BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Strategically navigated through traffic in the far turn by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Ninja Star quickened in the stretch to run down Anamnestic and win the $75,000 Sunshine Turf at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Moved off the grass to the synthetic course, the Sunshine Turf featured eight Florida-bred 4-year-olds and older going a mile-and-a-sixteenth.
Ninja Star had two horses beat going into the clubhouse turn as 8-5 favorite Victory Achieved led way by two lengths with Prevent second and Boppy O third. Victory Achieved and jockey Dylan Davis set quarter-mile fractions of :21.44 and :46.32 before the field began to compress passing the half-mile pole.
Prevent moved to within a half-length of Victory Achieved midway around the bend as Ninja Star began to advance between horses in the two-path from four lengths back. Anamnestic went by Victory Achieved in the last furlong as Ninja Star and Treasure King were also in full flight on the far outside.
Ninja Star hit the front in the final sixteenth and held sway on Treasure King to his outside to win by a half-length in 1:41.51. Treasure King finished a length faster than Anamnestic in third followed by Boppy O, Victory Achieved, Adios Cole, Prevent and If Not for Luck. Lord Eddard Stark was scratched.
Trained by Kevin Rice for Donald L. Ming, Ninja Star paid $14.20 to win.
It was the third win in the last five races for Ninja Star, who won an upper level, $100,000 optional claiming going a mile on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs on Dec. 14 and a first condition allowance race going a mile-and-70-yards on synthetic at Presque Isle Downs on Oct. 9. The 4-year-old gelding entered the Sunshine Turf off a third-place finish to winner Drama Chorus in a second condition, $32,000 optional claiming at a mile on the turf at Tampa Bay on Dec. 27.
His previous best against stakes horses came when third in the $110,000 Equistaff Sophomore Turf won by Crystal Quest at Tampa Bay Downs in March of last year.
Ninja Star has now won five of 20 career starts with six seconds and three thirds and the $45,105 first-place check boosted his lifetime bankroll to $225,670.
Bred in Florida by Rebecca Ming, Ninja Star is by Gary D, who stands in Florida at Ming Farms. He is the only winner from two starters for the First Samurai mare Samantha Samurai, who has an unnamed 2-year-old colt and an unnamed yearling colt, both by Curlin’s Honor, who stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions. She was bred to Gary D in 2024.
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