BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Ocala Stud’s Roadster was represented by his second winner of the day and 16th winner overall when Classic Roadster put away fellow Florida-bred Fireballer at the top of the stretch to win a $50,000 maiden special weight for four 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Trained by Joe Orseno for Jack H. Hendricks, Classic Roadster earned $28,650 plus a $25,000 Florida Sire Racing Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Capped at $1 million in 2026, the FSRI program pays $20,000 to the owner and $5,000 to the breeders of each eligible, Florida-sired, Florida-bred 2-year-old winner of a maiden special weight, allowance, allowance optional claiming and stakes run Gulfstream and Tampa Bay Downs.
Classic Roadster broke out at the start, allowing Fireballer to sprint to a early advantage down the backstretch, but Classic Roadster quickly went after the leader approaching the half-mile marker as Earthly Delights raced behind those two in third.
Classic Roadster kicked away from Fireballer at the top of the stretch, forcing Earthly Delights to alter course to the outside inside the final furlong. Earthly Delights tried to get to Classic Roadster inside the final sixteenth, but came up a neck short to finish second, three-quarters of a length faster than Fireballer in third. Sultan Jack was fourth.
Classic Roadster covered five furlongs in :59.06 on the fast track and paid $4.40 as the 6-5 favorite.
It was the second start for Classic Roadster, who was second to Florida-bred Mane Affair in a five-and-a-half-furlong, $50,000 optional claiming maiden race at Gulfstream on September 26.
Classic Roadster is out of Marion Theatre, by Montbrook and was bred in Florida by Ocala Stud and FTBOA Hall of Fame member J. Michael O’Farrell Jr.
Hendricks purchased Classic Roadster for $46,000 out of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Online Second Chance Sale in April of this year. He was consigned by Ocala Stud.
Classic Roadster is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes-winning Florida-bred R Adios Jersey, by Adios Charlie; and Making Havoc, the dam of Florida-bred multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire R Disaster.
Return to the October 10 issue of Wire to Wire
