Versatile Seminole Chief Favored for Sunshine Turf

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – The last time Brad Grady and David Grund’s Seminole Chief faced fellow Florida-breds, the 5-year-old gelding captured the $300,000 In Reality, the 1 1/16-mile final of the 2023 Florida Sire Stakes series for juveniles over the main track at Gulfstream Park.

Seminole Chief returns to action against state-breds Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $75,000 Sunshine Turf, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for Florida-bred 4-year-olds and up on turf, which will co-headline an 11-race program with the $75,000 Sunshine Sprint, a six-furlong dash for Florida-bred 4-year-olds and up.

Seminole Chief’s victory in the In Reality was his last on dirt, but the Jack Sisterson-trained son of Girvin has gone on to prove himself on Tapeta and, especially, turf.

“He is very versatile. Not many people remember he was entered in the (2024) Florida Derby a couple of years ago when we had to scratch him. He had a setback,” Sisterson said. “Tapeta came up timing-wise, and we decided to run him there. We were going to put him back on the dirt because he’d handled it well, and then we just thought that we’d try him on the grass, and he’s run some good races on the grass.”

After winning a two-turn Tapeta optional claiming allowance, Seminole Chief ran once more on dirt without success to close out his 3-year-old campaign. In his third start of his 4-year-old season last year, the gray gelding won an optional claiming allowance on turf at Gulfstream before capturing the mile Appleton Stakes on turf on the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) undercard. He went on hiatus after a pair of subsequent disappointing efforts on turf in the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita and the Wise Dan (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Seminole Chief enters the Sunshine Turf off a third-place finish behind Graham Motion-trained One Stripe, an invitee to the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) Jan. 24 at Gulfstream. He trailed the field early while saving ground before rallying for third, 6 ¾ lengths behind One Stripe.

“I thought it was a very creditable performance. Granted Graham’s horse was very impressive winning and had the back class going into the race,” Sisterson said. “He acted up slightly in the gate, which didn’t cost him the win because he wouldn’t have beaten Graham’s horse that day, don’t get me wrong. But we might have finished second. I liked the way he finished off a long layoff, and we feel he has room for improvement going into this race Saturday.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez is slated to ride Seminole Chief for the first time Saturday.

Seminole Chief, who has been installed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite, is scheduled to face 11 rivals in a very well-balanced field that includes C2 Racing Stable LLC and partners’ Neoequos, a multiple graded stakes-placed son of Neolithic who will be making his turf debut Saturday.

Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Neolithic, who finished third in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Curlin Florida Derby (G1) before finishing out of the money in last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1), has been training sharply on Tapeta since finishing sixth in the Gallant Bob (G2) at Parx Sept. 25.

Joseph will also be represented in the Sunshine Turf by Skymac Stables LLC’s Mister Abarrio, a steady-running 6-year-old son of Neolithic who has been in the money in 13 of 16 starts over the Gulfstream turf course.

Tyler Gaffalione has the call on Neoequos (6-1), while Micah Husbands had the mount aboard Mister Abarrio (12-1).

Anthony Rogers’ Echo Lane, who finished third in the Turf Classic for Florida-breds at Tampa Bay the last time he raced in state-bred company last March, enters the Sunshine Turf off a victory in a Churchill Downs starter allowance at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Trainer Rohan Crichton has named Jorge Ruiz to ride the 5-year-old son of Treasure Beach, who is rated second on the morning line at 9-2.

Arindel’s Tank, a multiple-stakes winner on turf, enters the Sunshine Turf off a third-place finish in the Dec. 13 Tropical Park Derby, in which the son of Adios Charlie came up just a half-length short of victory in the 1 1/16-mile open stakes. Tank, who is rated third at 5-1 on the morning line, won the Sophomore Turf for state-breds last year at Tampa before scoring back-to-back on turf at Gulfstream in the English Channel and Not Surprising. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano is scheduled to ride Tank for the first time Saturday.

Amy Dunne and trainer Patrick Biancone’s Classic of Course, who finished an even fourth behind Skippylongstocking in the Dec. 20 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) on dirt last time out, returns to turf and state-bred competition Saturday. The 4-year-old son of Awesome of Course won the Cutler Bay on turf at Gulfstream last year. Junior Alvarado has the return mount on the versatile gelding, who is rated at 6-1 on the Sunshine Turf morning line.

Live Oak Plantation’s Our Super Hero, a late-developing 4-year-old son of War of Will, is slated to make his stakes debut in the Sunshine Turf. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Our Super Hero came off a five-month layoff to graduate in open company in a mile maiden special weight and defeat state-breds in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance back-to-back over Gulfstream’s turf in his two most recent starts. Edwin Gonzalez has the return call on Our Super Hero, who is 8-1 on the morning-line.

Baoma Corporation’s Iron Hand (10-1), Jeffrey Cole’s Adios Cole (15-1), Arindel’s Scarecrow (20-1), Just For Fun Inc.’s Brawn (30-1) and Coy Stables LLC’s Anamnestic (30-1) round out the field.