Early Entry Posts Upset in Rail Splitter

After sitting just off a wicked early pace, Tommy Roberts Racing Stable’s Early Entry powered to the lead at the top of the stretch and drew off to a three-length victory in the $60,000 Rail Splitter Monday at Gulfstream Park.

The 6 ½-furlong Rail Splitter for horses 4 and up that have started for a claiming price of $35,000 or less was one of 12 starter stakes worth a total of $680,000 in purses that comprised a special Presidents Day holiday program.

It was the second straight win for the 5-year-old chestnut son of Keyed Entry and third in as many tries at Gulfstream, including a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance Jan. 16. The winning time of 1:14.92 over a fast main track was just .48 off the track record set by Forest Danger on Feb. 14, 2005.

"I was surprised he was laying that close but the horse has been really sharp and training really well into the race. He’s a nice horse,” winning trainer Kathleen O’Connell said. “He had a few issues when he was younger, but Tommy gave him enough time to get over them and he’s rewarded him tenfold. I’m just sorry he got stuck in traffic and couldn’t make it. He was on his way here.”

Long shots Dreaming of Neno and Wicked Rascal dueled for the early lead through a quarter-mile in 21.78 seconds tracked by Early Entry ($8.40), who moved into second after a half in 44.07. Jockey Paco Lopez jumped to the front nearing the stretch and edged away from the challenge of Delta Bluesman who wound up second, 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Grade 3 winner City of Weston.

Another Grade 3 winner, 3-5 betting favorite Trouble Kid, broke awkwardly from the rail and rushed up into contention before finishing a non-threatening fifth, beaten 8 ¼ lengths.

With Exultation ($13.80) paid immediate dividends owners John Arenson and George Weaver, who claimed the 6-year-old for $35,000 a month ago and watched him establish his credentials in the $60,000 Old Man Eloquent. Weaver, a trainer who strikes with 20 percent of his runners first off the claim, opted to test the waters with his new charge in this 1 1/16-mile turf test.

 

“The claiming game can be kind of iffy and you don’t always know what you’re getting, but we took a shot with him,” Weaver said. “When they had this race in the condition book for horses that have run for $35,000, we thought, ‘Well he seems to be doing okay, let’s put him in and see how he does.’”

 

Haltered twice last fall – first for $62,500, then for $40,000 – With Exultation made his first Florida appearance at Gulfstream in a $35,000 claimer on Jan. 14 for owner Pristine Farms and trainer Luis Duco. Weaver and Arenson secured him for $35,000 that afternoon, and earned nearly every dollar back with Sunday’s winner’s share of $34,968. Jockey Paco Lopez settled his mount in seventh while saving ground in the opening half-mile. The pair began to weave their way through traffic, then knifed between horses to grab the lead in deep stretch. With Exultation bounded clear to score by two lengths, while favored Manchurian High was forced to settle for second after taking the overland route.

 

“In most of his races he lays a little bit closer than that, but I didn’t know how he would run and it looked like [Lopez] had some horse,” Weaver said. “He finished pretty good running that way. Obviously I was a little concerned on the backside – I didn’t know exactly how he was going to respond to it – but when he came home like that, we’re pretty happy.”

 

Mossarosa’s Catholic Cowboy ($4.60) came from the clouds to win the $60,000 Old Hickory for Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito. Winner of the Claiming Crown Jewel at Gulfstream in 2014, Catholic Cowboy had run with credit thereafter without actually visiting the winner’s circle. He came into the special Presidents Day program off a third-place effort in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Jan. 16. Jockey Luis Saez allowed the 6-year-old to lope along near the back of the pack in the early stages, but began to ask for a bit more entering the far turn. Although favored Muntij took the lead in the stretch, Catholic Cowboy continued to improve his position and finally edged in front in the shadow of the wire. His final time was 1:43.22. Catholic Cowboy, a Florida-bred son of Heatseeker, notched the fifth win of his 28-race career.

