BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Trainer Jose D’Angelo will present a strong hand in Saturday’s $300,000 In Reality, the third final leg of the colts and geldings division of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park. D’Angelo will saddle Khozalite and Prost, who are among eleven 2-year-old males by registered Florida stallions set to go a mile-and-a-sixteenth.
Khozalite will try to repeat his victory in the $200,000 Affirmed, the seven-furlong second leg of the series run Oct. 18 at Gulfstream, which he won by four lengths in his stakes debut. The bay son of Ocala Stud’s leading Florida sire Khozan chased in second, a length behind front-running Wootun before getting to the front around the far turn. Jockey Leonel Reyes allowed Khozalite to kick free on his own in the stretch as the colt cruised home ahead of Squire in second with Strategic Risk third and Hawk fourth.
Squire, Strategic Risk, Hawk, fifth-place finisher Trelawny, and Camigol, who was 11th, all return for the In Reality.
Khozalite makes his fourth start Saturday after winning a one-mile maiden special weight by two lengths on the Gulfstream Park grass in his second start on Aug. 30. He has earned $176,450 for owners Half Hollow Stables LLC and ProRacing Stable LLC.
ProRacing bought Khozalite for $55,000 out of Brent and Crystal Fernung’s Journeyman Bloodstock Services consignment at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale in April. He is out of Starship Crystal, by Congrats and was bred in Florida by Monarch Farms Inc.
“I know Khozalite won’t have any problems with the long distance because he handled it well when he was on the grass,” D’Angelo said. “That’s a big advantage for these kinds of horses, babies.”
Edgard Zayas has ridden Khozalite in all three of his previous races and gets the return mount. They have drawn post one.
D’Angelo will also saddle Prost, a nine-length winner of a Florida-bred maiden special weight going seven furlongs on a good track at Gulfstream on Oct. 11 in his only start.
Bred by the Fernungs, Prost is by Khozan out of Ginablu, by Bluegrass Cat and is owned by Soldi Stable LLC, Ohana racing Stable, RM 18 Stable LLC, MBA Stable LLC and Orange Racing Stable LLC.
Soldi Stables and Ohana Racing purchased Prost for $25,000 out the Journeyman Bloodstock Services consignment at the OBS March Sale.
He will be ridden from post two by Miguel Vasquez.
“Prost ran very good first time, and I know he wasn’t 100 percent ready,” D’Angelo said. “He was very professional and sharp. I’m sure both of my horses will give huge races Saturday.”
Trainer Brad Cox brings in a new shooter for the Florida Sire Stakes in The Town, who in his only start was second to Stop the Car as the favorite in a $15,000 maiden claiming going six furlongs at Keeneland on Oct. 24.
Since, the dark bay or brown son of Ocala Stud’s Win Win Win has been training in Florida from the Cox barn at Payson Park Training Center where he recently worked five furlongs in 1:02.40—the fifth fastest of seven at that distance on Nov. 22.
The Town is owned by Sabby Racing LLC, Madaket Stables LLC and Commonweath Racing LLC. He is out of Broadway Gal, by Congrats and was bred in Florida by Ocala Stud.
Emisael Jaramillo will ride The Town from post 10.
Trainer Luis Ramirez will saddle Roger That Dana, another newcomer to the series who enters off a three-length victory in his only start. The bay ridgling won a six-furlong maiden special weight for Florida-breds in wire-to-wire fashion at Gulfstream on Oct. 25 for owner Smith Ranch Stables.
Roger That Dana is by Ocala Stud stallion Awesome Slew out of Take Me To Zuber, by Toccet. He was bred by Ocala Stud and will be ridden from post three by Marcos Meneses.
Squire is stakes-placed twice for trainer Patrick Biancone, who owns the bay gelding with Amy E. Dunne.
After winning a four-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream in April, Squire graduated to stakes company in his next race, finishing second to Sandal’s Song in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile sprinting five furlongs on the grass. He was then fifth in both the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Dr. Fager division at six furlongs on Sept. 6 and in the $75,000 Hollywood Beach going five furlongs on the grass on Sept. 27 before returning to the main track for the Affirmed.
Squire is by Leinster out of Saudi Chroma, by Lucky Pulpit and was bred in Florida by Amy and Ciaran Dunne. He has earned $116,720 in his five starts.
Squire has post seven and will be ridden by Jonathan Ocasio.
Camigol, trained by Antonio Sano, was third in the Saratoga Special (G2) after breaking his maiden at second asking at Gulfstream. Upon his return from Saratoga, he finished third in the six-furlong Dr. Fager but was nowhere close when finishing last in the Affirmed last time out.
“He had a problem in the gate that day,” Sano said of Camigol in the Affirmed. “He got banged around, was bleeding a little from the mouth when he got back to the barn. He’s fine since and, hopefully, there will be no problems this time.”
Edwin Gonzalez rides Camigol from post seven.
Others set for the In Reality are Hawk with jockey Joe Bravo, Strategic Risk will have Javier Castellano up, Nik Juarez rides Gold Miner, Supreme Honor with Jesus Rios and Jose Morelos guides Trelawny.
Florida Sire Stakes: Florida-bred Leaders
Return to the November 26 issue of Wire to Wire
