BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Assigned to carry 126 pounds, Arindel homebred Octane will give away between four and 13 pounds to his six Florida-bred rivals as he defends his title in the $150,000 Gilbert G. Campbell Memorial Handicap at Gulfstream Park Saturday. The purse for the one-mile Campbell includes a $50,000 top 3 bonus for Florida Sire Stakes-eligible runners presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
The FTBOA Campbell Memorial will share the spotlight on Saturday’s program with the $200,000 Affirmed and $200,000 Susan’s Girl, the seven-furlong second legs of the $1.2 million FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes.
Octane, who won the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Oaklawn Park in February, makes his first start in more than three months after his seventh-place effort in the $110,000 Smile Sprint won by fellow Florida-bred Comedy Town at Gulfstream on July 6.
Trained by Jorge Delgado, Octane looks for his third stakes victory of the year after also winning the $100,000 Big Drama by more than six lengths going seven furlongs at Gulfstream on May 25.
He also tries to improve on his solid record at Gulfstream, where he has won seven of 17 career starts, including the 2021 editions of the Florida Sire Stakes Affirmed and Florida Sire Stakes In Reality as a 2-year-old. The now 5-year-old gelding has won two of five with one second going the one-turn mile at the Hallandale Beach facility.
An earner of $1,103,155, Octane is by Arindel stallion Brethren out of Star Recruit, by Aldebaran. He has a career record of nine wins, four seconds and a third in 21 starts and is eligible for the FSS bonus money.
Edgard Zayas will ride Octane from post four.
Assigned to carry 122 pounds including jockey Edwin Gonzalez, Loco Abarrio looks to avenge his second-place finish to Octane in the Big Drama.
The Ronald Spatz trainee is also in search of breaking through for his first stakes victory after finishing second to Florida-bred Comedy Town in the $96,000 Benny the Bull going seven furlongs on a muddy track at Gulfstream on Aug. 24. In one start since, the son of Bridlewood Farm stallion Valiant Minister was second to Florida-bred Big Effect in a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming going six furlongs at Gulfstream on Sept. 28.
Also eligible for the FSS bonus money, Loco Abarrio has won five with 10 seconds and two thirds while earning $303,920 for owner Mad Dog Racing Stable and Joseph H. Parker. He is out of Ballyhoo Moon, by Malibu Moon and was bred in Florida by Ashley Godwin’s Rivermont Farm.
He is a graduate of Ocala Breeders’ Sales having sold for $15,000 during the 2021 October Yearling Sale where Carlos L. Perez/Clap Embroidery selected him out of the Beth Beyer consignment.
Loco Abarrio will depart from post two.
Making his first start since finishing fourth in the Benny the Bull, Big Martini is assigned to carry 120 pounds.
Trained by Rohan Crichton for Daniel L. Walters and Dennis G. Smith, Big Martini has also shown an affinity for Gulfstream’s one-turn mile having won a first condition, $25,000 optional claiming by more than three lengths two starts back on July 19.
By The Big Beast out of Dirty Martini, by Hard Spun, Big Martini was bred in Florida by Bett Usher and Elaine Daughtery and runs for the extra Florida Sire Stakes money.
Big Martini has won three with five seconds and two thirds while banking $170,838 and twice went through the auction ring at OBS. He sold for $10,000 to Siria Enriquez at the 2021 Winter Mixed Sale where he was consigned by Perrone Sales and Crichton bought him for $87,000 out of the Blue River Bloodstock consignment at the 2022 OBS June Sale.
Emisael Jaramillo takes the call on Big Martini from post six.
Also set for the Campbell are Classic Car Wash and jockey Miguel Vasquez, Rouki will be ridden by Samy Camacho, Sonny Leon has the call on Awesome Train and Secret Lover will have Edgar Perez up.