BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Cliff and Michele Love’s Damon’s Mound made easy work of taking his third stakes of the year as the 6-year-old millionaire won the $100,000 FHBPA Sprint at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Seven older Florida-breds went six-and-a-half furlongs with Damon’s Mound winning his second straight and third in four starts in 2026.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, Damon’s Mound broke fastest from the outside post seven but allowed Hurricane Nelson to take the early lead from post five with Flood Zone and Nothingsubtle giving chase in a joint third.
Damon’s Mound raced just off Hurricane Nelson through a first quarter in :22.49 but pulled Alvarado to the lead heading into the turn as Flood Zone, Classic of Course and Neshume raced together in third a length-and-a-half back. With little encouragement, Damon’s Mound eased away from the Hurricane Nelson past the quarter pole and was a length-a-half clear inside the final furlong. Damon’s Mound pulled away to win easily by five-and-a-half lengths in 1:15.32 with Classic of Course finishing a neck ahead of Hurricane Nelson in third. Flood Zone, Nothingsubtle, Joey Muscles and Neshume completed the order of finish. Carambaso was scratched.
Damon’s Mound paid $3.40 to win a 3-5 favorite.
“It’s amazing, especially with a horse like him. He had a couple hiccups down the road early on in his career but I think he’s in top form right now,” Alvarado said. “You can feel he still wants to do it.
“He was traveling very well the whole way, just taking me all around. I could feel plenty of horse underneath me and I was just waiting to turn for home and let him loose and when I did that he really kicked on at the end.”
A two-length winner of the $75,000 Sunshine Sprint versus Florida-breds to start the year on January 17, Damon’s Mound was second to Jack’s Promise in the $105,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint (Listed) on February 21. Mott sent him to Tampa Bay Downs for the Florida Cup on March 29 where he became the 190th Florida-bred millionaire with a half-length victory in the $110,000 NYRA Bets Sprint.
Damon’s Mound has now earned $1,077,205 from nine wins, three seconds and two thirds in 21 starts. He is a multiple graded stakes winner with victories in the 2022 Saratoga Special (G2) and 2023 Gallant Bob at Parx Racing.
Bred in Florida by Cliff Love of Friendswood, Texas, Damon’s Mound is by Girvin out of San Antonio Stroll, by Stroll.
Return to the April 25 issue of Wire to Wire
