BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-breds Golden Corsair, Uncle Kef and My Kid’s Said No hit the inner turf at Belmont Park Saturday in the $200,000 Futurity (Grade 3), a six-furlong affair for 2-year-olds that as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, offers an automatic and free entry into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint to be run October 30 at Keeneland.
In addition to the prize money and Breeders’ Cup invite, the three Florida-breds are vying for a $5,000 Export Incentive for their respective breeders earned by winning a Grade 3 outside Florida. Capped at $1 million in 2026, the Export Incentive program is administered by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Golden Corsair meets a familiar foe Saturday in Regent’s Park, with whom he dead heated for third last out in the $127,000 Exacta Systems Rosie’s on the lawn at Colonial Downs on September 7. Golden Corsair came from the midpack in a seven-horse field of 2-year-olds in the five-and-a-half-furlong Rosie’s, was behind horses in the turn and in tight quarters through the stretch to make a three-horse photo finish for place.
A son of Florida-bred and leading freshman sire Golden Pal, Golden Corsair was a late-running second in a six-furlong maiden special weight on the turf at Colonial Downs in his introduction on August 16.
Golden Corsair is trained by Blake Kelly for Sandeep Patel and has earned $24,625 in his two starts.
He is a $40,000 graduate of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Online Sale where Naukabena Farms bought him out of the Five Star Equestrian Sales consignment. Mirella Gutierrez purchased him for $8,000 as a yearling out of Beth Bayer’s consignment at the 2025 OBS October Yearling Sale.
Dylan Davis gets the call on Golden Corsair and they have post eight in the field of nine. Golden Corsair is 10-1 on the morning line.
Uncle Kef looks to break a streak of three straight second-place finishes on synthetic at Presque Isle Downs, the last in a first condition, $62,500 optional claiming going six-and-a-half furlongs Thursday. He was also second to Bossy Wossy, first under the same conditions going six furlongs on August 19 and then in the $100,000 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile at six-and-a-half furlongs on September 18.
Uncle Kef makes his first start on grass and fourth against stakes company. After breaking his maiden on synthetic at Presque Isle Downs in June, he was fifth on Woodbine’s all-weather course in the $128,000 Victoria on July 12 and fifth again on dirt at Saratoga Race Course in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special.
Owned, trained and bred in Floirda by Kevin Rice of Williston, Uncle Kef has earned $63,566 from one win and three seconds in six starts. He is by Uncle Chuck out of Alexandra Kay, by Factum.
Jose Lezcano rides Uncle Kef for the first time from post six and they are 12-1 on the morning line.
Joseph A. Schumer’s My Kid’s Said No is one of two fillies in the race with horseOlogy Racing, Fred Rosen, Steve Dervenis and Cliff Racing’s Luminous Beauty.
My Kid’s Said No was an impressive 10 ¾-length winner of a five-furlong maiden special weight for fillies at Gulfstream Park in May and won the CA$50,000 Debutante by nearly 12 lengths racing five furlongs at Assiniboia Downs in her third start on August 4.
Ten days later, trainer Tina Birdwell had the dark bay or brown daughter of Omaha Beach at Prairie Meadows for the $126,000 Prairie Meadows Debutante where she finished just a length-and-three-quarters back in third after leading for most of the race over a sloppy and sealed six furlongs.
My Kid’s Said No has won half of her four starts with two thirds while earning $80,634. She is out of Under Serviced, by Hook and Ladder and was bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbazon of Williston.
Fausto H. Da Silva will hop aboard My Kid’s Said No for the first time and they are set to start from post one. My Kid’s Said No is also 12-1 in the program.
Two runners are coming out of the $748,000 Keeneland Sales Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint at Kentucky Downs on August 29.
Cherry Valley Farm homebred Good to Be King was second, two lengths in front of Mike Repole’s Pinpoint in the show spot.
George “Rusty” Arnold II trains Good to Be King, a son of War Front who broke his maiden going a mile on the grass at Ellis Park then was third in the $200,000 Riverside Rush presented by Sterling Industrial sprinting five-and-a-half furlongs on the Ellis turf on August 1.
Manny Franco will ride Good to Be King, an earner of $208,166. Good to Be King is the 5-2 morning line favorite and has post three.
Pinpoint will be saddled by Todd Pletcher for his fourth career start. By Not This Time, Pinpoint won a six-furlong maiden special weight by six-and-a-quarter lengths at Saratoga on August 1 in his second start.
In three races with one win and a third, Pinpoint has earnings of $139,475.
Ricardo Santana Jr. has the riding assignment from the outside post nine and they are 9-2 on the morning line.
Completing the entries are Regent’s Park and rider Paco Lopez, Luminous Beauty will have Jose Morelos in the saddle, Cactus Closer will have Kendrick Carmouche aboard and Flavien Prat teams with Just Joe.
Return to the October 2 issue of Wire to Wire
