Florida Sire Stakes Move Proving Quite Popular

There will be a significant change in the 2023 summer/fall Florida Thoroughbred racing program as the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association and Gulfstream Park have altered the schedule for the $1.2 million Florida Sire Stakes series of races.

The six-race series for 2-year-olds sired by Florida-based stallions has for years been made up of three divisions for colts and geldings and three for fillies, typically starting around the first week of August with the Dr. Fager and the Desert Vixen, both at six furlongs. The series would continue a month later with two seven-furlong divisions—the Affirmed for colts and geldings and the Susan’s Girl for fillies—before concluding around the first of October with the My Dear Girl for fillies and the In Reality for males at a mile-and-a-sixteenth.

This year, however, the $100,000 Dr. Fager and the $100,000 Desert Vixen will be run Sept. 9 at Gulfstream Park before resuming six weeks later at the Hallandale Beach oval with the $200,000 Affirmed and the $200,000 Susan’s Girl on Oct. 21. The series concludes another six weeks later, Dec. 2, with the $300,000 In Reality and the $300,000 My Dear Girl.

The calendar change appears to be popular— especially among horsemen with the more promising Florida-breds in the freshmen class of 2023.

Joe Orseno, president of the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and trainer of impressive maiden special weight winner Mattingly, gave his stamp of approval after the son of Pleasant Acres Stallions resident Bucchero dominated in his second start on June 24 by nearly six lengths.

“I think moving the [Florida] Sire Stakes back was one of the wisest decisions made,” Orseno said. “It gives us a chance to buy a horse in June, train them and keep them healthy and then plan for the Sire Stakes.”

Also giving initial approval was Brian Cohen, manager of Arindel and BC Racing Stable who has several young Florida-breds showing promise including $100,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile-winner Reaper, a son of Arindel’s exceptional stallion Brethren.

“With the Sire Stakes changes, what I’m most happy about is the distance between the races. I think getting the six weeks between races gives the horses a good amount of time to recover and run their best [in subsequent Florida Sire Stakes] races,” Cohen said.

In addition to Reaper, Cohen also has in his BC Racing Stable Jive, an impressive son of Journeyman Stud’s first crop sire St Patrick’s Day who won his five furlong debut in 1:00.20—the fastest time for the distance at Gulfstream this year among 70 previous winners, including older horses during the prestigious winter Championship Meet.

Cohen said he had planned to run Jive against some of the nation’s best at the acclaimed Saratoga Race Course before returning later for the Florida Sire Stakes.

“I’m very happy about moving the races back. It gives horses a chance to develop and run in some of the prestigious 2-year-old races around the country before coming back to the Sire Stakes.”

And looking at just a few of the promising Florida-bred juveniles so far this year—one does not want to miss the new 2023 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes. TFH