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FLORIDA FOCUS
Florida Focus Compiled by Brock Sheridan
Officiating Presides Over Bear’s Den
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Prior to the $75,000 Bear’s Den Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Sept. 5, Florida-bred Officiating, who races for owner and breeder Peter
Vegso in the name of his Vegso Racing Stable, had one start in a stakes race in his previous 11 career races. And it was a solid second-place, just a nose short of winner Indy Lyon in the $110,00 Equistaff Sophomore Turf over a mile-and-one-sixteenth on March 28, Florida Cup Day at Tampa Bay Downs.
Unsuccessful but competitive in three starts against allowance and optional claimers since, Officiating made a triumphant return to added-money competition against seven other 3-year-old rivals in the Bear’s Den, which was moved from about seven-and-ahalf furlongs on the turf to a sloppy and sealed seven furlongs.
Officiating broke well from post three in the Bear’s Den and was directed by jockey Emisael Jaramillo to race close to early leaders Dark Timber and Exchange Day, who were both longshots at 29-1 and 19-1 respectively. Exchange Day had a half-length on Dark Timber in second through a first quarter-mile in :22.46 as Officiating sat just behind those two on the rail with Alabama Slammer racing in fourth on the outside.
Exchange Day and Dark Timber raced on even terms around the turn as 6-5 favorite Papetu, who was bumped at the start and lost early position, began to move into contention from the four path as Officiating remained patient on the rail in fourth as they finished the half-mile in :45.31. Officiating swung three-wide at the top of the stretch along with Papetu to his outside and engaged Dark Timber and Exchange Day as it appeared any one of those four had a chance as they approached the final furlong. However, Officiating began to pull away from the competition as they went past the eighth-pole with Papetu giving chase as Exchange Day and Dark Timber could not keep up. Officiating crossed the wire three-and-a-half lengths in front of Papetu in second in a time of 1:23.11. Dark Timber finished third, more than seven lengths faster than Exchange Day in fourth. They were followed in order by Go Mike, Alabama Slammer, El Socio and Fulmini.
Officiating went off at 7-1 and paid $17.60 to win.
By Blame out of Come a Callin, by Dixie Union, Officiating has now won two of 12 career starts with four seconds and two thirds with earnings of $145,137.
His record is a bit misleading as it took him seven tries to break his maiden while starting his career at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct in maiden special weight company before returning to Florida with trainer Bill Mott to win a maiden special weight against statebreds going a mile on turf at Gulfstream in March just prior to the Sophomore turf runner-up finish.
Saffie Joseph Jr. took over the training duties for Officiating two starts back when he finished fourth, beaten just two-and-a-half lengths by Florida-bred Fulmini in a first condition allowance going a mile on the turf on June 3 and third, a neck shy of winner Lahinch in the first condition, $16,000 optional claiming on July 31, both at Gulfstream. ■
Florida-bred Officiating ■ Ryan Thompson Photo Starship Bonita Wins Second Sheer Drama at 34-1 Laurence Leavy and trainer Steven Dwoskin’s Starship Bonita had recently been unsuccessful against several of her rivals in the $75,000 Sheer Drama at Gulfstream Park on Sept 11 but the 6-year-old mare turned the tables to win at odds of 34-1 in the seven furlong test and complete a box car exacta with stablemate Starship Nala. Starship Bonita Florida-bred Starship Bonita ■ Ryan Thompson Photo
also earned a $25,000 Florida Sire Stakes win bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association as she won the Sheer Drama against six other Florida-bred fillies and mares.
In her previous three starts, Starship Bonita was sixth behind winner Heiressall and second-place finisher Thissmytime in last year’s Sheer Drama, fifth in the $75,000 Musical Romance won by Sound Machine with Bramble Berry second on May 29 and fifth again in a second-level, $62,500 optional claiming allowance won by Don’t Get Khozy on July 18—all of whom she faced again in the Sheer Drama.
