BY BROCK SHERIDAN
JC Racing Stable’s Poiema returns off a three-and-half-month layoff as the 5-2 morning line favorite for Wednesday’s featured sixth race, a second condition $32,000 optional claiming for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older, scheduled for seven furlongs.
The $56,500 purse reserves $23,000 (40%) for Florida-bred contenders, part of Tampa Bay Downs’ enhanced Florida-bred program. Record Florida-bred allocations enabled by 2025 state legislation include $1.5 million at Tampa Bay Downs and $6 million at Gulfstream Park. The industry awaits Gulfstream Park’s implementation plan for its allocation.
Poiema makes her third start for trainer Jose Castro, who claimed the 6-year-old mare for $25,000 out of a third-place finish at Gulfstream Park in March.
She won her first race for Castro, taking a six-furlong $25,000 starter allowance by a length-and-a-quarter at Gulfstream on June 12. In her next start in the seven-furlong, $75,000 Sheer Drama on Aug. 16 at Gulfstream, she raced on the lead through a half mile before fading to finish last of eight.
Poiema has six wins, seven seconds and fourth thirds in 33 career starts, with her most accomplished victory coming in the $60,000 Stormy Embrace overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park in 2023. She has earnings of $301,663.
Bred in Florida by Cheryl Janine McGuire and James Patrick McQuire, Poiema is by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic out of Coco’s Legacy, by Mass Media. She is a two-time graduate of Ocala Breeders’ Sales, first selling for $9,000 to Servando Espinoza at the 2020 October Yearling Sale out of the Summerfield consignment. She then brought a $14,000 final bid from Larry Bates at the OBS June Sale where she was consigned by Little Farm Equine.
Samuel Marin will ride Poiema from post two.
Trainer Gerald Bennett looks to continue his fast start at Tampa Bay Downs with U Lite Up My Life, who races for the second time off a four-month layoff. She exits a second-place finish to Florida-bred Girvin Girl in a $25,000 claiming for fillies and mare going six furlongs at Gulfstream Park on Oct. 25.
Bennett, who won eight consecutive training titles at Tampa Bay Downs from 2015-16 through 2022-23 and has led the standings there nine times overall, has won four of 14 starts with three seconds and two thirds at Tampa Bay so far this meet.
U Lite Up My Life has won three of six career starts at Tampa Bay Downs and was two-for-two there at last year’s meet. She took a non-winners of three, $25,000 claiming going six-and-a-half-furlongs on Feb. 19 and a first condition, $16,000 optional claiming at a mile-and-40-yards on March. 2.
Jose Batista has the mount on U Lite Up My Life and they will break from post six.
Rounding out the field are Calisue and jockey Chris Landeros, Gallop d’Hermes with Edwin Gonzalez up, Antonio Gallardo rides Just Like You, Dancing Magic will have Sonny Leon in the irons, Twin Empire has Alonso Quinonez named to ride and Miguel Vasquez has the riding assignment on Easy Come Easy Go.
Return to the December 2 issue of Wire to Wire
