BY TAMMY A GANTT
In the second race at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, Florida-bred gelding Mitts earned an FSRI bonus in the five-furlong maiden special weight after the winner, Watson, was disqualified for interference in midstretch.
The bonus is paid directly by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association with $20,000 to owner Brett McLellan and $5,000 to the breeders Ocala Stud, Joseph M. O’Farrell III, David O’Farrell, et al.
FSRI-eligible Florida-sired, Florida-breds have won seven of the eight races for 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park this year including two stakes.
Being the only horse in the field with a previous start, where he finished third in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream on May 22, Mitts was forwardly placed most of the race sitting second or third just off the pace trading positions with Godfidence as they came down the backstretch. At mid-stretch, Mitts made his move from third position beginning to overtake Watson and Godfidence.
With a furlong to run, Watson drifted out, despite right-handed pressure from jockey Samy Camacho, forcing Mitts to alter course to the inside. After a steward’s inquiry and claim of foul by jockey Diego Herrera against Watson for interference in the run through the midstretch, Watson was disqualified from first and placed second.
Third place finisher Godfidence’s placing was unchanged even though he was bothered slightly by the drifting Watson in midstretch, after swinging four-wide to a forward position out of the turn.
Mitts is the first winner for former Ocala Stud freshman sire Gretzy the Great, an eight-year-old by Nyquist out of the Bernardini mare Pearl Turn. Winner of the 2020 Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine, Gretzy the Great earned the Champion 2-Year-Old Colt title in Canada.
Mitts is a half-brother to graded stakes-winning Florida-bred Nooni and was purchased for $15,000 out of this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sale March Sale of 2-year-olds in training where he was consigned by Ocala Stud.
Capped at $1 million, the FSRI program pays a $25,000 bonus for every eligible 2-year-old Florida-sired winner of a maiden special weight, allowance, allowance optional claiming and stakes at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs in 2026. Horses can earn the FSRI bonus multiple times with respective victories.
Return to the June 13 issue of Wire to Wire
