Jacks or Better Farm’s homebred sophomore HONEY HONEY HONEY (Awesome of
Course) duplicated his December 29 Inaugural S. win with a gate-to-wire score in
Saturday’s $71,000
Pasco S.
at Tampa Bay Downs. The Stanley Gold-trained bay finished seven furlongs in 1:24
3/5 over the fast dirt, and was 5 1/2 lengths clear on the line with jockey Jose
Lopez in the pilot’s seat.
“Nobody seems to believe in this horse,” commented Fred Brei of Jacks or
Better Farm. “Do you think they’ll start believing? Beats me. I don’t care. As
long as we keep winning I don’t care if they believe in him or not.”
Honey Honey Honey was sent off the 8-1 third choice in the eight-horse field,
paying $18, $8.40 and $5.20 while keying the $306 exacta, $1,552.40 trifecta and
$9,763 superfecta (3-1-6-5). Gentleman James (Yankee Gentleman) ran second
throughout and filled that spot on the wire as well, returning $16.40 and $8.60
as the 24-1 longshot. Surrealdeal (Awesome Again) was another length back in
third, giving back $5.80 at 8-1, while Vanderkaay (Malibu Moon) finished a head
farther back in fourth. Run Sully Run (Cherokee Run), Service Corps (Service
Stripe), Sinners Repent (Repent) and Victory Cafe (Victory Gallop) completed the
order under the wire after Cool Coal Man (Mineshaft) was scratched.
Honey Honey Honey took his maiden debut by four lengths at Calder last May
and would go on to add the Seacliff S. as well as placings in the Criterium S.
and What a Pleasure S. to his line. With the winner’s share of this one, the bay
colt now shows an 11-5-0-2 record to go along with $187,500 in earnings. He is
out of the stakes-winning Honey Jay mare Ej’s Honey.
Honey Honey Honey is likely to stretch back out to 8 1/2 furlongs for his
next start in the Sam F. Davis S. on February 16, Brei added.
“I’ll talk to (trainer) Stan about what’s next, but we pretty much decided
that after the last one, that we’d try to take him through this series.”
Aurora Springs Stable’s AWESOME CHIC (Awesome Again) broke on top of the
$65,000
Gasparilla S. two races earlier, and dueled for the top spot down the
backstretch while leaning all over Unfolding Wish (Gilded Time). Jockey Irwin
Rosendo finally got his three-year-old mount running on her own four feet and
the Rafael Ramos-trained lass moved up to take the lead once again in the final
yards, crossing under the wire a half-length better than runner-up Formal
Arrangement (Formal Dinner). Sent off the 9-5 second choice, Awesome Chic
finished seven furlongs on the dirt in 1:25 4/5 to pay $5.80, $3.40 and $2.40.
“This race was very important because now we know that she can probably make
it to the next level,” Ramos said. “I’m very happy with the outcome. I think
I’ll run her in the (March 15) Florida Oaks (G3). I’m looking forward to the
(May 2) Kentucky Oaks (G1)!”
Formal Arrangement was on the opposite side of Unfolding Wish as Awesome
Chic, and traded a few bumps with that rival while posting splits of :45 3/5 and
1:11 4/5. She couldn’t hold the winner at the end, though, returning $5.20 and
$3.20 as the 7-1 fourth pick and ending the $31 exacta. Despite being mugged on
both sides throughout much of the Gasparilla, Unfolding Wish was game in defeat,
falling just a head shy of second while giving back $2.20 as the 8-5 favorite
and finishing the $68.20 trifecta. Jules Concerto (Concerto) completed the
$191.40 superfecta (6-2-3-8) and was followed under the wire by Mysterious Jule
(Wild Event) and Rapid Revolution (Running Stag). Cape Cod Lady (Yonaguska) and
Totally Awesome (Awesome of Course) were withdrawn.
Awesome Chic was a dominating 17 1/2-length maiden debut winner at Suffolk on
November 5, then wasn’t seen again until running third in the Sandpiper S. over
this track. The chestnut miss now owns a 3-2-0-1 line and more than doubled her
earnings to $57,760. She is out of the winning Trader (A.P. Indy), who counts
multiple Grade 2-placed sire Polish Miner (Danzig) and Grade 3 victor
Survivalist (Danzig) as half-siblings. Awesome Chic’s third dam is Con Game
(Buckpasser), who produced the likes of Grade 1 winners Seeking the Gold (Mr.
Prospector) and Fast Play (Seattle Slew).