BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Four Florida-breds, three of which are eligible for a $25,000 Florida Sire Racing Incentive bonus, are among six 2-year-olds entered in a $70,000 maiden special weight going five furlongs at Gulfstream Park Saturday.
Florida-bred Watson, Mitts and Godfidence will earn the FSRI bonus with a victory, paid directly by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association with $20,000 to the owner and $5,000 to the breeder. As a son of Ocala Stud’s Roadster, Eh Han is eligible for FSRI bonus if his connections pay a $15,000 Last Chance Payment before he starts.
FSRI-eligible Florida-sired, Florida-breds have won six of the seven races for 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park this year including two stakes.
Capped at $1 million, the FSRI program pays a $25,000 bonus for every eligible 2-year-old Florida-sired winner of a maiden special weight, allowance, allowance optional claiming and stakes at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs in 2026. Horse can earn the FSRI bonus multiple times with respective victories.
Arindel homebred Watson is the 2-1 second choice as he makes his debut for trainer Nicholas Tomlinson. By Brethren out of the Into Mischief mare Weekend Surprise, Watson is a half-brother to stakes-winning Florda-bred Distorted Mischief.
He produced a solid morning work on June 6 at Palm Meadows Training Center, breezing three furlongs in :35.60, the fifth fastest of 53 moves at the distance that morning.
Watson has post three and jockey Samy Camacho.
Mary Lightner is the owner and trainer of Godfidence and her Shooting Star Thoroughbreds bred the son of Chance It out of Crumb, by Graeme Hall. Crumb has produced four winners from six starters and eight foals including stakes-placed Florida-breds Dreamster, by Jess’s Dream; and Candycrumbs with Bridlewood Farm stallion Valiant Minister.
Micah Husbands has the call on Godfidence from post five and they are listed at 4-1 in the program.
Brett McLellan’s Mitts is 5-1 on the morning line for trainer Heather Smullen. By Gretzky the Great out of the Union Rags mare Unanimity, Mitts is a half-brother to graded stakes-winning Florida-bred Nooni.
He is the only entrant with a race under his belt, having finished third to Florida-bred It’s Smoking in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream on May 22.
Purchased for $15,000 out of this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sale March Sale of 2-year-olds in training where he was consigned by Ocala Stud, Mitts was bred by Ocala Stud, Joseph M. O’Farrell III, David O’Farrell, et. al.
Diego Herrera will ride Mitts from post four.
Eh Han is by Ocala Stud’s hot freshman sire Roadster, who has already produced three winners from six starters. A homebred for trainer Guillermo Rangel, Eh Han is out of the stakes-placed mare Mlle. Minuit, by Midnight Lute and will be ridden from post two my Pedro Pena.
They are 8-1 on the morning line.
Rounding out the field are Riyadh Way with Heriberto Figuero in the irons and Cowboy Skins, the 9-5 morning line favorite with jockey Jonathan Ocasio.
Return to the June 12 issue of Wire to Wire
