BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Patricia’s Hope’s Uncashed pushed his career win rate above the .500 mark Wednesday with a popular half-length victory in an upper tier, $100,000 optional claiming at Tampa Bay Downs. The 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding went wire-to-wire against five other 4-year-olds and older to improve his career record to 13 wins in 25 starts with four seconds and two thirds.

Trained by Larry Rivelli and ridden by Pablo Morales, Uncashed started best of all from post five and lead fellow Florida-bred Naughty Rascal by a length through quarter-mile splits of :22.20 and :45.12 in the six-furlong contest. He extended his lead to two lengths in the stretch before Naughty Rascal and Beeline came at him again in the final strides.

Uncashed finished in 1:10.03 on the fast track with Naughty Rascal holding onto second by a head in front of Beeline in third. Dreaming of Kona, Abeliefinthislivin and Florida-bred Rouki completed the order of finish.

Uncashed paid $2.10 as the even money favorite.

The win was his fourth in his last five starts going back to a two-length victory in a $20,000 starter allowance at Churchill Downs on Sept. 18. He won a $30,000 optional claiming starter allowance at Hawthorne on Oct. 26 but broke his streak when third in an upper level, $100,000 optional claiming won by Florida-bred El Principito at Tampa Bay Downs on Nov. 28. In one other start prior to Wednesday, he won a $25,000 starter allowance at Tampa Bay on Dec. 19.

As a 3-year-old in 2023, Uncashed won the $50,000 Golden Circle at Prairie Meadows and the $175,000 Quick Call on a sloppy track at Saratoga Race Course. His last stakes appearance came when second in the $97,000 Robert S. Molaro Memorial at Hawthorne in July of last year.  

Uncashed is by Uncaptured out of Charlie B, by War Chant and was bred in Florida by Nicksar Farms. The $36,200 first place check increased his career earnings to $464,344.

Return to the January 21 issue of Wire to Wire