Long Shots Dominate Florida Sire Stakes

By Jim Freer

Sunday, Oct. 4 — It was a day of long shot winners on Saturday as Gulfstream Park closed its summer meet with a card that featured the final races in the four divisions of the Florida Sire Stakes series.

Of the day’s six stakes races, four were won by horses at double digit odds.

Florida Sire Stakes winners were:

* Fellowship (12-1) won the $500,000 In Reality for 2-year-old males.

Fellowship is trained by Stan Gold and owned by Jacks or Better Farm. They have combined for a record 20 Sire Stakes wins.

Trainer Stanley Gold

* Flora Dora (9-1) won the $500,000 My Dear Girl for 2-year-old fillies.

* Moment of Delight (13-1) won the $150,000 Merry Meadow for 3-year-old fillies.

* Saraguaro (19-1) won the $150,000 Foolish Pleasure for 3-year-old males.

All four Sire Stakes races were 1 1/16 miles on dirt.

The Sire stakes races began on Aug. 8 and continued on Sept. 5. There were no sweeps in any of the divisions.

On Saturday, Gulfstream also had two one-mile turf stakes for 2-year-olds, both with $100,000 purses.

Andreya’s Reward (2-1) won the Our Dear Peggy for fillies. Golden Pirate (24-1) won the Armed Forces for males.

The Sire Stakes races are open only to sons and daughters of Florida-based stallions that have been nominated by their owners for the program.

The Sire Stakes races for 2-year-olds began in 1982. This was the first year for the 3-year-old series.

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association coordinates the Sire Stakes. It joins Gulfstream and the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association in contributing purse money.

* Gulfstream on Wednesday will begin its second Gulfstream Park West meet at Calder in Miami Gardens.

There will be nine races with first post of 1:15 p.m.

The GP West meet will have 40 race days, Wednesdays through Sundays, and end on Nov. 29.

Gulfstream is leasing Calder’s track for the meet under terms of an agreement the two tracks agreed to in June 2014.

Racing will return to Gulfstream in Hallandale Beach on Dec. 5 for its 2015-2016 championship meet.

Long Shots Dominate Florida Sire Stakes