Classic of Course Finds New Career Path in Awesome Banner

Turf Stakes-Placed Monster Romps in Tapeta Debut Saturday Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $75,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Amy Dunne and trainer Patrick Biancone’s Classic of Course, whose future appeared to be on turf following a victory in the Cutler Bay on the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) undercard March 29, may well have carved out a new career path Saturday with a victory in the $70,000 Awesome Banner overnight handicap on Gulfstream Park’s main track.

“I think we’re where we need to be,” said Biancone following the son of Awesome of Course’s late rallying half-length triumph in the mile handicap for 3-year-olds.

Classic of Course, who placed in the 2024 Affirmed and In Reality FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes action on Gulfstream’s main track, didn’t break through with his first career victory until he captured the Cutler Bay in his first try on grass. So encouraged by the performance, Biancone sent the homebred to Churchill Downs for the American Turf (G1) on the Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard. Classic of Course would finish far back in the American Turf and only race evenly to finish an uninspiring fifth in the June 7 Not Surprising on Gulfstream turf before getting a break.

“In the spring, he was one of the best 3-year-olds. We made a little money, but the first time he didn’t run to the level we were expecting, we sent him to the farm,” Biancone said. “We gave him three months rest when everybody else was running, planning to have him perfectly ready for the winter meet.”

Classic of Course, who won a two-turn allowance on Tapeta upon his return Sept. 28, entered Saturday’s Awesome Banner off a third-place finish on dirt in the Oct. 18 Mr. Jordan overnight handicap, in which he stalked the pace and weakened late. Saturday, he dropped back to last in a compact field of five before advancing on the far turn and swinging three-wide into the stretch to take aim at Roar of the Beast and Steppe, who were continuing their side-by-side battle that began on the far turn. When asked by jockey Jonathan Ocasio, Classic of Course kicked in on fresh legs to prevail as the 122-pound co-highweight with Steppe.

“We’ve been working with the horse in the morning, and we taught him a lot. We worked him behind other horses to get him some kickback and let him finish, and that’s what we did today,” Ocasio said. “We expected this result. Thank God everything worked out. At the quarter pole I was still in hand, and I felt like I had a lot of horse. I just waited until I got to the stretch and then I let him roll.”

Classic of Course, the even-money favorite who was racing without blinkers for the first time since February, ran the one-turn mile in 1:37.57. Steppe finished second, a neck ahead of Roar of the Beast.

Turf Stakes-Placed Monster Romps in Tapeta Debut Saturday

Arindel’s promising juvenile Monster, a maiden winner and twice stakes-placed on turf this year, romped to a 4 ¾-length win in his debut on the all-weather Tapeta course Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Ridden by Samy Camacho for trainer Jose D’Angelo, who the week prior won back-to-back Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar with Shisospicy and Bentornato, Monster ($5) jumped out to an early lead and opened up in the stretch to capture the optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds in 1:02.92.

Monster broke running from outermost Post 7 and led six rivals through uncontested splits of 22.37 and 44.90 seconds. The Florida-bred son of Leinster straightened for home well in command and expanded his advantage through the lane as stablemate Bronze Bullet – sent off the 6-5 favorite – made a late run to get second.

“Last race the fractions were way too fast. We made some changes with him, trying to educate him a little bit, because we know he’s a fast horse and that he has his speed,” D’Angelo said. “We changed the bit. If you watch his old replays, he was always [running] with his head too [high]. Now he looks a little better and he relaxes, too. Before he tried to sprint from the start and at the end, he was tired. Today he had better fractions and he finished up. Samy said he had some more left in the tank at the end, so that’s good.”

After going winless in two tries in Kentucky, including the Kentucky Juvenile second time out May 1, Monster graduated with a front-running nine-length triumph May 23 on the Gulfstream turf. Scratched as the program favorite from the Aug. 2 Tyro at Monmouth Park, he ran second after setting the pace in the 5 ½-furlong Skidmore at Saratoga and led the way before tiring to be third in Gufstream’s five-furlong Hallandale Beach Sept. 27.

“When he won the first time we were so excited and we had a nice summer running at Saratoga. He got scratched the day we sent him from Saratoga to Monmouth so we’re very happy to have him back here,” D’Angelo said. “I don’t know yet what’s next, but he’s fast. That’s good.”

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $75,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated jackpot pool of $75,000 for Sunday’s 11-race program at Gulfstream Park.

First race post time is 12:20 p.m.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved for the second consecutive racing day Saturday following multiple mandatory payouts of $7,316.38 Nov. 2.

Sunday’s sequence spans Races 6-11, opening with a 5 ½-furlong claiming sprint on the all-weather Tapeta course for fillies and mares 3 and up where Katies a Lady chases a 10th career win in her first start since mid-April and first for trainer Kathleen O’Connell.

Race 8 is a seven-furlong maiden special weight for Florida-bred 2-year-olds on the main track. My Miss Mo, purchased for $325,000 at auction in March, will be making her second start after being beaten a nose as the favorite in debut Oct. 3 going six furlongs. The same connections that campaigned 2023 Holy Bull (G3) winner Hades send out $90,000 Win Win Win yearling Winplaceandshow for her unveiling.

The feature comes in Race 10, an optional claiming allowance for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs on the main track that drew a field of nine led by 2-1 program favorite Raging Fury, who exits a one-length open allowance triump at the course and distance Sept. 28. Also coming off victories are Etendre, Cajun’s Cookin and Valued Cajun.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Notes: Jockey Rajiv Maragh visited the winner’s circle Saturday with Slender Slipper ($32.20) in Race 3 and Militia ($7.80) in Race 10, giving him 1,996 career victories. He is named in five races Sunday at Gulfstream … Samy Camacho also doubled aboard Monster ($5) in Race 4 and Carentan ($4) in Race 8.