BY BROCK SHERIDAN

A team of four Florida-breds are among seven turf sprinters scheduled for Saturday’s $115,000 Silks Run, a five-furlong contest for 4-year-olds and older at Gulfstream Park. Biz Biz Buzz, Reef Runner, Souper Quest and Capture the Lion all represent Thoroughbred breeders based in the Sunshine State and will be running for a $15,000 bonus for Florida-breds presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.

Hammer Time Stable LLC and Sport of Kings Racing’s Coppola is the defending champion in the Silks Run and will have to again fend off Capture the Lion and Reef Runner, who were second and third respectively behind him in the $157,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint on Jan. 25.

Coppola was able to jet to a clear lead in the five-furlong Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint and looked to be an easy winner in deep stretch. But Capture the Lion and Reef Runner both came on late only to finish less than a length shy of catching Coppola under the wire.

 

Luis Saez will ride Coppola from post one Saturday and they are favored on morning line at even money.

It was the second time in his last three starts that Reef Runner missed running down Coppola after finishing third behind the Dale Romans trainee in the $127,000 Janus on Dec. 21. The Janus was also run at five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf and Reef Runner had to overcome difficulty at the start in both races.

Trained by David Fawkes for breeders Alex and JoAnn Lieblong, Reef Runner was also bumped leaving the starting gate in his last race when fourth behind Rouki in the $117,000 Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 22.

Reef Runner is by The Big Beast out of Paradise Bay, by Blame and has won four with three seconds and three thirds in 14 career starts, including a two-length score in the $95,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint moved to synthetic at Gulfstream in September.

 

An earner of $270,465, Reef Runner will again be ridden by Miguel Vasquez from post four. They are 9-2 in the program.

Capture the Lion is owned and trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., who claimed the son of Uncaptured for $62,500 on New Year’s Day. The Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint was his first start from the Joseph barn at odds of 39-1.

“He ran well first time for us,” Joseph said. “He was wide the whole way from a tough post. It actually looked like he was going to drop back at the quarter pole, but he stayed on really well. It never looked like he was going to win, but he got pretty close. Smaller field this time. He’s drawn outside again but hopefully he can work out a better trip. We still have to beat the favorite but if he can run as well as he did the last time, he’ll have a good chance to be close.”

Capture the Lion is 4-1 in the program, has post six and will be ridden again by Edwin Gonzalez.

 

Although three of his four career victories have come on synthetic, Joseph has no reservations about returning Capture the Lion to the Gulfstream grass for a second time.

“All his turf form is very good. He’s never really run bad on the grass, even when he went seven furlongs. It probably was a little too far for him,” Joseph said. “We thought the five furlongs would be perfect for him [and] five-and-a-half [furlongs] at other tracks if we decide to take him around in the summer. He didn’t run on the turf much and when he did run, he ran really good races.”

Capture the Lion also has two seconds and two thirds in his 15 lifetime starts with earnings of $191,795. 

Out of Keyvacious, by Teuflesberg, Capture the Lion was bred in Florida by the late Sherry R. Mansfield and Kenneth H. Davis.

Biz Biz Buzz makes his first start for trainer Jose D’Angelo and owners David A. Bernsen LLC and Leon King Stable Corp. They claimed the son of Fed Biz for $62,500 out of a second-place finish to Xy Speed in second level optional claiming on Feb. 28. 

 

Biz Biz Buzz is by Fed Biz out of Our Candy Striper, by Candy Ride (Arg) and was bred in Florida by Live Oak Stud. 

Paco Lopez takes the call on Biz Biz Buzz from post two.

Live Oak Stud also bred Souper Quest, who exits a sixth-place finish in the Turf Dash at Tampa for trainer Mark Casse.

The 5-year-old son of Munnings is owned by Live Oak Plantation and will be ridden by Emisael Jaramillo from post five.

Foxtrotanna and jockey Luca Panici and Eamonn with Edgard Zayas aboard round out the field.

First run in 2014, the Silks Run has twice been won by Florida-breds.

Yes I Am Free was the most recent in 2022 while Pay Any Price still holds the North American record of :53.61 for five furlongs on the turf set in the 2017 Silks Run.

Return to the March 6 issue of Wire to Wire