Things did not look much better in the first quarter-mile of the Sheer Drama this year as Starship Bonita and jockey Jesus Rios were last of seven, but just more than three lengths off of leader Thissmytime in the compact group who
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Tap It to Win Takes to Tapeta to Win Seagram Stakes
Solid morning works on Woodbine’s Tapeta was a hint that Live Oak Plantation’s Tap It to Win may take to the synthetic surface on race day and the Florida-bred’s recent morning training proved to be prophetic on Sept. 11 at Woodbine. In his first start on a synthetic surface, Tap It to Win won the US$122,087 Seagram Stakes (Grade 3) while leading from start to finish, which was also a relatively new tactic for the 4-year-old ridgling.
Tap It to Win came into the Seagram off of three nice moves in the morning on the Tapeta main track at Woodbine including a bullet four furlong breeze in :47.40 on Sept. 3, that was the best of 19 that morning.
The Seagram presented a field of five 3-year-olds and older who went a mile-and-one-sixteenth with Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes-winning front-runner Mighty Heart going off as the 3-5 post time favorite in post four.
But jockey Rafael Hernandez and Tap It to Win did not allow the odds-on choice to get early position in the Seagram as they sprinted to the front from post five to take a length-and-a-half lead past the finish line for the first time. Dolder Grand at 7-1 and Mighty Heart chased in second around the clubhouse turn as Tap It to Win galloped through the first two furlongs while extending his lead to two lengths.
The order of finish did not change in the course of the next halfmile as Tap It to Win took his two length advantage through four furlongs in :49.05 and six furlongs 1:12.96 with Mighty Heart giving chase in second and Dolder Grand another length back in third.
Tap It to Win was never threatened in the stretch under steady
urging from Hernandez as he crossed under the wire in 1:43.79 and a length-and-three-quarters ahead of Mighty Heart in second with Special Forces making a late move to finish a half-length farther back in third. Dolder Grand was fourth followed by Another Mystery. It was the first graded stakes victory for Tap It to Win and the seventh stakes victory this summer at Woodbine for Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation. Hernandez said the prerace instructions from the team of trainer Mark Casse were simple and provided a level of confidence throughout for both horse and rider. “They told me, ‘Raffi, just get to the lead. Do your thing there. Put him on the lead and the rest is up to the Florida-bred Tap It to Win ■ Michael Burns Photo horse.’ When I looked back turning for home, I said, ‘If they have something, they have to run faster than me because I still have plenty.” Tap It to Win paid $11.40 to win and now has won five of 14 career starts with two seconds and a third while earning $412,462. It was the first victory for the son of Tapit since winning the $100,000 NYRA Bets Sprint by four-and-a-half lengths at Tampa Bay Downs on March 28 and the first and only other career wireto-wire triumph since winning a first level allowance going a mileand-one-sixteenth at Belmont Park in June of 2020. Bred in Florida by Weber’s Live Oak Stud, Tap It to Win is out of Onepointhreekarats, by Medaglia d’Oro, making him a halfbrother to Weber’s multiple graded stakes-winner Souper Stonehenge, who won the Virgil (G3) and Jacques Cartier (G3) at Woodbine earlier this summer. Onepointhreekarats also has an unraced full-brother to Tap It to Win in Tapthespeedofsound. ■
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clicked off the first fraction in :22.68.
Thissmytime continued to lead the field around the turn before Starship Nala moved up to challenge from her outside as Starship Bonita began to threaten while racing threewide past the five-sixteenths pole.
Starship Nala took over turning for home but was quickly on even terms with Starship Bonita on the outside with Thissmytime not out of the running on rail as those three finished the half-mile in :45.22.
But Starship Bonita took her momentum to the front inside the final sixteenth and won by three-quarters of a length in 1:22.92 on the fast track with Starship Nala second. Thissmytime was another three-quarters of a length back in third followed in order by 6-5 favorite Sound Machine, Sonar, Bramble Berry and Heiressall.
Starship Bonita paid $71.80 on a $2 win ticket. Starship Nala was the second longest choice in the field at 16-1 and the $1 exacta paid $217.70.
