BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Winning for the first time since taking the 2023 Carry Back at Gulfstream Park, JC Racing Stables LLC’s Lightning Tones circled the field in the turn then ran down frontrunning Shaq Diesel in deep stretch to take the $75,000 Sunshine Classic at Hallandale Beach oval Saturday. Trained by Carlos Narvaez and ridden by Jorge Ruiz, Lightning Tones outlasted six Florida-breds, 4-years-old and older, going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the fast track.

Never one to get out of the starting gate quickly, Lightning Tones was last into the clubhouse turn from post nine as One Sharp Cookie showed the way by two lengths ahead of Souper Watson in second with Khozeiress third on the rail. Jockey Edgard Zayas sent One Sharp Cookie to a three-length lead on Souper Watson and Khozeiress through a :23.61 first quarter mile and the half mile in :47.48 as Lightning Tones trailed the field from more than seven lengths back.

One Sharp Cookies tried to get away in the turn as Shaq Diesel moved to within a length with a quarter-mile to the finish when Lightning Tones began making up ground while four-wide farther back. One Sharp Cookie was still clear at the top of the short stretch but Lightning Tones was rolling on the outside in the race to first finish line. Lightning Tones collared One Sharp Cookie inside the final sixteenth and won by a length-and-a-quarter in 1:44.34. One Sharp Cookie was second, a length-and-a-half in front of 2-1 favorite Secret Chat in third. Shaq Diesel, Awesome Train, Souper Watson and Khozeiress completed the order of finish. Belts ‘n Brooks, Big Martini, Holiday Pay, defending champion Lure Him In and Power Humor were scratched.

Lightning Tones paid $15.40 to win at odds of 6-1.

 

Claimed by Narvaez for $16,000 in July, Lightning Tones went into the Sunshine Classic off a third-place finish behind Morgan Point in a first condition, $25,000 optional claiming going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Gulfstream on Dec. 15 in his second start for the new connections. He had debuted from the new barn with a runner-up performance to Thought in a $16,000 optional claiming starter allowance going a mile over a sloppy track in October.

He has now won five with six seconds and four thirds in 25 lifetime starts while banking $237,730.

Lightning Tones is by Tonalist out of Rosesandlightning, by Lightnin N Thunder and was bred in Florida by H & A Stables LLC. He is the only winner from three starters for Rosesandlightning, who also has an unnamed yearling colt by Practical Joke. 

Return to the January 11 issue of Wire to Wire