BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE (Edited)
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL—JC Racing Stable’s Lightning Tones became the first horse to win the $75,000 Sunshine Classic for Florida-breds in consecutive years when he drove away from four others to win the mile-and-a-sixteenth event by three-and-a-quarter lengths over Lure Him In.
A 6-year-old gelded son of Tonalist, Lightning Tones covered the distance in 1:45.45 for owner and trainer Jose Castro and jockey Jose Morelos. It was Lightning Tones seventh win with seven seconds and six thirds from 33 career starts, all at Gulfstream. The only other horse to win the Sunshine Classic twice is Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1)-winner Mucho Macho Man, who won in 2012 and again in 2014.
“He’s [an] amazing horse, beautiful,” Castro said. “Every day he’s working excellent. Last week, his last breeze, Morelos really liked it.”
Lightning Tones breezed four furlongs in :50 flat on Jan. 2 at Palm Meadows Training Center.
Castro claimed Lightning Tones in July of 2024 for $16,000. Since the claim and before Saturday, Lightning Tones had won the 2025 Sunshine Classic and the $70,000 Black Diamond Cat overnight handicap on Aug. 30. He has also finished second in the $70,000 Mr. Jordan overnight handicap on Oct. 18 and third in the $70,000 Finallymadeit overnight handicap last out on Nov. 16.
Lightning Tones was last in the short field going into the first turn and was rated off the pace while Hades and even-money favorite Lure Him In raced side-by-side past fractions of :24.72, :49.57 and 1:13.76. Moving three-wide around the turn, Morelos drove past the pacesetters and galloped home a winner. Lure Him In was two-and-three-quarters lengths ahead of Hades in third. Awesome Train and Pure Class completed the order and Neoequos was scratched.
“He was very relaxed,” Morelos said. “So today, the horse ran the same way that he worked. I put the horse behind the speed. And when I asked, he responded very well.”
Lightning Tones returned $7.80 to win. He increased his career earnings to $387,085.
Lightning Tones is by Rosesandlightning, by Lightnin N Thunder and was bred in Florida by H & A Stables LLC. Rosesandlightning has two winners from three starters and four foals with Lightning Tones her only black-type winner. She has an unraced 2-year-old colt, Practicallightning, by Practical Joke and was bred to Omaha Beach in 2025.
— Brock Sheridan contributed to this story
Return to the January 10 issue of Wire to Wire
