Teaks North gets up late for Gulfstream Park Turf upset

Teaks North notched his first graded win Saturday with a furious finish (Joe Ganley/EquiSport Photos) Jules Boutelle’s TEAKS NORTH (Northern Afleet) recorded his first graded stakes victory with a 25-1 upset in Saturday’s $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf H. (G1), catching Smart Bid (Smart Strike) in the final strides for a nose win. The longest shot among eight rivals following a third in the December 15 Cosmic Bob S. over Aqueduct’s inner track, the Justin Sallusto-trained gelding was guided by Jose Valdivia Jr. Little Mike (Spanish Steps) showed the way early through splits of :23 2/5, :47 2/5 and 1:10 2/5 before coming under pressure from Get Stormy (Stormy Atlantic), who was tracking the pacesetter in second. Teaks North was reserved off the pace in sixth during the early stages and began to rally into contention off the far turn, but he still had plenty of work to do as Smart Bid surged along the rail to grab the lead inside the eighth-pole. Teaks North closed determinedly to nail his foe on the wire, completing 1 1/8 miles over the firm turf in 1:46 1/5.

“I just think he’s really coming into his own and is a really good turf
horse,” Valdivia said. “I couldn’t have had a better trip. I just tipped him off
horses and he finished up really strong.”

The winner paid $52.60, $19.20 and $10.20. Smart Bid, who was off as the 8-1
sixth choice, finished a length clear off the 7-1 Get Stormy in third. It was
another 1 1/4 lengths back to even-money favorite Battle of Hastings (GB) (Royal
Applause [GB]), who was followed under the wire by Twilight Meteor (Smart
Strike), Little Mike, Sal the Barber (Alphabet Soup) and Justaroundmidnight
(Ire) (Danehill Dancer).

With the $180,000 payday, Teaks North nearly doubled his career earnings
$354,400, and his line now reads 12-5-1-2. The four-year-old captured both the
Big Brown S. and Restoration S. at Monmouth Park last year, as well as posting a
fifth in the Jamaica H. (G1) at Belmont Park and a third in the Discovery H.
(G3) at Aqueduct.

“We were between running him in the Sunshine Millions Turf last weekend at
Santa Anita or this race and decided this race might come up easier,” Sallusto
said, “And it looks like we made the right decision.”

Bred by Brylnn Farm in Florida, Teaks North is out of the unraced Teaksberry
Road (High Honors), who is also the dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Wooden Phone
(Pick Up the Phone), who placed in the 2001 editions of the Santa Anita H. (G1)
and Oaklawn H. (G1) as well as the Malibu S. (G1) the year before; multiple
stakes victor Chief Okie (Unreal Zeal); and stakes vixen Teak Totem, who is a
full sister.