OBS grads scored three graded stakes wins at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday.
Victoria’s Ranch’s King Guillermo, idle since a third place finish behind fellow OBS graduate Sole Volante (April ’19) in Gulfstream’s Pulpit Stakes in November and ignored at 49-1, sat just off the lead in the $351,500 Tampa Bay Derby (G2), took command in the stretch, quickly opened daylight, and cruised to a 4-3/4 length victory. Sole Volante, who trailed early, closed strongly but settled for second. The 3-year-old colt by Uncle Mo, consigned by Gene Recio, Agent, to the 2019 OBS April Sale, turned in an Under Tack eighth in :10 1/5 before he was purchased for $150,000 by retired All-Star baseball player Victor Martinez, owner of Victoria’s Ranch. Now 4-2-0-1 for trainer Juan Carlos Avila, he has earned $240,350 to date. watch his under tack video
In the $100,000 Challenger Stakes (G3), JCA Racing Stable LLC’s Trophy Chaser out gamed even money favorite King for a Day in the final yards and scored his first stakes win by a neck. Also trained by Juan Carlos Avila, the 4-year-old son of Twirling Candy is now 11-4-3-1 and has earned $243,350. He breezed an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat before he was purchased for $42,000 out of the de Meric Sales consignment at the 2018 OBS March Sale. watch his under tack video
OBS graduates were one-two in the $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes (G2) when Blue Heaven Farm’s Starship Jubilee rallied from just off the pace, took control in the lane and held off Beautiful Lover (April ’18) by a length and a quarter. That’s two straight graded stakes victories and seven stakes wins overall for the 7-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Indy Wind, trained by Kevin Attard, now 35-17-5-3 with $1,498,667 in earnings. The two-time OBS graduate was sold by The Acorn at the 2014 August Yearling Sale, then consigned by Halcyon Hammock Farm to the 2015 April Sale where she went through the ring after breezing an Under Tack eighth in :10 2/5. watch her under tack video
Cash Is King LLC and LC Racing LLC’s Mischevious Alex disputed the pace in the early going of Aqueduct’s $300,000 Gotham Stakes (G3), opened a clear lead after straightening away in the stretch and cruised to the wire a winner by two lengths. It’s the second straight graded stakes win for the 3-year-old colt by Into Mischief, purchased for $140,000 out of the Eisaman Equine consignment at the 2019 OBS April Sale after working an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat. Trained by John Servis, he’s now 7-4-1-1 and has earned $344,230 to date. watch his under tack video
William Branch’s Carotari took the lead at the start of Saturday’s $75,000 Silks Run Stakes at Gulfstream and stayed there to the wire, holding off a late charge to win by a neck, with fellow OBS graduate Archidust (March ’18) another neck back in third. It’s the first stakes score for the 4-year-old gelding by Artie Schiller, trained by Brian Lynch, now 12-4-4-1 with $241,260 in earnings. Consigned by TIP Thoroughbred Investment Possibilities, Agent, to the 2018 OBS April Sale, he went through the ring after turning in an Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5.watch his under tack video
Al Bayraq Stable’s Emblem Storm picked up his first stakes win on Saturday in Meydan’s $300,000 Al Bastakiya Stakes, taking charge 500 metres from home and winning by a length and a quarter. Third in the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3) in his last start, the 3-year-old son of English Channel, trained by Sateesh Seemar, is now 3-2-0-1 and has earned $231,958. He was sold for $95,000 by Grassroots Training & Sales LLC, Agent, at the 2019 OBS April Sale after breezing an eighth in :10 2/5 at the Under Tack Show. watch his under tack video