BY BROCK SHERIDAN
My Miss Mo, a 12-length winner in her last race; stakes-winner Gerrards Cross and allowance-winner Evolution, top a strong representation of five Florida-breds in the $125,000 Sandpiper Stakes, a six-furlong test for 2-year-old fillies at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday.
The purse reserves $25,000 for Florida-bred contenders, part of Tampa Bay Downs’ enhanced Florida-bred program. Record Florida-bred allocations enabled by 2025 state legislation include $1.5 million at Tampa Bay Downs and $6 million at Gulfstream Park. The industry awaits Gulfstream Park’s implementation plan for its allocation.
My Miss Mo has been installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite after most recently drubbing a seven-furlong maiden special weight for Florida-bred fillies at Gulfstream Park on Nov. 9 in her second career start. She just missed winning her introduction when a nose shy of winner Flowko after a slow start in a six-furlong maiden special weight for Florida-bred fillies at Gulfstream on Oct. 3.
The bay daughter of Uncle Mo is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and in her two starts has earned $34,830 for owners Averill Racing LLC, Mathis Stable LLC and Tristan de Meric. Averill Racing and Mathis Stable purchased My Miss Mo for $320,000 out of the de Meric Sales consignment at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Bred in Florida by Valerie Mastromanaco, Tristan de Meric and Uncle Mo Syndicate, My Miss Mo is out of the winning Florida-bred Quality Road mare In a Dream, a half-sister to Harper’s First Ride, winner of the 2020 Pimlico Special (Grade 3) and four other stakes; and stakes-placed Klugman.
Edgard Zayas, who rode My Miss Mo in her two previous starts, gets the return mount and they will break from post five in the field of 10.
Trainer Kathleen O’Connell will saddle Gerrards Cross, who is undefeated in two starts including a two-and-a-half-length victory in the $112,000 Colleen Stakes going five furlongs on the turf at Monmouth Park on July 27. She was equally impressive on dirt in her first start at Gulfstream Park on June 6, winning a five-furlong maiden special weight by six lengths.
A homebred for James M. Chicklo, Gerrards Cross has earned $85,800 in her two starts. She is out of the Concerto mare Spanish Concert and is half-sister to stakes-placed Florida-bred Dream Concert.
Gerrards Cross is 6-1 in the program and will be ridden from post seven by Sonny Leon.
Florida-bred Evolution looks for her second consecutive win and third overall in her seven career starts.
The Carlos David trainee was a nearly seven-length winner of an upper tier, $75,000 optional claiming going six furlongs at Gulfstream in her last race on Oct. 25. A two-and-three-quarters-lengths winner of a five-furlong maiden special weight for fillies in her second start at Gulfstream in May, she was then sixth in the $150,000 Schuylerville (Listed) at Saratoga Race Course on July 5. She then returned to Gulfstream where she finished seventh in $75,000 Sharp Susan in the slop on Aug. 9 and fourth in the $100,000 Desert Vixen, the first leg of the filly division of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes on Sept. 6.
A homebred for Arindel, Evolution is by Arindel’s stallion Brethren out of Sweet Khaleesi, by Maimonides and is a full-sister to Arindel’s stakes-placed Mist. She is the wealthiest among the Sandpiper entrants with earnings of $109,307.
Samuel Marin rides Evolution from post nine and they are 4-1 on the morning line.
Florida-bred Tremont Tammy makes her second career start and first since finishing third in the $81,000 Bison Strides Stakes at Prairie Meadows on Sept. 6. Trained by Jon Arnett for John Ballantyne’s NBS Stable, she broke her maiden by four-and-a-half lengths in her first race while facing maiden special weight fillies going five-and-a-half furlongs at Prairie Meadows on Aug. 7.
Tremont Tammy is by Maclean’s Music out of the Tapit mare Southern Girl, a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and multiple Grade 1-winning Florida-bred Mucho Macho Man, Grade 2-winner Marconi and stakes-placed Mucho Mans Gold. She was bred in Florida by Bridlewood Farm.
Ballantyne purchased Tremont Tammy at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $180,000 out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.
An earner of $28,020 in her two races, Tremont Tammy has post one and jockey Marcos Meneses. They are listed at 30-1 on the morning line.
Florida-bred Techstar looks for her first victory in her fifth career start Saturday.
The Orlando Rose-trained daughter of Instagrand has two seconds and a third in three starts against maiden special weight fillies at Delaware Park, plus a fifth in the $75,000 Blue Hen on Aug. 14 at Delaware. She has earned $24,750 for owner Von A Stables LLC.
Techstar is out of Rebooted, by Mr. Greeley and was bred in Florida by Angela M. Ingenito. Rebooted is a half-sister to stakes-winner and multiple stakes-producer Summer Cruise and graded stakes-producer Bluegrass Phenom, and is a full-sister to Grade 1-placed Rebuttal.
Techstar will be ridden from post four by Daniel Centeno and they are listed at 30-1 on the morning line.
Also entered are Summer Winner with rider Alonso Quinonez, Tahlequah with jockey Micah Husbands, Freaks Go will have Reylu Gutierrez in the irons, Cipriano Gil will guide Blazing Brat and Sneaky Good has Antonio Gallardo taking the riding assignment.
Return to the December 5 issue of Wire to Wire