Starship Bonita now has four wins in 20 career starts with three seconds and three thirds and the $70,570 first-place check increased her career earnings to $577,237. This is the second time she has taken the Sheer Drama having also won in 2018.
Starship Bonita is by Gone Astray out of Happy Honeymoon, by Honour and Glory and was purchased for $72,000 by Starship Stables and Dwoskin out of the 2017 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale where she was consigned by Whitman Sales.
Bred in Florida by Mr. and Mrs. William A. T. Rainbow, the dark bay or brown mare was also consigned under the Rainbow’s The Acorn at the 2016 OBS August Yearling Sale where she was purchased for $25,000 by Equid Consulting. ■
Livingmybestlife Best in Lucky Spell
Florida-bred Livingmybestlife made her career stakes debut a success with a twolength victory in the $75,000 Lucky Spell Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going six furlongs at Los Alamitos on Sept. 24.
Trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing LLC and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Livingmybestlife led from start to finish while completing the distance in 1:09.64.
Breaking from the inside post one, Livingmybestlife sprinted to the front and had a length advantage on the Bob Baffert-trained Ginja in second as they finished the first two furlongs in :22.21. But Livingmybestlife still had her best running to go over the next four furlongs as she finished the half-mile in :44.74 while extending her lead to three lengths as they turned for home.
Livingmybestlife galloped home to win by two lengths over a late-running Stella Noir in second with Ginja another length-and-a-half back in third. Forest Caraway was fourth with Pizzazz completing the order of finish.
It was the third career win in six starts for Livingmybestlife, who also has two seconds in her young but consistent career. She defeated special weight maidens at Oaklawn Park in April going six furlongs in her second lifetime start after being claimed by Sadler out of her first start at Oaklawn when second on April 8. She then bounced back to win a $50,000 optional claiming starter allowance by two lengths going five-and-a-half furlongs at Santa Anita on June 18 in her first start for Sadler. She was then fourth in a first condition, $40,000 optional claiming allowance won by Lucky Spell rival Forest Caraway at Del Mar going six furlongs on Aug. 1 before finishing second to graded stakes-place Bella Vita under the same conditions, but at sixand-a-half furlongs, at Del Mar on Aug. 29.
Livingmybestlife earned $42,000 for winning the Lucky Spell and increased her career revenues to $147,720. She is by Ocala Stud stallion The Big Beast out of Wall Street Lady, by Speightstown and was bred in Florida by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong. ■
Florida Sire Stakes Star Chance It to Stand at Journeyman Stud
Chance It, a winner of two of the three legs of the prestigious FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park and Florida-bred champion 2-year-old male in 2019, has been retired and will stand the 2022 breeding season at Brent and Crystal Fernung’s Journeyman Stud in Ocala, Fla.
“We’re excited to stand Chance It here at Journeyman next year. He is a beloved Floridabred racehorse that displayed tons of talent. Had he not got injured, I’m sure he would have annexed at least one Grade 1 stake before he was finished.” Brent Fernung said. “Chance It won from six furlongs to a mile-and-a-sixteenth and showed indications that he would have won going further. It’ll be a pleasure to work with Mary and her entire team!”
Chance It was trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for Shooting Star Thoroughbreds, a syndicate managed by Mary Lightner of Ocala.
He won the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire
Stewards Give Jalen Journey First Stakes Victory in De Francis Dash
Jalen Journey was moved from second to first by the Laurel Park stewards after disqualifying initial winner Wondrwherecraigis in the Grade 3 De Francis Dash Sept. 19, giving the Florida-bred Jalen Journey his first career added-money victory.
The De Francis Dash offered a purse of $200,000 to the six 3year-olds and older who went six furlongs with Wondrwherecraigis crossing the finish line three-quarters of a length in front of Jalen Journey in second to his outside.
