BY BROCK SHERIDAN
St. Elias Stable homebred Rated by Merit became the 11th horse to sweep the colts and geldings division of the $1.2 million Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida Sire Stakes with an emphatic victory in the $300,000 In Reality at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Giving jockey Jesus Rios a sweep of the afternoon stakes after he won the $300,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes My Dear Girl with longshot My Denysse, Rated by Merit remained undefeated in four starts in winning the mile-and-a-sixteenth contest against seven other 2-year-old colts and geldings by registered Florida stallions.
“It’s been such an amazing trip with this horse,” said Monique Delk, executive director of racehorse development for Vinnie and Teresa Viola’s St. Elias Stable. “Mr. and Mrs. Viola let him have the time to develop on his own and he dances every dance. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Rated by Merit joins an elite list of Florida-bred colts who have won the six-furlong Dr. Fager, the Affirmed at seven furlongs and the In Reality including Smile (1984), Naked Greed (1991), Seacliff (1995), Express Tour (2000), Sir Oscar (2003), Big Drama (2008), Jackson Bend (2009), Fort Loudon (2011), Three Rules (2016) and Awesome Strong (2022).
Smile, Express Tour, Big Drama and Jackson Bend retired multiple graded stakes-winning millionaires while Smile and Big Drama were later in their careers honored as Eclipse Award Champion Sprinters in 1986 and 2010 respectively after winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint in those years.
“[Sweeping the Florida Sire Stakes] is a hard thing to do. Only a handful of horses have done it. I feel quite honored to be honest with you to have a horse to do it with,” trainer Michael Yates said.
Just Relax and jockey Emisael Jaramillo broke fastest of all from post three before Rios sent Rated by Merit to the front on the rail as they raced into the clubhouse turn.
Rider Edgard Zayas on Latch the Hatch tried to apply pressure as they straightened away down the backstretch but Rated by Merit spurted away to a one-length lead while finishing the first quarter mile in a controlled :24.13. Rated by Merit continued to show the way through a half-mile in :48.92 before Classic of Course began to make up ground while racing into second midway around the far turn. Classic of Course tried to get even passing the quarter-mile marker but could not catch Rated by Merit, who began to draw clear at the top of the stretch. Rios began to urge Rated by Merit with right-handed encouragement in the run to the wire as they pulled away from their rivals to win by six lengths in a final time of 1:45.71. It was the largest margin of victory since Chance It won by seven-and-a-quarter lengths in 2019.
Classic of Course was second, nine lengths faster than Just Relax in third. They were followed in order by Just Relax, Latch the Hatch, Lou, Roar of the Beast, Oleg and Emmett. Neoequos was scratched.
“At the beginning of the race I decided to put the horse in the best position possible,” Rios said. “When I took the lead at the beginning, I was expecting some pressure but I didn’t get any. For that reason, I was very relaxed with the horse and in the final stretch, he got wide a little bit but the horse was very strong in the last part of the race. He is a very special horse. I feel very blessed to win this race and win the Triple Crown of the Florida Sire Stakes.”
Sent to the post at 1-5 and paying $2.40 to win, Rated by Merit was the shortest price winner of the In Reality since Soutache won at 1-5 in 2017.
Since his first race at Gulfstream Park in July, Rated by Merit has been considered among the top 2-year-olds in North America.
He broke his maiden by nearly 10 lengths against special weight maidens going six furlongs, earning a 92 Beyer Speed Figure that was at the time best among all juveniles in North America and still ranks in the top 10. He then earned a 93 Beyer while winning the $100,000 Dr. Fager by six-and-a-quarter lengths before producing a 99 Beyer when taking the $200,000 Affirmed on Oct. 19 by three-and-three-quarters lengths. The 99 Beyer still ranks as the top such number among all North American 2-year-olds this year.
“We just kept moving forward with him and doing what we were doing,” Yates said. “We just stretched his gallops out and tried to get him to relax in his works and slow him down a little bit. And he does the rest.
“Today he was really composed. So he’s getting much more relaxed and is doing everything with ease.”
With the $180,000 check earned for winning the In Reality, Rated by Merit pushed his career bankroll to $400,000 from his four career starts.
Rated by Merit is by Battalion Runner out of the Speightstown mare Banner Waving. He is the first stakes winner for Banner Waving and her second winner from three starters.
Yates said Rated by Merit will get some rest before embarking on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in races at Gulfstream Park.
“Anybody in this business is looking forward to having a horse [considered for next year’s Triple Crown races.] It’s too soon to speculate [on his next start] so we’ll enjoy the day. We’re going to give him a little freshening and then think about the winter.”
