TAKING 2 AT TAMPA

By BROCK SHERIDAN T wo Florida-breds who last year each won divisions of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park made successful 2020 debuts Jan. 18 at Tampa Bay Downs while also together earning $150,000 in purse supplements offered by the FTBOA as Florida-breds who are also FSS-eligible.

Stonehedge LLC’s Liam’s Lucky Charm won the $125,000 Pasco Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs and Gary Barber’s Two Sixty captured the $125,000 Gasparilla Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at the same distance. Both stakes each offered a $25,000 win supplement for Florida-breds and a $50,000 win supplement for FSS-paid nominees.

Both Liam’s Lucky Charm and Two Sixty were ridden by jockey Edgard Zayas who also had a big day with four wins on the card.

“It feels nice,” Zayas said, “I had a lot of live mounts today and the horses ran good – it was all them.”

Liam’s Lucky Charm started the stakes action with a five-and-and-half-length win in the Pasco while leading from start to finish.

Breaking from the inside post one, Liam’s Lucky Charm was urged to the lead from the start by Zayas as they led maiden special weight-winner My Man 2 TAKING

Florida-bred Sophomores Double Up in Tampa Bay Stakes; Pair also earns FTBOA and FSS purse supplements

Flintstone by a half-length after two furlongs in :22.36 on the fast track. Coming out of the far turn, Liam’s Lucky Charm bumped My Man Flintstone while also pushing out Presque Isle Downs stakes-winner Albert Park in third after ticking off a half-mile in :44.66 before extending his lead to a length turning for home. He then drew off under right-handed pressure from Zayas and raced to the finish in 1:21.75 with Albert Park second and No Getting Over Me another fiveand-a-half lengths farther back.

They were followed by He’s Smokin Now, My Man Flintstone, Golden Candy and Big Yes.

“I wasn’t really planning to be on the lead – if it SV PHTOGRAPHY PHOTOS

atTAMPA

happened, it happened – and he broke good but the five [My Man Flintstone] just out-broke him,” Zayas said. “My horse was going so easy, I just let him do his thing. He’s a really classy horse and he’s developing well, and he pretty much moved on his own.

“Once he felt those other horses, he kind of woke up and took off and finished really strong. I was expecting him to run that way and I’m really happy and I

Florida-bred Liam’s Lucky Charm winning the Pasco Stakes

Jockey Edgard Zayas (inset) and Florida-bred Two Sixty winning the Gasparilla Stakes

know he is going to keep improving from here.”

Trainer Ralph Nicks said maturity and an equipment change were key to Liam’s Lucky Charm’s winning performance.

“He’s been training well, he’s been doing good and he’s grown up some,” Nicks said. “He’s still got some growing up to do, but he’s been a little sharper in the mornings and the blinkers on made him more focused.” Liam’s Lucky Charm, who was also second to Chance It last year in the $100,000 FTBOA FSS Dr. Fager on Aug. 1 and third to that one in the $400,000 FTBOA FSS In Reality on Sept. 28, increased his money line to three wins from six starts with earnings of $338,800.

The bay colt was also bred in Florida by Gilbert Campbell in the name of his Stonehedge LLC and is the son of Journeyman Stud resident Khozan out of P.S. I Love You, by Stormy Atlantic. P.S. I Love You has produced three other foals to race, all winners by Macho Uno, High Cotton and Revolving. She also has a 2-year-old filly who is a full-sister to Liam’s Lucky Charm, a yearling colt by He’s Had Enough and was bred back to Khozan in 2019.

Liam’s Lucky Charm went to the post as the 7-5 favorite and paid $4.80 to win.

Two Sixty had to work a bit harder for her win in the Gasparilla as she held off a stretch-long battle with maiden special weight winner Mo City to win by a neck. Like Liam’s Lucky Charm, Two Sixty broke on top from post eight and quickly was able to get the lead with longshot Randiabby just to her inside in second as they went the first quarter-mile in a quick :22.05. Randiabby could not keep up around the far turn as 9-2 third choice Veruca took up the chase in second with Gerri B third when they clocked the half-mile in :44.85. Two Sixty fended off those challengers and was twoand-a-half length in front just after turning for home but Mo City was by now in full stride in second. But Two Sixty kept Mo City at bay in second under the wire as they finished in 1:22.80.

We the Clouds was another neck back in third with favored Ceci Valentina, who was also an FSS-winner of the $200,000 Susan’s Girl division last year on Aug. 31 at Gulfstream in addition to winning the Millions Pre

view Juvenile Fillies Sprint Stakes Gulfstream Park West on Nov. 9, finishing fourth. She was followed by Swiss Skydiver, Palace Miss, Veruca, Gerri B, Judy’s Way, Campy Cash and Randiabby.

“[Two Sixty] was a little immature as a 2-year-old, but she has a lot of class and she is maturing race by race,” Zayas said of the Mark Casse trainee. “The key with her is trying to keep her relaxed. If you start fighting with her

“It feels nice. I had

she doesn’t like it, so I just tried to put the hands down and let her do her own thing. As long as she can work good with her mind, she’ll give you her all at the end.”

“We had a lot of confidence in this filly,” assistant trainer Mitch Downs said of Two Sixty. “She’s been training well at the [Casse] Training Center [in Ocala], and when she relaxes, she’s as good as a lot of 3-year-old fillies around. She put that together today.

“Even though she had some pressure, she was doing it nice and easy.” Two Sixty is by Uncaptured out of Jim’s Lonesa, by Put It Back and was bred in Florida by Bert and Martha Pilcher’s Shade Tree Thoroughbreds in Reddick, Fla. Two Sixty is the first foal out of Jim’s Lonesa, who has also produced a 2-year-old colt by High Cotton and a yearling colt by Neolithic. She was bred to Khozan in 2019.

She has won three of seven career starts with earnings of $409,000 and paid $13.00 to win as the sixth choice in the wagering. ■

a lot of live mounts today and the horses ran good – it was all them. ” —jockey Edgard Zayas

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