Damon’s Mound Too Tough in $100,000 FHBPA Sprint

Nic’s Style Convincing Winner of FHBPA Filly & Mare Sprint Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott Sweep Stakes for Older Sprinters

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Cliff and Michele Love’s multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire homebred Damon’s Mound stayed unbeaten against fellow state-breds with a commanding 5 ½-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 FHBPA Sprint at Gulfstream Park.

The 6 ½-furlong Sprint and $100,000 Filly & Mare Sprint, both for older horses on the main track, were among six Florida-bred stakes worth $600,000 in purses headlining the 11-race program.

Damon’s Mound ($3.40), favored at 3-5 over six rivals, gave jockey Junior Alvarado and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott a sweep of the days older sprint stakes after taking the Filly & Mare Sprint with Nic’s Style in similarly convincing fashion.

“It’s amazing, especially with a horse like him. He had a couple hiccups down the road early on in his career but I think he’s in top form right now,” Alvarado said. “You can feel he still wants to do it.”

Damon’s Mound broke sharply from the outermost post and quickly in a forward position but Alvarado led Hurricane Nelson take the front. The first quarter-mile went in 22.49 seconds with Damon’s Mound comfortably in the clear in second before getting his cue from Alvarado leaving the backstretch.

The 6-year-old Damon’s Mound swept to the lead without challenge after a half in 45.12 and was set down for a drive at the top of the stretch, opening up on his foes and crossing the wire in 1:15.32 over a fast main track to register his seventh career stakes win and eighth overall.

“He was traveling very well the whole way, just taking me all around,” Alvarado said. “I could feel plenty of horse underneath me and I was just waiting to turn for home and let him loose and when I did that he really kicked on at the end.”

Classic of Course edged Hurricane Nelson by a neck for second, with Flood Zone, Nothingsubtle, Joey Muscles and Neshume completing the order of finish. Carambaso was scratched.

Damon’s Mound has now won four of his last five races dating back to the Bold Ruler (G3) last fall at Aqueduct. He took Gulfstream’s Sunshine Sprint against state-breds Jan. 17 then rallied to be second after a belated start in the Feb. 21 Gulfstream Park Sprint. He beat Florida-breds again in his prior start, the NYRA Bets Sprint March 29 at Tampa Bay Downs.

“He’s been in good form his past few races. Even when he got beat he still ran pretty hard; the race didn’t work out for him that day,” Alvarado said. “Today he broke good and when he breaks good, he puts himself in a good spot and he’s hard to beat at that point.”

Nic’s Style Convincing Winner of FHBPA Filly & Mare Sprint

Rousseau Racing’s Grade 3 winner Nic’s Style, heavily favored in the absence of millionaire Mystic Lake, outclassed her three rivals to end a string of four straight runner-up finishes with a dominant 5 ½-length triumph in the $100,000 FHBPA Filly & Mare Sprint.

Nic’s Style ($2.20) covered 6 ½ furlongs over a fast main track in 1:17.13 to earn her eighth victory from 14 starts and push her bankroll over the $600,000 mark. It was the 6-year-old mare’s first win since the Hurricane Bertie (G3) in March 2025 at Gulfstream.

“You know how racing is. It never turns out the way you want it to, but today it did. I’m so grateful,” owner Stephen Rousseau said. “I’m just so tickled. Four seconds in a row, you kind of lose your confidence a little but it’s nice that she got it done.”

Named for Rousseau’s wife, Nicola, Nic’s Style broke alertly under regular rider Junior Alvarado – a Championship Meet regular back from New York for the mount – and settled in the clear in second outside pacesetting Love Actually through a half-mile in 22.82 seconds. Nic’s Style assumed the lead without resistance after a 45.81 half and galloped unchallenged to the wire.

Just a Philly, who checked back to last after some early trouble, finished second followed by Girvin Star and Love Actually. Multiple graded-stakes winner Mystic Lake, exiting a sixth in the Madison (G1) at Keeneland three weeks ago, Poiema and Happy Ride were scratched.

“She won like she was supposed to, but you have to run these races. Sometimes when it looks easy on paper, it doesn’t go the way you think it’s supposed to go,” Alvarado said. “But, she was much the best today. She broke good and took me for a ride. By the three-eighths pole she started pulling away by herself so I knew there was plenty of horse underneath me. She showed up today.”

Nic’s Style fetched just $25,000 at auction in the fall of 2021, selected by Ralph Nicks, who went on to train the horse through her first two starts separated by 19 months before retiring and hooking Rousseau up with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Nicks galloped for and was an assistant to Mott before going out on his own.

“It feels wonderful. I have to thank Ralph Nicks for picking this horse out for me and for getting me involved with Bill Mott, who always has the time for me,” Rousseau said. “To do what he’s done with this filly, I’m so happy.”