Kalu, who was looking for his fourth-straight win after graduating from a $12,500 starter handicap at Parx going six furlongs on Aug. 24, broke out on top from post one but had Tale of the Cat Stakes-winner and 4-5 favorite Wondrwherecraigis chasing in the three-path after breaking from post five. Jalen Journey was about a length off the lead between those two as they rushed through a first quarter-mile in a very fast :21.98.
Kalu continued to lead around the far turn as Wondrwherecraigis was in close pursuit on the outside while jockey Feargal Lynch allowed Jalen Journey to stalk the speed duel from two lengths back.
“There was the two speed horses and Jevian [Toledo with Wondrwherecraigis] was the horse to follow. I think if we go head to head from the quarter pole I would have won if I was upside him going to the wire,” Lynch said. “Unfortunately I just had to wait until my horse started to pick up and when he did. [Jalen Journey is] typical of one [trained by] Steve Asmussen, they just don’t quit. They just keep grinding and grinding.”
At the top of the stretch, Wondrwherecraigis took the lead from a resilient Kalu on the rail while Jalen Journey tried to make his run while remaining two lengths behind in third as they finished the half-mile split in :45.11.
Wondrwherecraigis maintained a length-and-a-quarter advantage inside the final furlong but drifted out with a sixteenth of a mile to the finish, forcing Feargal to check Jalen Journey as Kalu was out of contention on the inside.
Wondrwherecraigis finished up in 1:09.52 on the fast track but was eventually placed second, giving Jalen Journey the win. Kalu was third, nearly five lengths ahead of War Tocsin in fourth followed
in order by Whiskey and You and Laki. “[Wondrwherecraigis] did come out of his path. He was getting [encouraged] left-handed,” Asmussen’s New York-based assistant Toby Sheets said. “It was kind of a hazing thing the whole way; no brainer.” Jalen Journey raced in the turquoise and black silks of Gary Hartunian’s Rockingham Ranch, who co-owns the 6-year-old ridgling with David A. Bernsen LLC. He earned $120,000 and pushed his career bankroll to $503,674. He has won half of his 16 career starts with two seconds and a third. Jalen Journey was the 6-5 second choice in the De Francis and paid $4.60 to win. “It’s great to win it again for Steve,” Lynch, who also rode Switzerland in the 2019 De Francis victory for Asmussen, said. “[Switzerland] was a nice horse. Switzerland was straightforward. He went to the lead that day and never looked back. That was easy. I was just steering. This one was a little tougher. I’m just thankful to be part of the team. [Asmussen has] been very good to me and supports me when he comes into town. It’s a pleasure to ride for him.” It was the second consecutive win Florida-bred Jalen Journey (#2) ■ Jim McCue Photo for Jalen Journey, who had dominated a third-level, $100,000 optional claiming allowance at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 6 in his previous start, winning by eight-and-a-half lengths going six-and-a-half furlongs. It was also his third win in his last four starts going back to a length victory in a second-level, $80,000 optional claiming at Belmont Park going seven furlongs on June 10 before finishing second to Montauk Traffic in another top-level, $100,000 optional claiming race over sixand-a-half furlongs at Belmont on July 11. Bred in Florida by Dennis Foster and Edward Pendray, Jalen Journey is by With Distinction out of Petunia Face, by Congrats. Jalen Journey joins ten other Florida-breds who together have 12 victories in 29 editions of the De Francis Dash. Montbrook was the first Florida-bred winner of the prestigious sprint in 1993 followed by eventual sprint champion Cherokee Run a year later before Lite the Fuse won the next two in 1995 and 1996. Kelly Kip won in 1998 followed by Delaware Township (2001), Wildcat Heir (2004); Benny the Bull, who won during his 2007 champion sprinter campaign; Vineyard Haven (2009), Immortal Eyes (2013) and Gentlemen’s Bet (2015). ■
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Florida-bred Chance It ■ Lauren King Photo
Stakes Dr. Fager over six furlongs by three-and-a-quarter lengths on Aug. 3 of 2019 before dominating the $400,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes In Reality two starts later in September, winning the mile-andone-sixteenth test by seven-and-a-quarter lengths. He was also second, missing by just a head to Liam’s Lucky Charm in the $200,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Affirmed going seven furlongs on Aug. 31.
