BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-breds Boppy O and Anamnestic have drawn the two outside posts 11 and 12 respectively in an overflow field of 13 entered in the $150,000 Presque Isle Mile for 3-year-olds and older at Presque Isle Downs Friday.
Boppy O and Anamnestic will attempt to make it two consecutive years for a Florida-bred winner in the mile-and-a-sixteenth test on the all-weather course. Live Oak Plantation’s homebred Forever Souper set a course record of 1.41.23 in last year’s running.
Trainer Richard Sillaman claimed Boppy O for $25,000 out of a length-and-three-quarters victory at Colonial Downs on Aug. 6 and races him for the second time Friday.
The 5-year-old gelding just missed catching fellow Florida-bred Mister Abarrio when second by a neck in a second condition, $50,000 optional claiming going nine furlongs on the Colonial Downs turf last out on Aug. 28. That was one of two seconds in seven starts this year for Boppy O, including a runner-up finish behind Signator in an upper level, $100,000 optional claiming on the Tampa Bay grass on March 2.
A graded stakes winner of the 2022 With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga Race Course as a 2-year-old and the $102,000 Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park the following year, Boppy O has earned $387,073 from four wins, seven seconds and two thirds in 23 career starts. He is owned by Rashid’s Thoroughbred Racing and LBR Racing Stable.
Boppy O is by Bolt d’Oro out of Pappascat, by Scat Daddy and was bred in Florida by Rustlewood Farm Inc. He was a $190,000 yearling purchase by Breeze Easy & John Oxley at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale where he was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield consignment.
He is 10-1 on the morning line and Sillaman has yet to name a rider.
Anamnestic also comes out of a second condition, $50,000 optional claiming on the Colonial Downs turf having finished third behind winner Dear Dad going a mile on Aug. 6. The Kelsey Danner trainee is making his second start off a four-month layoff after finishing sixth, just three lengths behind winner Sherlock’s Jewel in a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming going a mile on the turf at Gulfstream Park on March 29.
Multiple stakes-placed, Anamnestic looks for his first black type victory Friday for owners Art Neuhedel, John Ballantyne and Daryl Shaw in the name of their NBS Stable. He has three wins, seven seconds and three thirds from 28 starts while earning $205,303. He was a $20,000 purchase by Stephanie Beamish at the 2021 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Winter Mixed Sale where he was consigned by Lynne Boutte’s Boutte Sales.
Anamnestic is by Bucchero out of Selective Memory, by Malibu Moon and was bred in Florida by Belvedere Farm.
Jockey Danny Sheehy will ride the 5-year-old horse and they are listed at 20-1 on the morning line.
Trainer Brad Cox brings Encino to Presque Isle off a third-place finish to Beach Gold in the $249,000 Kentucky Downs Turf Mile preview at Ellis Park on Aug. 2. The 4-year-old son of Nyquist won the John B. Schuster Memorial at Horseshoe Indianapolis going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf on July 5 for his third stakes victory in 10 career starts.
Last year while on the Triple Crown trail, Encino won the Grade 3 Lexington on the main track at Keeneland in April and the $142,000 John Battaglia Memorial on the synthetic at Turfway Park in March.
Encino has won half of his 10 career starts with two seconds and a third with earnings of $560,005 as homebred for Godolphin LLC.
Flavien Prat will ride Encino from post 10 and they are the 5-2 morning line favorites.
Rounding out the field are He’s a Mess and jockey Willie Martinez, The Wine Steward with Manny Franco aboard, Trademark will be ridden by Antonio Gallardo, Twilight Dancer will have Pablo Morades in the saddle, no riders have been named on Spellcast nor Skyro, Rosario Montanez has the assignment on Grounded, Surly Furious, winner of this race in 2022, will have Able Cedillo up; and Joel Rosario rides Tapit Shoes. Read On is on the also-eligible list.
Return to the September 17 issue of Wire to Wire
