Two weeks after capturing the Sunshine Millions Classic at 1 1/8
Tackleberry netted his fourth stakes win, and second graded tally,
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“The one thing that had me scared was the big cutback in distance,” Santiago
said. “At seven furlongs, you have to put a little more speed into the race.
This is his moment. He’s just winning at every distance. A mile and an eighth,
seven furlongs, six furlongs, it doesn’t matter.”
Owned and trained by Luis Olivares, Tackleberry returned $10.80, $4 and $3.20
as the near 9-2 co-second choice among eight rivals.
“He just loves to run,” Olivares said. “He came bouncing out of his last race
ready to do something (train) the next day. I had to do something with him or I
was afraid he might hurt himself in his stall.”
Tackleberry didn’t make his career debut until last July and broke his maiden
by 11 lengths in his third career start on September 10. After finishing a close
second in his first start against winners, an entry-level allowance, he went on
to clear the condition with a 6 1/4-length score in mid-October. He followed
with an another facile victory over allowance/optional claiming rivals and then
romped by 5 1/4 length in his stakes debut, the six-furlong Jack Dudley Sprint
H. on November 13.
The dark bay Florida-bred made it four straight with a nose triumph in the 1 1/8-mile Fred
W. Hooper H. (G3) on December 11, but his win streak ended with a fourth in the
Hal’s Hope (G3). Tackleberry rebounded with a 2 1/4-length victory in the
Sunshine Millions Classic at 27-1 odds.
With Saturday’s $90,000 payday, the up-and-coming gelding has now earned
$577,225 from a 11-7-2-0 line.
Hal’s Hope winner Soaring Empire (Empire Maker) offered a belated rally in
the stretch while never seriously threatening the winner Saturday, edging the
9-1 Caixa Electronica (Arromanches) by a nose for second, and the 4-5 favorite
probably cost himself with his pre-race antics. Soaring Empire reared up in the
gate, unseating rider Jose Lezcano, and got off to a very slow beginning.
“He just went crazy in the gate and almost flipped over,” jockey Jose Lezcano
said of Soaring Empire. “When the gates opened, he just galloped out of there
and didn’t really give me anything.”
Gaucho (Ghostzapper), who reeled off splits in :22 4/5 and :45 4/5 while
being tracked by the winner, held for fourth and was followed under the wire by
Mad for Smarty (Smarty Jones), Coffee Boy (Yonaguska), Guam Typhoon (Distorted
Humor) and Mannington (Delaware Township).
Out of the unraced Box of Joy (Concerto), Tackleberry is a half-brother to
stakes-placed Trippin Star (Trippi) and a trio of unnamed younger siblings — a
Forest Wildcat sophomore colt, a juvenile filly by Discreet Cat and a yearling
colt, also by Discreet Cat. Box of Joy is herself a half-sister to Grade 1 hero
Outofthebox (Montbrook), stakes winner Ruff and Ready (More Than Ready) and the
stakes-placed producer Unlimited Pleasure (Valid Appeal), the dam of Grade 3
scorers Jardin (Montbrook) and Beacon Shine (Montbrook). This is the extended
family of Grade 1 victors Mighty Appealing (Valid Appeal) and Songandaprayer
(Unbridled’s Song) as well as Tackleberry’s noted sire, Montbrook (Buckaroo).