By Currency Swap out of Vagabon Diva, by Pleasantly Perfect, Chance It started his sophomore campaign with a victory in the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man on Jan. 4 of 2020 at Gulfstream Park, achieving a Beyer Speed Figure of 99 while defeating stakes-winner As Seen On Tv and future graded stakes-winner Sole Volante.
In four starts this year, Chance It was second twice including a runner-up performance in the Grade 3 Smile Sprint over six furlongs at Gulfstream Park on July 3 and third in the Grade 1 Forego going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 28 while earning a 97 Beyer number. He was retired after his final start in the Grade 2 Kelso at Belmont Park on Sept. 25 when he suffered a minor injury to his left front leg.
Chance It, who was bred in the Sunshine State by Bett Usher, finished his career with a consistent record of four wins, four seconds and a third in 11 lifetime races while earning $583,330.
The handsome bay colt will join a stellar stallion roster at Journeyman Stud that includes Khozan, the leading sire in Florida in 2020 and 2021; St Patrick’s Day, who is a full-brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah; and Mr. Money, a winner of four graded stakes as a 3-year-old.
Chance It’s fee for the 2022 breeding season has not been announced. ■
Andy Belfiore Named New FHBPA Executive Director
Andy Belfiore, who has served as the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association’s project manager for the MidAtlantic Strategic Plan to Reduce Equine Fatalities for the last two years, has been named the new executive director of the Florida HBPA. Prior to working for the THA, she Andy Belfiore ■ FHPBA photo was executive director for the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association for four years.
As project manager for the Strategic Plan, Belfiore worked with the Plan’s architects, NYS Equine Medical Director Dr. Scott Palmer and Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association chairman Alan Foreman, to organize and implement all aspects of the initiative, including coordination among industry stakeholders and regulators in the region, and communication with the thoroughbred industry, legislators and the public.
A native of Massachusetts, Belfiore started her career in racing on the backstretch at Belmont Park, working as a hotwalker, groom, exercise rider and assistant trainer. After 10 years with the horses, she moved to the frontside at the track, and spent five years in the communications and marketing departments at NYRA. Belfiore left NYRA in 1993 to take the reins as editor-in-chief at the Thoroughbred Daily News, a position she held for 18 years. She was hired as director of communications for the NYTHA in December, 2011, and took over as executive director of in 2015. Belfiore has also served as executive director of the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program Inc., and as co-chair of the board of the Backstretch Employee Service Team.
“I’m looking forward to working with Stephen and the Florida HBPA,” Belfiore said. “Racing in South Florida faces its challenges but the horsemen have elected a terrific board, and Stephen has proven to be a strong leader. I’m excited to be a part of the team.” ■
No Never No More to Pleasant Acres
No Never No More, a son of the late Scat Daddy and a three-quarters brother to Group 1-winner and Europe’s leading first crop sire of 2018, No Nay Never, has moved to Pleasant Acres Stallions in Morriston, Fla., for the 2022 Breeding Season. He will stand for a fee of $2,500.
PRESIDENT’S FAREWELL
PHIL MATTHEWS
Having served many years on the board, I have witnessed great dedication from the staff, board members and general membership in making our organization flourish. The officers of the board also serve additional duty on the executive committee and along with key staff members give of their time and energy to keep our organization focused and vibrant. As I depart the board, I’d like to give the folks who have served with me some deserved recognition and they include first vice-president Valerie Dailey, second vice-president Brent Fernung, treasurer George Russell and secretary Joe O’Farrell. I thank our entire board for being vital to the association, and the industry, as key stakeholders and leaders. I thank each for their ongoing service.
I also want to give special recognition to our outgoing board member Richard Kent, who served the past six years as a committed, inquisitive and thoughtful addition to our board. The board appreciates his service and dedication to the industry.