 

Familiar foes Rich Daddy and Percussion clashed in the $50,000 Rough and Ready and Rich Daddy ($4.80) came out on top once more. The veteran campaigners were coming off a 1-2 finish in a one-mile starter allowance Jan. 14 at Gulfstream Park, when Rich Daddy reeled in Percussion en route to a 1 ¼-length success. Jockey Javier Castellano and Percussion took up the early running once again in the 8 ½-furlong Rough and Ready as rider Emisael Jaramillo kept Rich Daddy in the clear on the outside. Jaramillo asked Rich Daddy for more on the far turn and the 5-year-old gelding responded to reach even terms with Percussion in mid-stretch. Percussion dug in gamely, but Rich Daddy had enough momentum to post a three-quarter length tally. The final time was 1:43.57.

 

Making her 5-year-old debut, Patricia’s Hope’s Daddy’s Boo ($12.60) set a sharp early pace and had enough left late to hold off 9-5 favorite Quiet Kitten by a neck in the $60,000 Mary Todd to extend her win streak. Castellano was aboard the Florida-bred daughter of Sweet Return, who ran 1 1/16 miles on the grass in 1:41.32.

 

Suffolk Downs standout Miss Wilby ($17) put in a sustained run to edge Del Cielo in the $60,000 Queen Mother. A winner of three straight stakes races at Suffolk for trainer Marcus Vitali, the Massachusetts-bred daughter of Imperialism finished third behind Scuba Sue in an optional claimer at Gulfstream Park on New Year’s Day, but turned the tables on that rival Monday. Patiently handled by jockey Nik Juarez, Miss Wilby geared up for her challenge with a four-wide move and kept on determinedly to defeat Del Cielo by a neck. Miss Wilby, now a winner of eight of 18 career starts for owner-breeders Langdon Wilby and Mary Beth Reis, was timed in 1:23.28 for seven furlongs.

 

Monster Racing Stables’ Defer Heaven ($4.20), challenged through a 44.95-second half-mile by Where’s That Cat and Slan Abhaile, shook free approaching the far turn and opened up daylight down the stretch to romp by 8 ¼ lengths in the $50,000 Trust Buster. The 6-year-old Defer gelding, ridden by Jaramillo for trainer Jorge Navarro, ran seven furlongs in 1:21.74 in notching her fourth straight victory.

 

Too Clever by Half ($29) made it look easy in the $50,000 Lady Bird for owner Mark Valentine and Navarro. A daylight winner last time for a $16,000 tag at Gulfstream Jan. 15, the 8-year-old mare came away running from her inside post under rider Eddie Castro. She put away early rival Silver Sashay as they straightened for home and turned the Lady Bird into a procession for a nine-length success. Starship Lisa was second best. Too Clever by Half, a Florida-bred daughter of With Distinction, took her career record to 44-15-6-3 and bumped her bankroll up to $376,351.

 

Keith Long’s Megeve split horses in mid-stretch, reeled in pacesetting favorite Ousby in the final 50 yards and got his nose down on the wire to win the $60,000 Sage of Monticello, running 7 ½ furlongs on the grass in 1:29.73. Trained by Phil Gleaves, the 3-year-old Trappe Shot colt had endured traffic troubles in each of his previous two starts, including a 7 ¼-length loss to Ousby last out in an optional claiming allowance Jan. 23 at Gulfstream.

 

Joe Sterrenberg’s All Call ($9.20) finished up stylishly under a perfect ride from Julien Leparoux to land the $50,000 Little Magician. Previously based in Illinois, the Virginia-bred gelding was claimed for $20,000 at Hawthorne in November. He scored for new trainer Larry Rivelli in a Tampa Bay Downs allowance on Dec. 26 and followed that with a close third in a starter handicap over the same course on January 30. All Call was unhurried early, but got into gear and flew down the center of the course to win by 3 ¼ lengths. He stopped the clock in 1:35.67. Pacesetter Cement Clement stayed on for second.

 

Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Strike Up the Band ($5.80) found room down the center of the track in the last of seven furlongs to win the $60,000 American Fabius by 1 ¾ lengths in 1:24. Ridden by Castellano for trainer Mike Maker, it was the second straight win for 3-year-old Smart Strike gelding, favored at 9-5 in a field of nine.