Florida Focus

“We’re dreaming of it [Kentucky Oaks]. Why not? Right now, we’re just going to enjoy today and see how she comes out of the race and move forward. We’ll talk to Mr. Ropes about it, and we’ll make a decision. She’ll help us decide.

“I don’t see why she won’t [go two turns]. She ran a decent two turns as a 2-year-old in the [Florida Sire Stakes]. She wasn’t what I would consider really prepared, but they don’t move the dates, so you’ve got to go do it.”

Hardcore Candy has produced five winners from six runners with Dorth Vader her only black type winner. She has also produced, Theforcebewithyou, an unraced 2-year-old filly by Air Force Blue and an unnamed yearling filly by Ocala Stud stallion Adios Charlie.

Dorth Vader is the thirteenth Florida-bred winner of the Davona Dale going back to Miss Legality in 1992. Others include Lunar Spook (1993), Cut the Charm (1994), Mia’s Hope (1995), Plum Country (1996), Glitter Woman (1997), Three Ring (1999), Ms Brookski (2002), Bsharpsonata (2008), Amen Hallelujah (2010), R Heat Lightning (2011) and Yara. n

Florida-Bred Princess Bettina Dominant in China Doll

Although she had been running from off the pace in all of her recent races, the Peter Eurton-trained Princess Bettina took charge in the run to the first turn and never looked back as she cruised to a fourand-a-quarter lengths win in the $100,000 China Doll at Santa Anita on March 18. Ridden for the first time in the afternoon by European legend Frankie Dettori, she is owned and was bred in the Sunshine State by Donald Dizney, and got one mile on turf in 1:36.19.

Breaking from post five in a field of six, Princess Bettina easily cleared Havana Angel to her inside and with the rest of the field content to take back early, Dettori was left to his own devices up front and he made the most of the opportunity.

“I had no plans,” said Dettori. “I rode the filly the other morning and I told Pete that I thought she was quite useful, she’s a little bit hot. She broke well. Nobody wanted the lead, so I took it. I got her into a nice rhythm into the backstretch and as soon as we got to the quarter pole, she kicked and found a new gear, it was all over.”

Most recently a troubled third, beaten one length going a mile on turf here in the Lady of Shamrock Stakes Feb. 12, Princess Bettina was the third choice among a field of sophomore fillies at 5-2 and paid $7.40.

By Will Take Charge out of the First Dude mare Aiden’s Girl, Princess Bettina notched her first stakes win and now has two wins and three third place finishes from seven starts. With the China Doll winner’s share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $131,660.

“She’s always quick and she’s always been a (nervous) filly,” said Eurton. “She’s always been kind of taken back a little bit (in her races). In her sprint races on dirt, she showed a lot of speed and just didn’t have any finish to her, but the two turns and grass seems to have done her a world of good.”

The 3-2 favorite with Umberto Rispoli, two-time stakes winner Comanche Country (Ire) put in a good late run to finish one length in front of Tea N Conversation. n

Clapton Rocks Ghostzapper With 21-1 Hit

Clapton ran down leader O’Connor (Chi) around the far turn and those two raced nose and nose down the stretch before Florida-bred Clapton pulled away in the final sixteenth to upset the $180,000 Ghostzapper (Grade 3) at odds of 21-1 at Gulfstream Park on April 1.

The Ghostzapper, for older horses going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main track, was one of 10 stakes worth a total of $2.35 million in purses on the undercard for the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1) won by Forte.

Trained by Juan Alvardo and ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, Arindel homebred Clapton started evenly from post six in the field of seven but was last going around the clubhouse turn as longshot Surly Furious led O’Connor (Chi) by a length while running the first two furlongs in :24.38 on the fast track.

Surly Furious led by a half-length ahead of O’Connor on the rail down the backstretch as Clapton began to pass horses with resolution while racing in the five path and was third, just to the outside of O’Connor and Surly Furious after a half-mile in :48.79. O’Connor took over around the far turn and Surly Furious backed out of contention but Clapton ranged up to challenge for the lead with three furlongs to go.

Clapton and O’Connor hit the top of the stretch in tandem after six furlongs in 1:12.22 and were heads apart to the sixteenth pole where Clapton took a halflength advantage under the wire in a final time of 1:42.94. O’Connor held on for second, three-and-three-quarter lengths ahead of Surly Furious in third. Twelve Volt Man, Florida-breds Simplification and Cajun’s Magic then First Captain completed the order of finish.

“A graded-stakes win for Arindel, connections that thank God have supported me for a long time,” Jaramillo said. “I love this horse. I went to the barn several times to request the chance with him again, a horse that I have ridden since he was a baby, since he was a 2-year-old, so I had a lot of faith in him.

“The homestretch was mano a mano with Irad [Ortiz Jr. on O’Connor], the type of race and show fans come to watch. He’s a great jockey, a great person and a great friend, and he shook hands and congratulated me after the race.”

Clapton paid $44.40 to win.

“[Clapton] had to run against tough horses all winter. His last race [when third to Milliken in a second level, $62,500 optional claiming on March 12] there was no pace but he came back good and we were planning on giving him a little bit of a break,” Arindel’s Brian Cohen said. “But early this week, he was really training super and the race came up looking short. His form was good and he looked good, he’s a big horse that carries a lot of weight so we decided to enter. Then he worked super on Sunday [five furlongs in 1:00.40 on March 26] and it gave me a lot of confidence coming into this race. I thought maybe it might be too short coming back this fast but we’re Florida people and we’re going to be staying here. So we thought if the allowance race doesn’t fill, then maybe we go to the Pimlico Special but we couldn’t really go there after a couple of thirds in allowances. So we said let’s try, and he’s doing well, and maybe he can hit the board and give us enough confidence to try a race like the [Pimlico Special] or maybe something bigger because he has so much talent. We’re just so happy to win a big one on a big day here.

