BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE (Edited)        

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – The last time Brad Grady and David Grund’s Seminole Chief faced fellow Florida-breds, the 5-year-old gelding captured the $300,000 In Reality, the mile-and-a-sixteenth final of the 2023 Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida Sire Stakes series for juveniles over the main track at Gulfstream Park.

Seminole Chief returns to action against state-breds Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $75,000 Sunshine Turf, a mile-and-a-sixteenth stakes for Florida-bred 4-year-olds and older on turf, which will co-headline an 11-race program with the $75,000 Sunshine Sprint, a six-furlong dash for Florida-bred 4-year-olds and older.

Seminole Chief’s victory in the In Reality was his last on dirt, but the Jack Sisterson-trained son of Girvin has gone on to prove himself on synthetic and, especially, turf. 

“He is very versatile. Not many people remember he was entered in the [2024] Florida Derby a couple of years ago when we had to scratch him. He had a setback,” Sisterson said. “Tapeta came up timing-wise, and we decided to run him there. We were going to put him back on the dirt because he’d handled it well and then we just thought that we’d try him on the grass. And he’s run some good races on the grass.”

After winning a first level, $75,000 optional claiming on synthetic in March of 2024, Seminole Chief ran once more on dirt, without success, to close out his 3-year-old campaign. In his third start of his 4-year-old season last year, the gray gelding won a second tier, $62,500 optional claiming on turf at Gulfstream on March 1 before capturing the $158,000 Appleton going a mile on turf on the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) undercard on March 29. He went on hiatus after a pair of subsequent disappointing efforts on turf in the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita and the Wise Dan (G2) at Churchill Downs.

 

Seminole Chief enters the Sunshine Turf off a third-place finish on Dec. 26 behind Graham Motion-trained One Stripe, an invitee to the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) on Jan. 24 at Gulfstream. He trailed the field early while saving ground before rallying for third, six-and-three-quarters lengths behind One Stripe. 

“I thought it was a very creditable performance. Granted Graham’s horse was very impressive winning and had the back class going into the race,” Sisterson said. “He acted up slightly in the gate, which didn’t cost him the win because he wouldn’t have beaten Graham’s horse that day, don’t get me wrong. But we might have finished second. I liked the way he finished off a long layoff, and we feel he has room for improvement going into this race Saturday.”

Seminole Chief is by Girvin out of Secret Song, by Dunkirk and was bred in Florida by Brad and Misty Grady. He has won five of 12 career starts with two thirds while earning $431,605.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez is slated to ride Seminole Chief for the first time Saturday and they have drawn post four.

Seminole Chief, who has been installed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite, is scheduled to face 11 rivals in a very well-balanced field that includes C2 Racing Stable LLC and partners’ Neoequos, a multiple graded stakes-placed son of Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic who will be making his turf debut Saturday.

Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Neoequos, who finished third in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Curlin Florida Derby (G1) before finishing out of the money in last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1), has been training sharply on synthetic since finishing sixth in the Gallant Bob (G2) at Parx Sept. 25.

Neoequos is out of the Birdsong mare Bold Birdie and was bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbazon.

Joseph will also be represented in the Sunshine Turf by Skymac Stables LLC’s Mister Abarrio, a steady-running 6-year-old son of Neolithic who has been in the money in 13 of 16 starts over the Gulfstream turf course.

Mister Abarrio is out of the Pleasant Strike mare Gracepointe and was bred in Florida by Dr. Tiffany A. Atteberry and Scott Brown.

Tyler Gaffalione has the call on Neoequos (6-1), while Micah Husbands has the mount aboard Mister Abarrio (12-1).

Anthony Rogers’ Echo Lane, who finished third in the $100,000 ESMARK Turf Classic for Florida-breds at Tampa Bay the last time he raced in state-bred company in March of 2025, enters the Sunshine Turf off a victory in a Churchill Downs starter allowance at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on turf.

Echo Lane is out of the Mineshaft mare Misbehavin Miss and was bred in Florida by Echo Lane of Ocala LLC.

Trainer Rohan Crichton has named Jorge Ruiz to ride the 5-year-old son of Treasure Beach, who is rated second on the morning line at 9-2.

Arindel’s homebred Tank, a multiple-stakes winner on turf, enters the Sunshine Turf off a third-place finish in the Dec. 13 Tropical Park Derby, in which the son of Ocala Stud stallion Adios Charlie came up just a half-length short of victory in the mile-and-a-sixteenth open stakes. Tank, who is rated third at 5-1 on the morning line, won the $110,000 Equistaff Sophomore Turf for state-breds last year at Tampa before scoring back-to-back on turf at Gulfstream in the $80,000 English Channel and $75,000 Not Surprising.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano is scheduled to ride Tank for the first time Saturday. They have post 11.

Amy Dunne and trainer Patrick Biancone’s Classic of Course, who finished an even fourth behind Skippylongstocking in the Dec. 20 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) on dirt last time out, returns to turf and state-bred competition Saturday. The 4-year-old son of Awesome of Course won the $158,000 Cutler Bay on turf at Gulfstream last year.

Classic of Course is out of Alma Mater, by Honor Code and was bred in Florida by Amy and Ciaran Dunne.

Junior Alvarado has the return mount on the versatile gelding, who has post two and is rated at 6-1 on the Sunshine Turf morning line.

Live Oak Plantation’s homebred Our Souper Hero, a late-developing 4-year-old son of War of Will, is slated to make his stakes debut in the Sunshine Turf. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Our Super Hero came off a five-month layoff to graduate in open company in a mile maiden special weight then next defeat state-breds going a mile in a first tier, $75,000 optional claiming over Gulfstream’s turf in his two most recent starts.

Edwin Gonzalez has the return call on Our Super Hero, who is 8-1 on the morning-line.

Baoma Corporation’s Iron Hand (10-1), Jeffrey Cole’s Adios Cole (15-1), Arindel’s Scarecrow (20-1), Just For Fun Inc.’s Brawn (30-1) and Coy Stables LLC’s Anamnestic (30-1) round out the field.

Return to the January 15 issue of Wire to Wire