With great sadness, I want to pay tribute to Gil Campbell, husband to current board member, Marilyn, a long-time board member himself and past president of this organization, for many years, a leading breeder not only in our state of Florida but on the national stage and a great supporter of our industry and organization. More than the sum of all of his accomplishments in the breeding and racing industry and in the business world, Gil was a true gentleman, a friend to many and will be sorely missed.
As I reflect on this year of presidency, it has been a year that as an association we had to be nimble and flexible, ever anticipating world and statewide events and how they would affect the thoroughbred industry and our organization.
During the shutdown of the pandemic, off-track wagering increased greatly, while on-track wagering, the largest source of our breeders’ fund, fell away dramatically. As the tracks reopened to on-track bettors, the numbers began to shape our breeders awards in a positive way.
By May of this year, the FTBOA board of directors saw a path forward to again increase breeders awards that it had been forced to lower the previous year. This was thanks to the depth of our industry with breeders willing to stay with it during uncertain times, and the commitment by industry players, like the racetracks that continued to provide a great product and Ocala Breeders’ Sales company that continued to provide a market for our horses.
By May the board felt it would be fiscally prudent to reinstate the awards for second and third place finishes and to reinstate the stallion awards back up to 15% and to make those awards retroactive to January 1st of the year. Staff and the board realize fully that awards need to be as high as they can be to reward Florida breeders for their commitment.
Another key development in 2021 has been the continued success of our lucrative Florida Sire Stakes program. Since FTBOA began hosting the program in 2012, the purses have grown, the number of eligible horses has increased, and many FSS bonuses have been added. At Gulfstream Park this summer, the first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes broke all handle records of previous sire stakes programs, and the second leg also showed some of the strongest handle numbers in its history. This is thanks to the dedication of breeders who committed to breed to Florida stallions and to make your horses eligible for the program. The finals did not disappoint with stellar performances by Octane and Outfoxed.
In addition to FSS success, I would like to note that each foal crop year of 2019 and 2020 produced more registered Florida-breds than reported preliminarily by The Jockey Club for those years.
A bad bit of industry news occurred this year with the closing of Calder Race Course after 50 years of operation. The ramifications of this for our Association and to South Florida racing are many and none of them are good. Hardest felt is the direct loss to purses and the breeders fund. The Association is strategizing on ways these monies, and more, may be recovered and even increased. It is our fervent hope that we can work with other industry stake holders to allow Florida race tracks to flourish and our breeding industry to remain as strong as in years past. I can tell you that most of these pathways go through Tallahassee and that is why FTBOA has focused on creating, cultivating and strengthening the strongest network possible in our state capitol. Unfortunately, it requires more than talent and hard work, which we’ve had plenty of, but it also requires money.
I suggest that you should consider making a financial contribution to our political action committee so we can successfully fight these battles in Tallahassee. Remember this can be done by automatically contributing a small percentage of your breeder awards.
Legislators are bombarded every session by voters, organizations, and businesses trying to be heard and get their individual message across. Proper funding of our PAC is essential if we are to educate legislators about the economic impact our industry has on the state: a $2.6 billion industry which creates over 21,000 jobs and preserves the scenic vistas of beautiful farmland within our state. Donating a small percentage of every breeder award you earn really does make a difference in this process.
On another note, we will be increasing member dues by $25 in 2022. No one likes price increases, but it is a small increase after ten years and
Phil Matthews, DVM ■ Serita Hult Photo
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Scat Daddy, who is by Johannesburg out of Love Style, by Mr. Prospector, was a multiple Grade 1 winner of $1,334,300. A sire of eight crops of racing age, Scat Daddy has had 134 stakes winners, 15 champions, and 791 winners who have earned a combined $93,255,766. According to BloodHorse MarketWatch data, in 2018, sales from 24 of the 31 Scat Daddy 2year-olds totaled $11,976,015.
“No Never No More is a handsome, athletic individual with a lovely head and kind eye. He exudes pure class as his pedigree would suggest,” Tigertail Ranch owner Irwin Olian said.
