa on Jan. 16, Indy Lyon broke alertly from post four and went right to the front as they came out of the turf chute and by the grandstand for the first time.

Indy Lyon set quarter-mile fractions of :24.33 and :48.58 to take a one-length advantage into the far turn with Light Us Up in second with 3-5 favorite Chess’s Dream and Officiating together in third.

Indy Lyon completed the distance in 1:42.64 on the firm turf.

Indy Lyon drew clear by a length-and-a-half with a furlong to run when Officiating and Chess’s Dream began to make up ground on the outside and those three run under the wire together.

Indy Lyon won by a nose ahead of Officiating, who was a neck better than Chess’s Dream in third. They were followed by Hot Blooded, Light Us Up and Osprey.

“I’m crying excited,” Bowersock said. “I was nervous, but this horse has stepped up on the turf and Ronnie did a great job.

“The horse is on his game right now. He’s confident, Ronnie was confident and I think that helped our whole team.”

Allen, who is the second leading jockey all-time with seven Florida Cup victories, also spoke of the gelding’s improvement.

“This horse has been getting better and better,” Allen said.

Indy Lyon is by Congrats out of Cameron Crazies, by Lion Heart and was bred by Rustlewood Farm Inc.

This is the second Florida Cup winner produced by Cameron Cra-

zies as her Prudhoe Bay, by Songandaprayer, won the 2014 OBS Sophomore Stakes in addition to winning the Jersey Shore Stakes and OBS Sprint.

He now has a record of four wins from nine starts with earnings of $105,691. He paid $12.60 to win.

Indy Lyon is a two-time graduate of OBS having sold to Red Lips Racing for $11,500 as a short yearling in the 2019 Winter Mixed Sale where he was consigned by Summerfield. Michelle Redding then consigned him later than year at the October Sale where Volar Corp. signed the purchase ticket after a $32,000 final bid.

Florida-bred Indy Lyon ■ SV Photography

Foreman Makes Late Run to Overtake Willy Boi to Win Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore

Foreman, who runs in the name of leading trainer Gerald Bennett’s Winning Stable Inc., looked to be a sure thing second in deep stretch but made a sudden late run with jockey Daniel Centeno aboard to beat 2-1 favorite Willy Boi in the $100,000 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore Stakes. The OBS Sophomore featured a field of eight 3-yearold Florida-breds who went seven furlongs.

Willy Boi broke fastest of all from post five and led Foreman through quarter-mile fractions of :21.92 and :44.87 before taking a length-and-a-half lead after turning for home. Willy Boi continued with a daylight advantage inside the sixteenth pole when Foreman suddenly accelerated to take a half-length victory over Willy Boi with Shoo Shine another seven-and-a-half lengths back in third. Awesome Pudding was fourth with Gatsby, Two Steppin Kluki, Breeze on By and Pirate Parade completing the order of finish.

The final time on the fast track was 1:23.36.

Foreman won for the second time in five career starts while also finishing second once and third once and increased his earnings to $81,745.

But was his last race on Feb. 24 when Foreman was a runner-up to Florida-bred Soup and Sandwich in a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming allowance that gave Centeno confidence before the Sophomore. The day before the Florida Cup, Soup and Sandwich finished second to Known Agenda in the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Xalapa at Gulfstream Park.

“Danny [Centeno] really liked him today, especially after seeing [the Florida Derby] on TV,” Bennett said. “He called me at home and said ‘We’re going to win it.’”

Centeno, who is the all-time leading jockey in Florida Cup races with 10 victories, said Foreman has also been improving recently.

“He has been doing better every race, running with nice horses and he keeps improving,” Centeno said. “I knew we had a good shot after I saw [Soup and Sandwich] run second [to Known Agenda], and he ran good today.”

Foreman is by Baoma Corp stallion Chitu, who stands at Bridlewood Farm, and is out of Strong Threat, by Strong Hope. He was bred by Northwind Thoroughbreds LLC, Majel E. Ison and Alton B. Ison and paid $12.60 to win.

He also passed through the auction ring at OBS twice selling first to Champions of the Future at the 2019 OBS October Sale where he was consigned by T-Square Stud. Goldencents Thoroughbreds then consigned him through the OBS Open Sale held last July where Michael Vitello bought him for $20,000.

Florida-bred Me and Mr. C ■ SV Photography

Me and Mr. C Rallies to Win Grey Goose Turf Classic

Me and Mr. C won for the third consecutive time with a come from behind victory in the $100,000 Grey Goose Turf Classic for Floridabred 3-year-olds and older going a mile-and-one-eighth on the turf.

The son of Journeyman Stud leading sire Khozan also took down a $10,000 win bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association as he is eligible for the Florida Sire Stakes.

A winner of his last two starts in second condition, $32,000 optional claiming allowance races on grass at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 16 and Feb. 12, Me and Mr. C continued the winning streak for trainer Mike Maker.

J P Hellish showed the way while leading Second Mate by as much as two lengths moving into the far turn while clicking off a quartermile in a leisurely :24.03 and the half-mile in :48.62. Meanwhile Me and Mr. C stayed towards the back of the six horse field before Centeno gave his cue while moving four-wide around the bend.

J P Hellish still led by a length with a furlong to run as Me and Mr. C and Shamrocket briefly joined Second Mate in second before the latter two advanced on the leader.

Me and Mr. C closed fastest of all and held off Shamrocket by a half-length at the finish in a time of 1:48.55 on the firm turf.

Over the Channel was third with J P Hellish, Second Mate and Winter’s Wonder completing the order of finish.

Me and Mr. C is out of the Dynaformer mare Abiding and was bred by Stonehedge LLC.

Abiding has also produced the multiple stakes-winner Abiding Star, winner of the Parx Derby, Neshaminy Stakes and Private Terms Stakes.

It was the fifth career win for the 4-year-old bay gelding who has earned $198,490 from his 17 career starts with four seconds and a third. ■