BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Arindel homebred Tank used his quick form to get to the front at the start and lead throughout the mile-and-one-sixteenth to win the $100,000 FHBPA Turf for seven Florida-bred 4-year-olds and older at Gulfstream Park Saturday.

Ridden by Samy Camacho, Tank out-sprinted Tapit Kissit Winit to the clubhouse turn and those two raced together through a :22.90 quarter mile. Tank improved his margin to a length down the backstretch with a :46.43 half mile then began to pull away around the second turn. He was two-and-a-half lengths clear in the stretch before Adios Cole made a late run to get second. Tank won by a length in 1:41.31 on the firm turf. Adios Cole was two lengths in front of Junction Road in third followed by Tapit Kissit Winit, Private Thoughts, Brawn and Classic Mo Town. Scarecrow was scratched.

Trained by Carlos David, Tank paid $7.60 to win.

 

Coming off a third in the $100,000 AAA Feed and Tack Turf Classic against Florida-breds at Tampa Bay Downs on March 29, the victory was the first for Tank since June of last year when he won three straight stakes starting in February. He scored in the $110,000 Equistaff Sophomore Turf at Tampa Bay Downs then took the $80,000 English Channel going a mile on the turf in May and the $75,000 Not Surprising at a mile-and-an-eight on June 7, the later two on the Gulfstream turf.

A 4-year-old son of Ocala Stud’s Adios Charlie, Tank has now won five of 18 career starts with two seconds and four thirds. The $58,800 winner’s check improved his career earnings to $388,270. Tank is out of the Brethren mare Vegas.

Return to the April 25 issue of Wire to Wire