Rivals Include Past Champions Lure Him In, Lightning Tones
BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE (Edited)
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL—D. J. Stable and Robert Cotran’s Grade 3-winner Hades, fresh off his first victory in 22 months, looks to keep the momentum going when he returns to face state-breds for the first time since his juvenile campaign in Saturday’s $75,000 Sunshine Classic at Gulfstream Park.
The 23rd running of the mile-and-one-sixteenth Sunshine Classic for Florida-breds, 4-years-old and older, shares top billing on an 11-race program with the 24th renewal of the $75,000 Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf for older state-bred females scheduled for a two-turn mile on the grass.
When he last raced against Florida-breds, Hades romped to an eight-length allowance victory in just his second start as a prelude to what would be a career-best triumph five weeks later in the Grade 3 Holy Bull, his sophomore debut. The now 5-year-old gelding went 11 starts over the next two seasons without another win before breaking through with a triumph in a second level, $32,000 optional claiming on Dec. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.
In between, Hades ran fifth in the Florida Derby (G1), placed in five stakes including a second to Grade 1-winner Domestic Product in the Dwyer (G3), and crossed the wire first but was disqualified to second for interference in the $70,000 Tackleberry overnight handicap going a mile-and-one-eighth last summer at Gulfstream.
“It worked out perfectly last time. We sent him up there to get that race into him running two turns. He won and he came out of it great and he’s ready for this. We’re looking forward to a good race,” trainer Joe Orseno said. “He’s got the talent. It was more of a confidence booster we were looking for at Tampa.
“We’d like to see him put two races together. That’s what we’re hoping for,” he added. “His biggest win came here and he’ll get the two turns. And it looks like there’s just enough speed in the race that maybe he can get a good trip. You just can’t relax on him. You’ve got to keep after him, so he’ll have something to run at.”
Rated at 9-2 on the morning line, Hades will break from post two in a field of six with jockey Tyler Gaffalione aboard for the first time. Three of Hades’ four career wins have come in seven tries over Gulfstream’s main track.
“This is a solid group of Florida-breds that looks competitive,” Orseno said. “If Hades is Hades, he’s supposed to go out there and run his race.”
Hades is by Ocala Stud stallion Awesome Slew out of The Shady Lady, by Quality Road and has won four with three seconds and two thirds in 15 career starts. Bred in Florida by Ocala Stud, Joseph M. O’Farrell III, David O’Farrell et. al, Hades has earned $431,540.
Among his rivals are a pair of former Classic winners in Lightning Tones and Lure Him In, who are attempting to join Mucho Macho Man as the only horses to win the race more than once. Mucho Macho Man was victorious in 2012 and 2014, the latter following his signature victory in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
Owned and trained by Jose Castro, Lightning Tones is the defending champion having rallied from last after hitting the starting gate to register a length-and-a-quarter decision last winter. It was his second stakes win, following the 2023 Carry Back and preceding the mile-and-one-sixteenth Black Diamond Cat overnight handicap Aug. 30, again in last-to-first fashion. He subsequently placed in successive handicaps, the Mr. Jordan in October and Finallymadeit in mid-November.
Bred in Florida by H & A Stable LLC, Lightning Tones is by Tonalist out of Rosesandlightning, by Lightnin N Thunder. He has won six with seven seconds and six thirds in 32 lifetime starts while earning $330,585.
Lightning Tones is 5-2 on the morning line and has jockey Jose Morelos from post five.
BAG Racing Stables, Double B Racing Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch and Mach 1 Racing’s 9-year-old gelding Lure Him In has the most experience, wins and purse earnings of his rivals with a record of 11 wins, 11 seconds and nine thirds from 56 starts and a bankroll of $720,753.
He has not raced since finishing second behind Grade 2-winner Steal Sunshine in the Finallymadeit overnight handicap on Nov. 16.
“He’s doing phenomenal,” trainer Sam Wilensky said. “He’s a horse that’s run out of conditions pretty much. There was no real intention to take almost two months off but it’s just kind of the path with a horse like that. We saw this race and figured it was a good spot for him. He couldn’t be doing any better. It’s honestly shocking at 9 years old to act the way he does. He loves it.”
After placing three times with one win in eight 2024 starts, Lure Him In enjoyed a resurgence last year with three wins, two seconds and a third in eight races, winning at Tampa and Colonial Downs before capturing the Wildcat Red overnight handicap last June at Gulfstream. One of his defeats came to the likes of Fierceness and Journalism in the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar.
Lure Him In won the Sunshine Turf in 2022 and the Classic in 2024, getting up by a head over subsequent Grade 3-winning millionaire Octane at odds of 7-1.
“At one point I thought there might have been some regression, especially in comparison to the numbers from the first time I had him, but I think I’d be wrong on that. I don’t see any regression at the moment,” Wilensky said. “At 9 years old how many horses are out there winning stakes let alone still racing? It would be really awesome to do it again. He’s probably the coolest horse I’ve ever been around, he really is. The horse has run 60 times almost and I bring him to the paddock to school and he bounces around like it’s his first time, like he’s a baby.”
Lure Him In is by Ocala Stud leading Florida sire Khozan out of Alluring Lady, by Indygo Shiner and was bred in Florida by Stonehedge LLC.
Lure Him In is listed at 8-5 in the program and will depart post four with Edwin Gonzalez up.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was unsure whether he would run Neoequos unraced since finishing sixth in the six-furlong Gallant Bob (G2) Sept. 20 at Parx. The 4-year-old stakes winner has tried two turns three times, finishing third in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby last winter and 13th in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Neoequos is by Neolithic, who stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions, out of Bold Birdie by Birdstone. He was bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbazon.
Micah Husbands picks up the riding assignment on the 3-1 morning line choice and they have drawn post six.
Pure Class, the 2024 Sophomore Stakes winner racing first off the claim for trainer Laura Cazares, and Awesome Train, runner-up in a pair of overnight handicaps last summer and fifth in the 2025 Sunshine Classic, complete the field.
Pure Class has post one and jockey Javier Castellano while Awesome Train will break from post three with Irad Ortiz Jr. up.
Return to the January 8 issue of Wire to Wire
