BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred sprinters Mad House and Roll On Big Joe, who were first and second respectively last out in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Handicap at Oaklawn Park, hook up again Saturday at Churchill Downs in the $275,000 Aristides, a Grade 3 test for seven 4-year-olds and older set to go six furlongs.
Mad House and Roll On Big Joe will also be vying for a $5,000 Export Incentive with a victory at this level. The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association pays Export Incentives directly to the breeder of a registered Florida-bred who wins a maiden special weight, allowance or stakes run outside Florida.
Mad House rides a two-race win streak into the Aristides having won an upper level, $100,000 optional claiming going six furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs on March 6 before winning the Count Fleet on April 11. The David Van Winkle trainee has won six of his last seven since breaking his maiden at Canterbury Downs in April of last year in his sixth career start.
Among his victories during that span is a nearly three-length score in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob at Parx Racing in September and his only loss in that time came when off the board in the $1.84 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) won by Florida-bred Bentornato at Del Mar in November.
Owned by James Thares of Aberdeen, South Dakota, Mad House has earned $603,015 from winning half of his 12 career starts with a second and a third. Mad House is by Vekoma out of Stifled Heiress, by Munnings and was bred in Florida by Dr. Jean White of Reddick, Ciaran and Amy Dunne’s Wavertree Farm in Ocala and Steven Venona’s SGV Thoroughbreds also of Reddick.
Thares paid $47,000 for Mad House out of the Wavertree Stables consignment of Ciaran Dunne at the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale.
Paco Lopez will ride Mad House from post one and they are 7-2 on the morning line.
Roll On Big Joe is 9-5 morning line favorite with three wins of four starts at Churchill Downs including a four-and-a-half triumph in the $269,000 Bet On Sunsine (Listed) there in November. Last year under the twin spires, he won the Grade 3 Kelly’s Landing in June after taking a top tier, $175,000 optional claiming in May, both at six-and-a-half furlongs.
His last three starts have been at Oaklawn, starting with the $150,000 Ring the Bell in December and the $150,000 King Cotton on February 8 before losing in the Count Fleet while conceding seven pounds to Mad House.
Seven of the eight starters in the Aristides will carry 120 pounds except the Bob Baffert-trained Madaket Road with 118 pounds.
Roll On Big Joe would surpass seven-figures in earnings with the victory as his current ledger reflects $936,925 from 10 wins, seven seconds and a third in 24 starts. He was a $90,000 purchase by Tim Cohen of Santa Clarita, California in the name of his Rancho Temescal at the 2022 OBS June Sale where he was consigned by Gayle Woods.
He is currently owned by Rancho Temescal, Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, White Fence and Richard Hale Jr. Roll On Big Joe is by Prospective out of Nina’s Gift, by Victory Gallop and was bred in Florida by Max Ubide of Ocala.
Trainer Robert Hess has given the riding assignment on Roll On Big Joe to Julien Leparoux and they will break from post three.
Others entered for the Aristides are Cornucopian with Flavien Prat named to ride, Durante has jockey Tyler Gaffalione, Tejano Twist will have Francisco Arrieta in the irons, Irad Ortiz Jr. will guide Madaket Road and Jose Ortiz takes the reins on Gold Sweep.
Return to the May 28 issue of Wire to Wire
