BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Loco Abarrio had to survive a claim of foul but prevailed to win his first stakes race in the $150,000 FTBOA Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap at Gulfstream Park Saturday. The one-mile contest featured a field of six 3-year-olds and older bred in Florida and the purse included a $50,000 bonus for Florida Sire Stakes-eligible runners presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Longshot Rouki and odds-on favorite Octane started fastest of all before Loco Abarrio raced up on the inside to join them coming out of the backstretch chute. After a leisurely quarter-mile split in :24.60, Jockey Edwin Gonzalez allowed Loco Abarrio to take a short lead as they hit the main track when Big Martini raced up between rivals to join him on the lead.
After a half mile in in :47.42, Loco Abarrio, Big Martini and Octane went around the far turn in tandem before Loco Abarrio used his ground-saving position to take a three-quarter-length advantage with two furlongs to the finish.
Loco Abarrio increased his lead at the top of the stretch as Big Martini chased in second and Octane dropped back. Loco Abarrio drifted out just past the eighth pole, forcing jockey Emisael Jaramillo to shift Big Martini to the inside with less than a sixteenth of a mile to the finish.
Big Martini made another run nearing the wire but Loco Abarrio held on to win by a half-length in 1:37.65 on the fast track. Big Martini finished second, four lengths clear of Awesome Train in third. Secret Lover, Rouki and Octane completed the order of finish. Classic Car Wash was scratched.
Emisael Jaramillo on Big Martini claimed a foul saying Loco Abarrio had come over on them in the stretch. After several minutes of dilberation, the track stewards did not allow the claim and kept the original order of finish.
Loco Abarrio won under the second highweight of 122 pounds and paid $9.80 to win.
Loco Abarrio is trained by Ronald Spatz for Mad Dog Racing Stable and Joseph H. Parker. He has now won six of 22 career starts—all at Gulfstream Park—with 10 seconds and two thirds and the $89,400 first place check, which included a $30,000 Florida Sire Stakes bonus, increased his earnings of $393,320.
“Long steward’s review,” co-owner Joseph H. Parker said in relief after the race. “I saw [Loco Abarrio] come out, but the bottom line is, he didn’t impede [Big Martini]. We were pretty confident but at the same time, you never know.
“He is an amazing horse. He’s such a consistent horse, always finishing second four out of seven times [this year], but [trainer] Ronnie [Spatz] had him ready. Just an amazing feeling.”
Loco Abarrio came into the Campbell off three runner-up performances starting in August when a half-length shy of Of a Revolution in an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming. He was then less than two lengths behind Comedy Town in the $96,000 Benny The Bull in the mud on Aug. 24 before finishing a length-and-a-quarter behind winner Big Effect in a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming on Aug. 4.
Loco Abarrio had two seconds and a third in five previous tries against stakes company. In addition to the Benny the Bull, he was second to Octane in the $100,000 Big Drama going seven furlongs at Gulfstream in May and third in the $129,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint won by Run Classic going six furlongs in February.
Loco Abarrio is by Valiant Minister out of Ballyhoo Moon, by Malibu Moon and is also the first stakes winner for breeder Ashley Godwin’s Rivermont Farm in Ocala.
“It’s going to go down as one of the happiest days of my life. I am just so excited,” Godwin said.
She purchased Ballyhoo Moon for $3,500 in a private sale transaction out of the 2019 Fasig Tipton Kentucky February Mixed Sale.
“The first mare we bred when we got into this, we lost on Christmas Eve in 2017 and we lost the baby too. So it was heartbreaking of course,” Godwin said.
“The next month, we go to the OBS Sale and buy two mares—one was Ballyhoo Kat (Ire), who is the dam to Ballyhoo Moon. Because of that connection, I watch Ballyhoo Moon go through the ring at the [2019] Fasig Tipton [Kentucky February] Sale and it didn’t look like anybody was bidding on her.
“So I had a friend there call me and said ‘hey Ballyhoo Kat’s baby just went through the ring. Do you want me to go make an offer on her?’ My friend suggested $3,500 dollars and I said if they’ll take that I’ll buy her.
“So we ship her to Ocala and we send her directly to Valiant Minister and voila, we have Loco Abarrio, her first baby.”
Ballyhoo Moon has since produced two other foals including an unnamed filly by St Patrick’s Day who recently sold for $60,000 to Sea Warrior Stables LLC at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale where she was consigned by Richard Kent’s Kaizen Sales. Ballyhoo Moon has a weanling colt by Ocala Stud stallion Colonel Liam and was bred to Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Verifying in 2024.
“It’s been a long road and a lot of work. I’m glad it’s finally paying off,” Godwin said. “I want everybody to know I much I appreciate them including my husband Vince Mirarchi. I have a great team of vets, a great blacksmith and my consignor is Richard Kent. My [assistant at the farm] is Luis Ortiz and it is a team sport for sure.
“I’m a strong supporter of the Florida stallions and the Florida program and I want racing in Florida to do well.”
Loco Abarrio was purchased by Carlos L. Perez/Clap Embroidery for $15,000 out of the Beth Bayer consignment at the 2021 OBS October Yearling Sale.
