Priscilla Vaccarezza’s LITTLE MIKE (Spanish Steps) recorded his third graded
stakes victory of the Gulfstream meet with a wire-to-wire tally in Sunday’s
Grade 3 Appleton, scoring by a length under jockey Joe Bravo. Winner of
the Canadian Turf and Fort Lauderdale 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 Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap two starts prior to the
Appleton.
Little Mike was 12-1 when notching his first stakes win in the Grade 3 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 offered a belated rally for second, overhauling third-placer
Asphalt by a neck in the final jumps. Mikoshi rounded out the top four.
Successful Mission, Cherokee Artist, Nicanor and Commandeered came next under
the wire. Sayif and main-track only Jardim were both withdrawn.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, Little Mike is a half-brother to
multiple stakes winner Little Nick. Their dam, the winning Wavering Monarch mare
Hay Jude, has since produced a juvenile gelding named Little Nicholas and a
yearling filly named Priscilla Marie. This is the family of Brazilian Group 1
victor Gold Pleasure.