No Never No More’s first dam, Whosetheclownnow, is by Tiznow, who was on the board 14 out of 15 starts and finished his career with nearly $6.5 million in earnings. Retired last year from breeding, Tiznow was on the stallion roster at WinStar Farm in Kentucky for almost 20 years. Upon his retirement, his daughters had produced 49 stakes winners including Tiz the Law—winner of the Curlin Florida Derby (G1), the Champagne Stakes (G1), the Belmont Stakes (G1), and the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1).
Whosetheclownnow, by Tiznow out of Comical Cat, by Exceller, is a half-sister to Cat’s Eye Witness, who produced No Nay Never, by Scat Daddy out of Cat’s Eye Witness, by Elusive Quality, and had four wins and two second in six starts.
No Nay Never broke his maiden in his first attempt and then went on to win the Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) in Ascot and the Darley Pix Morny (Group 2) in Deauville with his next two starts. No Nay Never stands in Ireland at Coolmore and stood in 2021 for €125,000. His yearlings in 2021 sold for up to $450,000.
No Never No More joins stallions Amira’s Prince, Breaking Lucky, Bucchero, Curlin’s Honor, Gunnevera, Handsome Mike, Long On Value, Neolithic, Ride On Curlin, and Sweetontheladies. ■ Florida-bred Horse of the Year Three Rules to Stand at Wesfield
Three Rules, named the Florida-bred Horse of the Year and champion 2-year-old male in 2016 after sweeping the male division of the prestigious FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes that year, has been retired and will stand the 2022 breeding season at Robert Smith’s Wesfield Farm in Ocala, Fla.
The graded stakes-winning son of Gone Astray out of Joy Rules, by Full Mandate won the first five races of his career for trainer Jose Pinchin including the $75,000 Birdonthewire Stakes by five lengths
at Gulfstream Park in his second start on July 2 of 2016. He then went on to dominate the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Dr. Fager in early August, winning the six furlong test by seven lengths while earning a 92 Beyer Speed Figure. He then won the $200,000 Affirmed by five-and-a-half lengths over seven furlongs on Sept. 3 before crushing his rivals with a 10-length romp in the $500,000 In Reality going a mile-and-one-sixteenth. Three Rules finished his juvenile year by traveling to Santa Anita for the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade 1) and finished fifth behind winner Classic Empire with now popular stallions Not This Time and Practical Joke finishing second and third. Three Rules was bred in Florida and raced for Bert Pilcher in the name of his Shade Tree Thoroughbreds in partnership with Geoff Roy and Tom Fitzgerald, both of Toronto, who are Florida-bred Three Rules ■ Leslie Martin Photo all still partners in the horse. “Robert Smith at Wesfield will stand Three Rules for us,” Pilcher said. “He wants to breed some of his mares to him and some of his clients have inquired about breeding some of their mares. Of course, I will be supporting him and I have clients who are excited to see him at stud and plan to breed their mares to him. I think he will be very popular in Florida and I think he will produce a very nice race horse. “He was a fabulous 2-year-old who only lost one race that year and that came in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and he beat some nice horses in that race. And then he competed well in the [Kentucky Derby] preps at Gulfstream before becoming a graded stakes-winner later that year.” He began his sophomore year on the Kentucky Derby trail with a second-place finish to Favorable Outcome in the Grade 2 Swale before finishing third behind winner Gunnevera in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, both at Gulfstream Park in February and March respectively. He then finished fifth in the Grade 1 Xpressbet Florida Derby won by eventual Kentucky Derby (G1)-winner Always Dreaming at Gulfstream on April 1. Later in 2017, Three Rules was third in the $200,000 Chick Lang Stakes won by future graded stakes-winner Recruiting Ready at Laurel before winning the Grade 3 Carry Back at Gulfstream in July, defeating future multiple stakes-winner Mo Cash. Three Rules finished his career with six wins, two second and two thirds while earning $972,825. His fee has not been announced. ■ Florida Focus continues on next page
