BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Seven Florida-bred fillies and mares help make up an overflow field of 12, plus two on the also-eligible list, in the $125,000 Lightning City at Tampa Bay Downs Saturday. Set for five furlongs on the turf, the Lightning City is the co-feature on the 10-race card with the $125,000 Turf Dash for 4-year-olds and older sprinting five furlongs on the grass. Four Florida-breds are among 14 entered for the Turf Dash.

The purses for the Lightning City and Turf Dash both include $25,000 in Florida-bred bonus money presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.

 

Florida-bred Sol Hope is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line for the Lightning City having won one of two starts going five furlongs on the Gulfstream grass since joining trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

In her first start for Joseph on Oct. 27, the 6-year-old daughter of Soldat won an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming for fillies and mares by a length-and-a-half but encountered trouble last out on Jan. 12. Racing on the rail in a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming for fillies and mares, Sol Hope could not find a clear path until deep stretch, finishing third behind next-out stakes-winning Florida-bred Epona’s Hope.

 

Sol Hope should enjoy returning to Tampa Bay Downs where she won a second condition, $32,000 optional claiming for fillies and mares in February of 2024.

 

A reliable performer throughout her career with six wins, three seconds and five thirds in 19 races, Sol Hope sports career earnings of $268,355. She is owned by brothers Clint and Mark Cornett, who race in name of C2 Racing Stable LLC.

Sol Hope is out of Trudy Mae, by Magna Graduate and was bred in Florida by Bull Creek LLC.

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount and they have drawn post two.

Orlyanna Farm’s Florida homebred Great Venezuela makes her first start outside of Gulfstream Park in the Lightning City for trainer Victor Barboza Jr.

Great Venezuela enters off a second to Florida-bred Ashima in the Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf going a mile on Jan. 11, her first loss after winning her previous four starts. Her win streak started on synthetic in April when she demolished $25,000 optional claiming starter allowance fillies by 11 lengths going five-and-a-half furlongs. She then won under similar conditions in June before winning an upper level, $75,000 optional claiming for fillies going five furlongs on turf four months later on Oct. 19. She won a $35,000 optional claiming, starter allowance going five furlongs on synthetic in November before her last out.

 

By Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic out of Pat M’s Image, by Leroidesanimaux (Brz), Great Venezuela is another consistent runner having finished in the top three in all nine career starts including six wins and two seconds. Her only third-place effort came in the 2023 Wait A While when passed in the final sixteenth by winner Ozara and runner-up Milliat.

An earner of $192,900, Great Venezuela is 5-1 in the program and will be ridden from post nine by Leonel Reyes.

Multiple stakes-winning Florida-bred Beauty of the Sea looks to get back on track after finishing seventh in her last two starts in the $249,000 Holiday Inaugural presented by Claiborne Farm at Turfway Park in December and in the Ladies Turf Sprint at Gulfstream on Feb. 8.

Trained by Joe Orseno for Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC, Beauty of the Sea last year won the $106,000 Goldwood at Monmouth Park and the $151,000 Andy Guest at Colonial Downs, both at five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf.

 

Beauty of the Sea has won six with two seconds and one third with earnings of $347,561. She is by Bucchero out of Belong to Sea, by Poseidon’s Warrior and was bred in Florida by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds.

A graduate of Ocala Breeders’ Sales, Beauty of the Sea did not meet her reserve at the 2022 June Sale when consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock.
(Beauty of the Sea’s Under Tack Video)

Labeled at 6-1 on the morning line, Beauty of the Sea will be ridden by Rajiv Maragh from post 12. 

Rounding out the field are Mendys Honey with jockey Jaime Rodriguez, Bunny Hop has Cipriano Gil named to ride, Florida-bred Musical Design will have Marcos Meneses up, Florida-bred Talkin Tipsy has Ken Tohill taking the call, Daniel Centeno will be in irons for Florida-bred Admiral Hopper, Visby with rider Antonio Gallardo, Florida-bred Bahamian Moon will have Sara Hess in the saddle, Miguel Vasquez will guide Drum Roll and Samuel Marin is the jockey on Risk Threshold (Ire). Sara Mia and Theodora Grace are on the also-eligible list.

Return to the February 21 issue of Wire to Wire