Lightning Tones Wins Sunshine Classic For Second Consecutive Year

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – JC Racing Stable’s Lightning Tones became the first horse to win the $75,000 Sunshine Classic for Florida-breds in consecutive years when he drove away from four others to win the 1 1/16-miles event by 3 ¼ lengths over Lure Him In.

A 6-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Tonalist, Lightning Tones covered the distance in 1:45.45 for trainer Jose Castro and jockey Jose Morelos. It was Lightning Tones seventh win 33 starts, all at Gulfstream. The only other horse to win the Sunshine Classic twice is Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Mucho Macho Man, who won in 2012 and again in 2014.

“He’s amazing horse, beautiful, Castro said. “Every day he’s working excellent. Last week, his last breeze, Morelos really liked it.”

Owner Castro claimed Lightning Tones in July of 2024 for $16,000. Since taking over the training of Lightning Tones, the 6-year-old won the Aug. 30 Black Diamond Cat, finished second in the Mr. Jordan and third in the Finallymadeit.

Lightning Tones was last in the short field going into the first turn and was rated off the pace while Hades and even-money favorite Lure Him In raced side-by-side past fractions of :24.72, :49.57 and 1:13.76. Moving three-wide around the turn, Morelos drove past the pacesetters and galloped home a winner.

“He was very relaxed,” Morelos said. “So today, the horse ran the same way that he worked. I put the horse behind the speed. And when I asked he responded very well.”

Lightning Tones returned $7.80.