Viking Cruises to Victory in $70,000 Black Diamond Cat

Handicap Marks Second Straight Stakes Win for 5YO Gelding

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Alex and JoAnn Lieblong’s Viking, overlooked prior to his runaway victory in the Smile Sprint last month, had no trouble stretching out as the favorite with a popular 3 ¾-length victory in Saturday’s $70,000 Black Diamond Cat overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park.

The Black Diamond Cat for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile headlined a nine-race program to open the final month of the Royal Palm Meet, which runs Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays through Aug. 31.

Trained by David Fawkes and ridden by Leonel Reyes for his third victory of the day, Viking ($4.20) covered a sealed main track in 1:36.33 to earn his fourth career win, second in a stakes and first beyond six furlongs.

“I think he’s better sprinting. Three-quarters or seven-eighths [of a mile] might be his best game,” Fawkes said. “But he’s doing so well. We’ve got to find another spot for him. It’s not the end of the year yet. He just keeps getting better.”

Sent off at even money, Viking raced on the lead in the three path pressed to his inside by Rolando, a three-time stakes winner that was 5-for-10 lifetime over Gulfstream’s main track including victories in the 2025 Hutcheson and June 6 Big Drama, through splits of 23.59 and 46.13 seconds.

The top two turned for home together as Grade 2 winner Steal Sunshine began to roll on the far outside and get into a challenging position. Viking put away Rolando at the top of the stretch and had plenty left to dismiss the bid from late-running Steal Sunshine.

Viking started this year finishing second by a head in a one-mile allowance Feb. 16 before running eighth in a 1 1/16-mile allowance March 28 – both around two turns at Oaklawn Park – and subsequently being moved to South Florida and Fawkes, who has enjoyed success over the years for the Lieblongs, most recently with currently sidelined Grade 1 winner Reef Runner.

In his first start for Fawkes, Viking led all the way to win by 4 ½ lengths in the six-furlong Smile Sprint July 4.

“He did get tested today. Those were pretty quick fractions,” Fawkes said. “They laid on him all the way and he didn’t back up at all. He seemed to come up short in his previous races going [longer]. There weren’t many options for him, so we gave him another chance.”

Steal Sunshine was 5 ½ lengths clear of 15-1 longshot Fiveeyesonskystars in third, followed by Rolando and Divin Propos. Multiple stakes winner Classic of Course, entered in a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance Monday at Gulfstream, and stakes-placed Awesome Train were scratched.

Florida-bred Black Diamond Cat made 66 starts over seven seasons of racing between 2009 and 2015, placing third or better 28 times with nine wins, five in stakes, and $500,579 in purse earnings for Bluestone Thoroughbreds and late trainer Larry Bates.