BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Trainer Joe Orseno said earlier this week that an extra half-furlong would benefit Mattingly in Saturday’s $60,000 Carotari overnight handicap and the Florida-bred gelding emphatically proved his conditioner correct. Under Diego Herrera and the highweight of 122 pounds, 5-year-old Mattingly won the Carotari by nearly five lengths against seven other 3-year-olds and older going five-and-a-half furlongs on the all-weather course.
Wildncrazynight and Florida-bred Esperon traded blows on the lead early as Herrera remained patient on Mattingly, keeping him five lengths from the front in fifth. Esperon had the nod on Wildncrazynight through a :22.05 quarter-mile just before Mattingly burst onto the scene with a three-wide move around the turn. Esperon and Wildncrazynight kept in the fight turning for home but Mattingly shot to the front as they straightened for home, rapidly putting three lengths on his rivals midstretch. He continued to draw away to the wire, finishing in a sharp 1:02.33. Florida-bred Louie the Sun King rallied for second, two lengths clear of Wildncrazynight in third. They were followed in order by Florida-breds Full Disclosure, Diciassette, Takecareofbusiness, Esperon and Wootun. Poulin in O T was scratched.
“We gelded this horse [in August] and he’s changed, but I needed that breakout race for him and today we got it,” Orseno said. “In these [five-and-a-half-furlong] races, the best horse doesn’t always win and that’s what he’s been plagued with for quite a while. He’s a Florida-bred, we’re here, he loves the Tapeta and he loves the grass. Where we go from here I don’t know, but today was the breakout race I was looking for.
“I liked that the speed was on the inside,” Orseno said. “I told [Herrera that] the two outside horses wouldn’t press him so just sit off of them, don’t rush him, see where he wants to lay and just let him kick in, and he did.”
Mattingly went off as the 2-1 favorite and paid $6 to win.
Mattingly won for the second time in three starts with a neck victory in the $92,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint taken off the grass and run at five furlongs on synthetic at Gulfstream on September 12. Last out he was third, beaten a length-and-a-half by Florida-bred Rouki in the $60,000 Chasing Artie overnight handicap run at five furlongs on the Gulfstream Park grass on October 10. He was also third to Florida-bred Extendo in the $70,000 Warrior’s Pride overnight handicap at five furlongs on the turf on August 9 and second, just a neck off winner Okiro, in the $75,000 Go Cats Go overnight handicap at five furlongs on the Gulfstream sod on April 4.
Mattingly has won four of five lifetime starts on the Gulfstream Park synthetic course and this year is two-for-six over all surfaces with a second a three thirds. Owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable and Harlow Stables, Mattingly increased his career bankroll to $452,573 from five wins, five seconds and six thirds in 23 races.
He is by Bucchero out of Battingstar, by Grand Slam and was bred in Florida by Lance Colwell of Williston. Ironhorse Racing Stable selected Mattingly out of the Two Oak Equine consignment at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale, paying $70,000.
Battingstar has produced six foals, all winners with Mattingly her last foal and only stakes-winner.
Return to the November 7 issue of Wire to Wire
