BY BROCK SHERIDAN
The 23rd running of the Florida Cup, made up of six stakes for Florida-breds at Tampa Bay Downs Sunday, got off to a dramatic start with Live Oak Plantation homebred Uncle’s Gold getting the edge in a three-horse blanket finish in the $100,000 Turf Classic. It was the third straight year that a Live Oak homebred won the mile-and-one-eighth turf contest as Uncle Gold’s full brother, Crystal Quest, won the ESMARK Turf Classic last year and Forever Souper took the 2024 edition.
Live Oak Plantation runners have now won the Turf Classic seven times starting with Revved in 2005, Slew’s Answer (2011), World Approval (2017) and March to the Arch (2019).
Ridden by John Velazquez for trainer Michael Trombetta, Uncle’s Gold went three wide on the second turn to engage front-runner Tank along with Ciao Chuck and Adios Cole. Tank, who had set mild fractions of :24.64 and :47.78 while under pressure from Ciao Chuck, kept a head in front mid-stretch with Adios Cole challenging on the rail and Uncle’s Gold on the far outside. They remained three across the track in the final sixteenth before Uncle’s Gold put a neck in front of Adios Cole with Tank another neck back in third. They were followed in order by Ciao Chuck, Heathguard, Scarecrow and Win With Faith.
“He run down the stretch, and there was a brief wait, but ultimately he got it done,” Velazquez said.
Final time on the firm turf was 1:49.70 and Uncle’s Gold paid $5.60 to win.
It was the first stakes victory for Uncle’s Gold, a son of Uncle Mo out of Giant Crystal, by Giant’s Causeway. The 4-year-old colt broke his maiden in his fourth career start going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Gulfstream Park synthetic on November 22. Trombetta successfully kept him on the all-weather course for his first race against winners as he defeated first level, $20,000 optional claimers by a half-length on January 2 at Gulfstream. In one start since on February 28 at Gulfstream, he was third in a first level, $25,000 optional claiming going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf.
“I’ve been looking forward to running him in this race for some time,” Tombetta said. “The turf course at Gulfstream runs really fast and even though he did okay there I knew that he would do better when he got on a turf course that’s a little bit more conventional and more to his liking. He’s a big guy and it takes him a little bit more time to get wound up. I was glad that it went as well as it did. Johnny [Velazquez] gave him a great ride, too.”
Uncle’s Gold has now won three of seven career starts with a second and a third and the $60,000 first-place check increased his lifetime revenues to $152,910.
Uncle’s Gold is also a half-brother to multiple stakes-winning Florida-bred American Giant, by More Than Ready. Crystal Quest is a two-time winner of Florida Cup stakes. In addition to winning last year’s Turf Classic, he won the 204 Equistaff Sophomore Turf. Giant Crystal has five starters, all winners from six foals. Giant Crystal is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Gemologist, winner of the 2012 Resorts World Casino New York Wood Memorial (G1); stakes-winner Clear Destiny and stakes-placed Perfect Cut.
Live Oak purchased Giant Crystal as a weanling for $450,000 at the 2012 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
