Six Florida-Bred Stakes Worth $600,000 Draw 108 Nominations

Multiple Graded Winners Nominated to Florida-Bred Showcase

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Florida-bred Thoroughbreds will take center stage Saturday, April 25th at Gulfstream Park, where six stakes worth a total of $600,000 in purses will be featured. A total of 108 nominations have been received for the half-dozen stakes slated for Gulfstream’s Florida-bred showcase program.

The $100,000 Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association Sophomore Sprint, a six-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds, received 22 nominations, including Baalbek Corp.’s Wayne’s Law, who set the early pace before weakening to fifth in the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 29 at Gulfstream. The Amador Sanchez-trained son of Tiz the Law, a stakes winner last year, finished second behind prominent Kentucky Derby (G1) contender Renegade in the Sam Davis at Tampa Bay Downs prior to his solid Curlin Florida Derby run.

Bona Venture Stables and Bianco Thoroughbreds’ Maykomotion has been nominated to the Sophomore Sprint following back-to-back victories. The George Weaver-trained son of Vekoma most recently followed up a 6 ½-length maiden score with a front-running two-length victory in the March 29 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Dale Romans-trained Rockies Balboa, owned by Charles Monfort, America’s Pastime Stable, Bloom Racing Stable LLC, has also been nominated following his runner-up finish behind Maykomotion.

The $100,000 FHBPA Sophomore Fillies Sprint, a six-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies, received 17 nominations, including Magic Cap Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch, Castle Gate Farm LLC, Express Racing LLC and John Reinhardt’s multiple-stakes winner Tessellate. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained daughter of McKinzie most recently registered a 4 ¾-length triumph in the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore Fillies Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

The $100,000 FHBPA Turf, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up on turf, collected 22 nominations, topped by C2 Racing Stable LLC, Shining Stable LLC, Stefania Farms LLC, Kent Reimer, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch’s Neoequos, a multiple graded-stakes placed son of Neolithic who finished third in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) and Curlin Florida Derby (G1) last year. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained 4-year-old made an impressive debut on turf to launch his 2026 campaign while winning the Sunshine Turf for Florida-breds by two lengths at Gulfstream. David Romanik and trainer Ron Spatz’s Private T1houghts, an ultra consistent five-year-old gelded son of Neolithic who has finished on the board in 15 of 19 starts with eight wins, is also prominent on the nominations list.

Tag Stables LLC’s Spirited Boss, who captured the Monrovia (G3) on the downhill turd course at Santa Anita April 4 is among 17 nominees for the $100,000 FHBPA Fillies and Mares Turf for older fillies and mare at a mile on turf. The Jose D’Angelo-trained 4-year-old daughter of Street Boss has won three of her six starts on turf, including the Sanibel Island at Gulfstream last fall. Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Zonda, who captured the Distaff Turf for state-breds at Tampa Bay Downs last time out, has been nominated to the Fillies and Mares Turf by Hall of Famer trainer Mark Casse.

The $100,000 FHBPA Sprint, a 6 ½-furlong stakes for 4-year-olds and up, attracted 23 nominees including Cliff Love and Michele Love’s Damon’s Mound, a multiple graded-stakes winner coming off a victory in the Sprint Stakes for state-breds at Tampa Bay Downs. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 5-year-old son of Girvin, who captured the Sunshine Sprint for Florida-breds during this year’s Championship Meet at Gulfstream, won the Saratoga Special (G2) during his juvenile season, the Gallant Bob (G2) at Parx during his 3-year-old campaign, and the Bold Ruler (G3) at Aqueduct last fall. Mark Fletcher Taylor, trainer Rohan Crichton and Daniel Walters’s Macho Music, who captured the Pat Day Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs last year, will return to Florida-bred company in the Sprint. In his two meetings with state-breds, the 4-year-old son of Macho Music broke his maiden by 9 ½ lengths in his second career start in 2024 and captured the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore Stakes by 11 ½ lengths at Tampa Bay Downs last year.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained R Disaster and Mystic Lake are among 16 nominees for the $100,000 FHBPA Fillies and Mare Sprint, a 6 ½-furlong stakes for older fillies and mares. Averill Racing LLC, Two Eight Racing LLC and ATM Racing’s R Disaster, coming off a fifth-place finish in the Madison (G1) at Keeneland, is the winner of multiple graded stakes, including the Hurricane Bertie (G3) at Gulfstream March 7. Mystic Lake, a 5-year-old daughter of Mo Town who finished sixth in the Madison last time out, has won 13 of 24 starts. Rousseau Racing’s Nic’s Style, who won the Hurricane Bertie in 2025, is coming off three straight runner-up finishes during the Championship Meet for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.