Clapton earned $116,400 with the victory, which included a $25,000 Florida-bred Win Bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners Association.

“The bonus was great and that was part of the decision to run,” Cohen added. “We’re obviously a big part of the Florida-bred program and we believe in it and we’ll always be Florida-bred through and through and we try to enter as many as we can on these big days. You know it’s tough running against these big guys in the winter but we wanted to try it and we’re glad we could get some of it.”

Clapton has now won five of 20 career starts with three seconds and five thirds while earning $427,890. Clapton is by Arindel stallion Brethren out of Alexandra Rylee, by Afleet Alex.

“[Brethren] has given us everything,” Cohen said. “He’s given us runners – long, short, turf. [They’re all] just runners. They want to run. He’s been great. Clapton, race after race, he just tries his hardest.”

Alexandra Rylee, winner of the 2010 Brandywine at Philadelphia Park, has five winners out of five starters from eight foals and Clapton is her only graded stakes or stakes winner. Clapton is, however, a full brother to 3-year-old Knox, who was third in the 2022 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes In Reality behind winner Awesome Strong. Alexandra Rylee also has a yearling filly by Brethren and was bred to the star Arindel stallion in 2022. TFH

BY JOANN GUIDRY

Eight accomplished racehorses make up the outstanding group of 2022 Florida-bred champions. Collectively, they won 16 black-type stakes, including seven graded stakes. Five of the eight were graded stakes winners: Simplification, Midnight Stroll, Hot Peppers, Our Flash Drive and Golden Pal. Our Flash Drive and C Z Rocket were crowned multiple Florida-bred champions.

Lynx and Our Flash Drive were homebreds raced by their breeders. Awesome Strong, Midnight Stroll, Hot Peppers and C Z Rocket were sold at public auction. C Z Rocket would later be claimed by his current owners. Golden Pal, who initially raced for his breeder, was sold privately; Simplification was also sold privately.

Three of the eight Florida-bred champions are by Florida-based stallions: Awesome Strong (Awesome Slew), Lynx (Brethren) and Hot Peppers (Khozan).

The 2022 Florida-bred champions were determined by points accumulated in black-type stakes competition during the yearlong FTBOA Chase to the Championship. The FTBOA-registered Florida-bred with the most points in each division on Dec. 31 is deemed the champion of that division. Bonus points are awarded for special Florida-bred stakes races and an FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series sweep. Year-end point ties are broken by gradedstakes earnings. Any Eclipse Award and/or Breeders’ Cup winner is automatically recognized as division champion regardless of points standings. Horses must win at least one race during the year to be eligible for championship honors. t

SIMPLIFICATION

2019 bay colt by Not This Time – Simply Confection, by Candy Ride (Arg)

Breeders: France & the late Irwin Weiner

Owners: Tami Bobo & Tristan de Meric

Trainer: Antonio Sano

2022 Race Record/Earnings

10-2-1-3/$761,300

2022 Black-Type Stakes Record

1st – Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2)

1st – Mucho Macho Man Stakes (L)

2nd – Holy Bull Stakes (G3)

3rd – Florida Derby (G1)

3rd – West Virginia Derby (G3)

3rd – Harlan’s Holiday Stakes (G3)

Simplification

FLORIDA-BRED HORSE OF THE YEAR

2022 FLORIDA-BRED CHAMPION 3-YEAR-OLD COLT

Simply put, Simplification had a Florida-bred championship caliber season in 2022. He made his presence known at most of the major races for 3-year-old colts, snagging a couple of big wins along the way.

Simplification had been more than impressive as a juvenile when he broke his maiden by 16 ³/₄ lengths. He also showed his natural speed, posting a winning time of 1:09.81 in that victory. And his first start as a sophomore validated that preview of an outstanding racehorse

The $150,000 Mucho Macho Man was a great way to begin the New Year for Tami Bobo’s Simplification. He broke very well and sped into the lead with fractions of :23.70 and :45.81. When Skippylongstocking and Mr Rum Runner moved up to challenge him, Simplification shrugged them off and widened his lead. He won by four lengths with Strike Hard second and Mr Rum Runner third. Simplification’s winning time for the mile was 1:35.04.

In his first graded stakes start, the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) on Feb. 5 at Gulfstream Park, Simplification ran into a bit of bad luck with a poorbreak from the gates. The Antonio Sano trainee made a furious late charge but finished second to White Abarrio. Mo Donegal was third.

A month later, Simplification’s luck improved with his first graded-stakes victory in the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2). This time, he broke well but bided his time as Markhamian took the lead. Just past the six-furlong marker, Simplification rallied six-wide around the far turn. Simplification made it look easy, winning by three-and-a-half-lengths. Winning time for the mile-and-one-sixteenths was 1:44.04.

In the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) on April 2 at Gulfstream Park, Simplification once again ran into his nemesis White Abarrio. He battled gamely, briefly took the lead nearing the half-mile pole but could not hold off White Abarrio and finished third. He next went into the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on May 7 at Churchill Downs now co-owned by Tami Bobo and Tristan de Meric. Simplification finished fourth to 80-1 longshot Rich Strike. Following the Run for the Roses, Simplification was third in the West Virginia Derby (G3). He closed out his sophomore season with a third in the Harlan’s Holiday (G3) on Dec. 31 at Gulfstream Park. On the season, he posted two wins, a listed and a graded, a graded-stakes second and three graded-stakes thirds, in 10 starts. He earned $761,300 on the year.

A 2019 bay colt by Not This Time out of Simply Confection, by Candy Ride (Arg), Simplification was bred by France and the late Irwin Weiner. Consigned to the 2019 Keeneland November sale, Simplification was a RNA at $50,000.