Smiley Sobotka, Sittin On Go top Mucho Macho Man noms

Smiley Sobotka and Sittin On Go are prominent on the list of nominations for the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man, a one-turn mile stakes that will kick off the Road to the Florida Derby (G1) for newly turned 3-year-olds on Jan. 2 at Gulfstream Park.

The Mucho Macho Man will headline a program with four other stakes that will be renewed this year Lasix-free: the $75,000 Ginger Brew, the $75,000 Dania Beach, the $75,000 Limehouse and the $75,000 Glitter Woman.

Dale Romans-trained Smiley Sobotka and Sittin On Go, both owned by Albaugh Family Stables LLC, are sons of the stable’s Brody’s Cause, whom Romans saddled for victories in the 2015 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and 2016 Blue Grass (G1).

Smiley Sobotka followed up a dominating maiden score at Keeneland with a close-up second in the Nov. 28 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill last time out. The Ontario-bred colt was pressured while setting or prompting the pace from the inside throughout the 1 1/16-mile race but held gamely to finish less than a length behind Keepmeinmind.

Sittin On Go finished an even sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club and finished well back in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland, but the Kentucky-bred colt had won his previous two races, including the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill.

Romans also is represented on the list of nominations by Jim Bakke and Gerry Isbister’s Ultimate Badger, who finished off the board in the Kentucky Jockey Club.

Shadwell Stable’s Mutasaabeq, a winner on both turf and dirt, is also a Mucho Macho Man nominee with a high profile. After 4 1/2-length debut winner and third-place finisher over Saratoga’s main track, Mutasaabeq earned graded-stakes status with a going-away 2 1/2-length romp in the Bourbon (G2) over Keeneland’s turf course. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Into Mischief turned in a disappointing off-the-board finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Keeneland in his 2020 finale. Mutasaabeq is also nominated to the Dania Beach and the Limehouse.

Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Likeable, an impressive maiden winner at Belmont prior to finishing off the board in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland, also is nominated.

Trainer Gustavo Delgado is represented on the noms list by a pair of impressive debut winners, OGMA Investments LLC and Off the Hook LLC’s Jirafales and Top Racing LLC’s Ocean Ride. Jirafales overcame a jump at the start of his Gulfstream Park West debut to pull away by nearly five lengths Nov. 19. Ocean Ride overcame the rail post, a slow start and a bump to graduate at first asking at Gulfstream Park West on Nov. 28. Both colts also are nominated to the Limehouse.

Breeze Easy LLC’s Easy Time, a Mark Casse-trained son of Not This Time, has been nominated to the Mucho Macho Man off a strong debut score at Woodbine.

Alex and Joanne Lieblong’s Big Thorn, a David Fawkes-trained son of The Big Beast, earned a Mucho Macho Man nomination while winning the Gulfstream Park West Juvenile Sprint by 4 1/2 lengths.

Trainer Kathy Ritvo, who saddled Mucho Macho Man for a victory in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita in 2013, is represented on the noms list by Raison d’Air, who graduated by 13 1/2 lengths before finishing fourth in the Armed Forces. Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, who campaigned Mucho Macho Man, owns Raison d’Air.

The Ginger Brew, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, drew 20 nominations, including multiple stakes-placed Con Lima, a Pletcher-trained daughter of Commissioner who scored by more than five lengths in her recent turf debut at Gulfstream.

The Dania Beach, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds attracted 21 nominations, including Patricia’s Hope LLC’s Like a Saltshaker, who finished second in the Awad on turf at Belmont two starts back and previously won a stakes over Presque Isle Downs’ synthetic surface.

The Limehouse, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, received 18 including a trio of highly promising colts trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.

The Glitter Woman, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies, drew 17 nominations, including Mark Casse-trained Dirty Dangle, a stakes winner at Woodbine before finishing off the board in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf (G1).

Three stakes will ring in the New Year on the Jan. 1 program — the $75,000 Cash Run, a mile stakes for fillies and mares; the $75,000 Abundantia, a five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares; and the $75,000 Janus, a five-furlong turf dash for 4-year-olds and up.