Little Mike stays hot, wires Appleton

Little Mike led all the way home in the Appleton (Joe Ganley/EquiSport Photos) Priscilla Vaccarezza’s LITTLE MIKE (Spanish Steps) recorded his third graded stakes victory of the Gulfstream meet with a wire-to-wire win in Sunday’s $100,000 Appleton S. (G3), scoring by a length under jockey Joe Bravo. Winner of the Canadian Turf (G3) and Fort Lauderdale (G3) previously, the Dale Romans-trained gelding sprinted clear soon after the break and established splits of :23 1/5, :46 and 1:09 before completing the one-mile firm turf affair in 1:32 4/5. A maiden winner when making his turf debut in late August, Little Mike has now won seven-of-nine starts on the sod. He finished second when making his stakes bow in the Monarch’s Maze last November and weakened to sixth in deep stretch of the Gulfstream Park H. (G1) two starts prior to the Appleton. Little Mike was 12-1 when notching his first stakes win in the Fort Lauderdale on January 9 and 5-1 when capturing the Grade 3 Canadian Turf on February 27. The betting public caught on Sunday, sending the Florida-bred off as 6-5 favorite among eight horses, and Little Mike returned $4.20, $3.20 and $2.60 to his many supporters.

Riviera Cocktail (Giant’s Causeway) offered a belated rally for second,
overhauling third-placer Asphalt (War Chant) by a neck in the final jumps.
Mikoshi (Orientate) rounded out the top four. Successful Mission (Successful
Appeal), Cherokee Artist (Cherokee Run), Nicanor (Dynaformer) and Commandeered
(Deputy Commander) came next under the wire.

Sayif (Ire) (Kheleyf) and main-track only Jardim (Brz) (Ski Champ) were both
withdrawn.

Initially trained by William P. White, for whom he finished second in his
debut prior to a fading eighth in the Dr. Fager division of the Florida Stallion
S. in 2009, Little Mike resurfaced last summer with conditioner Allen Iwinski.
He was well beaten in two maidens on the dirt, but came to hand promptly when
trying the turf. The bay was transferred to Romans following his victory in the
Fort Lauderdale and Little Mike has now earned $365,970 from a 13-7-2-0 career
line.

Bred by Carlo E. Vaccarezza in Florida, Little Mike is a half-brother to
multiple stakes winner Little Nick (Tiger Ridge). Their dam, the winning
Wavering Monarch mare Hay Jude, has since produced a juvenile gelding named
Little Nicholas (Hook and Ladder) and a yearling filly named Priscilla Marie
(Bustin Stones). This is the family of Brazilian Group 1 victor Gold Pleasure
(Discover).