Gulfstream roundup: Tocayo, Ship to Shore, Ozara win stakes

Tocayo benefited from a well-judged ride by Jorge Ruiz to register a 13-1, front-running upset victory in the $125,000 Dania Beach Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Agate Road, the 2-5 favorite making his first start since finishing fifth in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, closed from mid-pack to finish a non-threatening second.

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Owned by Lugano Racing, Tocayo set comfortable fractions of 25.32 and 50.08 seconds for the first quarter- and half-mile of the one-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds while loose on the lead. Ruiz asked the son of Always Dreaming turning for home, and he kicked in to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths.

“He was traveling very well in front. He’s a nice horse. The horse was relaxed and comfortable on the lead,” Ruiz said. “The plan was to go to the front and not fight with him.”

Tocayo ran the mile on firm turf in 1:36.37. Runner-up Agate Road finished 1 1/4 lengths clear of third-place Depiction.

Trained by Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon, Tocayo broke his maiden in seventh career start on dirt in a $20,000 claiming race at Laurel on Oct. 12. The Maryland-bred colt showed a distinct fondness for going in his first start on turf two weeks later while finishing second by a neck after setting the pace in an optional-claiming allowance. He came right back to win an optional-claiming allowance on turf at Laurel two weeks later.

Tocayo was beaten by four lengths while finishing eighth in the Dec. 9 Pulpit in his Gulfstream turf debut after encountering a bumping start and a six-wide trip.

Ship to Shore wins depleted Limehouse

With heavily favored Valiant Force scratched just before post time, Ship to Shore produced a gate-to-wire victory in the $100,000 Limehouse.

Valiant Force entered the starting gate as the 1-5 favorite for the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds but would be scratched after rearing up in the starting gate, reducing the field to four. The son of Malibu Moon, who broke his maiden in a Group 2 stakes in Europe, was scheduled to make his highly anticipated debut on dirt coming off a second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in his U.S. debut.

Owned by Holly Crest Farm and trained by Eddie Owens Jr., Ship to Shore had been winless in three stakes starts on dirt and turf after breaking his maiden in his debut on dirt at Monmouth Park. He broke alertly from the starting gate on his way to an eight-length, front-running victory Saturday under Héctor Díaz Jr.

Louie the Sun King chased the winner throughout the race under Jose Ortiz en route to placing second. Hermoso Hombre finished third, another 10 lengths back.

Ship to Shore (5-2) set fractions of 22.23 and 45.26 seconds on his way to a final clocking of 1:10.51.

Ozara rallies, stirs up Ginger Brew

Cheyenne Stable homebred Ozara, given a patient ride by jockey Tyler Gaffalione, scooted through an opening along the rail in mid-stretch and sprinted clear to a 2 1/4-length victory in the $125,000 Ginger Brew, a one-mile turf race for newly turned 3-year-old fillies.

It was the third win from five career starts and second straight victory over Gulfstream’s new turf course for Christophe Clément-trained Ozara (3-1), who capped her juvenile season with a closing, neck triumph in the 7 1/2-furlong Wait a While on Dec. 9.

San Pantaleo, a last-out maiden winner Nov. 5 on the Aqueduct turf, broke sharply and outran his rivals to the front, leading through a quarter-mile in 23.36 seconds and a half in 46.96, given closest chase by 18-1 long shot Independenceavenue, coming off an optional-claiming victory Nov. 29 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Grade 3-placed Buttercream Babe, fourth in the Wait a While, and Ozara led the next flight as Gaffalione bided his time behind horses. San Pantaleo was still in front once straightened for home but left enough room for Ozara to power through, getting the jump on 9-5 favorite Waskesiu and crossing the wire at 1:33.85 over a firm turf course.

Grade 2-placed Life’s an Audible, exiting the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, came with a late flourish to edge Waskesiu for second followed by Madame Mischief, Buttercream Babe, Dancing N Dixie, Time to Dazzle, Independenceavenue, Omaha Girl and San Pantaleo. Yatta, Golden Ghost and Mojave Desert were scratched.

Bred in Ireland, Ozara made her career debut in August at Saratoga, winning a 1 1/16-mile, maiden special weight by a neck with Gaffalione aboard. From there she ran fourth in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine and second in the Chelsey Flower at Aqueduct before breaking through in the Wait a While.