BY BROCK SHERIDAN
In nearly a replay of last year’s Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at Aqueduct during the Belmont at Big A meet, Florida-bred R Disaster led from start to finish in winning her second edition of the six-and-a-half-furlong tilt for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older Saturday at Belmont Park. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., R Disaster earned the $137,500 winner’s share of the $242,000 purse for owner Rich Averill’s Averill Racing of Bradenton, Florida and Anthony Mattera of Palm City, Florida.
In taking the graded stakes victory outside Florida, R Disaster also earned a $5,000 Export Incentive for breeders’ Ocala Stud and FTBOA Hall of Fame member J. Michael O’Farrell Jr. paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
After an even start by the five fillies and mares, R Disaster was quick to the front from the outside post and able to comfortably cross over to the three path under jockey Jose Ortiz. R Disaster sprinted off to a length-and-a-half margin through a quarter-mile in :22.67 but received pressure from Munnings Express at the five-sixteenths pole before completing an easy :45.78 half-mile under little encouragement from Ortiz. R Disaster sprinted away at the top of the stretch and left no room for doubt to the finish, winning by a length-and-a-quarter in 1:16.17 on the fast track. Senza Parole was second, four-and-a-quarter lengths in front of Beauty Reigns in third. Munnings Express and Queen Jubilee were fourth and fifth respectively.
“She broke really clean,” Ortiz said. “She looked like she was the fastest horse in the race, so we went out there and took control. She kicked on really good today. The fractions weren’t very fast, but she was traveling so well and we were the best today.”
R Disaster was sent to the gate as the 1-2 favorite and paid $3.02 to win.
The Gallant Bloom was her third victory from five starts this year, all in graded stakes. She won the six-and-a-half-furlong Hurricane Bertie (G3) by five-and-a-half lengths at Gulfstream Park on March 7 and the seven-furlong Derby City Distaff presented by Ford (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 2. In two other starts, the 5-year-old daughter of Ocala Stud’s Awesome Slew was third in the seven-furlong Resolute Racing Madison (G1) won by Eclantant at Keeneland on April 4 and sixth last out in the Resorts World Casino Ballerina (G1) taken by Ways and Means going seven furlongs at Saratoga on August 28.
The Ballerina was her only finish out of the top three during an 18-race career. R Disaster has 10 wins with six seconds and the third in the Madison with earnings $1,468,265.
“Obviously, coming off of her first time off-the-board, which we knew we didn’t have her prepared well, you still have to see her come back and run well. There’s always going to be that little doubt in your head, so for her to get the win was very good,” Joseph said.
Joseph said R Disaster is playing catch-up after missing a planned start in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss presented by Mionetto on July 26 at the Spa.
“She had an issue with a hind foot that we had to give her some time,” Joseph said. “It flared up like a year before that too, it was similar, something she always has had and it’s something to deal with. When she tells us, we have to wait.”
A potential rematch with Ways and Means looms for R Disaster in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in October at Keeneland.
“We know we only had one work into this race, but she should move forward now,” Joseph said. “We had to wait with an issue and that’s the way it worked out. We knew we had to run in the Ballerina, win, lose or draw because we needed her to get her fitness level back. And today, we’re back on track with her, and all being well, I think we’ll give her a shot in the Breeders’ Cup.”
The Gallant Bloom was the first of six re-scheduled graded events on Thursday’s eight-race program following the cancelation of live racing on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27 at Belmont Park due to a powerful nor’easter that brought extremely high winds and heavy rain to Long Island.
She is the second foal out of the Gottcha Gold mare Making Havoc, who has one other winner from four starters and six total foals. Making Havoc has a weanling colt by Ocala Stud first crop sire Colonel Liam and she was bred to Ocala Stud’s leading freshman sire Roadster in 2026.
An earner of $355,425, winner Making Havoc is a half-sister to multiple Grade 3-placed, multiple stakes-winner R Adios Jersey, who also raced for Averill and Mattera in partnership with Jayson R. Werth. R Adios Jersey earned $393,245 with victories in the 2023 Sheer Drama at Gulfstream Park, 2021 and 2022 editions of the FTBOA City of Ocala division of the Florida Sire Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and 2021 Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies, also at Tampa Bay.
Note: Other Florida-bred winners of the Gallant Bloom include Pomeroy’s Pistol in 2011, Umpateedle in 2005 and Lady Tak in 2004. R Disaster’s victory in the Gallant Bloom marks the 15th Graded Stakes win by a Florida-bred in 2026 and 59th Florida-bred winner of an open stakes race this year.
— portions of this report were taken directly from a Belmont Park press release
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