In Reality features Twotwentyfive A; Holywell, Leap Year Luck in My Dear Girl

In the Affirmed, Twotwentyfive A (outside) just eked out the win… (Kenny Martin/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Undefeated Twotwentyfive A will have plenty of back-up in
Saturday’s $350,000
In Reality,
the final division of the $1.4 million Florida Sire Stakes
Series (FSS) at Gulfstream Park. Back in 1979, Florida breeder and owner Dan Lasater
conceived the idea of the Florida Sire Stakes (formerly Stallion Stakes) to help
showcase Florida stallions and promote breeding in Florida.

Twotwentyfive A, a two-year-old son of Awesome of Course, is just one of four
horses entered by breeder/owner Jacks or Better Farm and trainer Stanley Gold in
a 12-horse field assembled for the 1 1/16-mile stakes for juveniles
sired by nominated stallions standing in Florida.

Twotwentyfive A provided his connections with
their respective 15th FSS successes with a late-charging victory
in the September 6 Affirmed. Stablemate Sing Praises, who had captured
the Dr. Fager in the series’ first division on August 9, finished just a
neck back after setting the pace and has also been entered for the In Reality.
Hear That Tune, a recent maiden winner, and Southern Barbecue, a full brother to
2009 FSS sweeper Jackson Bend, are both ready to back up their more
accomplished stablemates.

Twotwentyfive A debuted at Gulfstream on August 3, closing
fast to win going away by 3 3/4 lengths over 5 1/2 furlongs under jockey Abdiel
Jaen. Sing Praises, on the strength of his front-running romp in the Dr. Fager,
was favored at 2-5 in the seven-furlong Affirmed, but Twotwentyfive A made a
late surge to catch him in the shadow of the finish line.

…over stablemate Sing Praises, who captured the Dr. Fager one race before (Leslie Martin/Adam Coglianese Photography)

After coming up short in the Affirmed, there is a question
if the two-turn distance will suit Sing Praises.

“We’ll see. I don’t know,” Gold stated. “We know he has speed, but I don’t
think he got beat by the distance last time. I think he got beat because
Twotwentyfive A. came on and we were a little bit overconfident with Sing
Praises.”

Jaen has been named to ride Twotwentyfive A again, while
Ramsey Zimmerman has the return mount aboard Sing Praises.

Hear That Tune debuted victoriously on September 5 after
setting the pace most of the way in a mile maiden test.

“He broke his maiden going a mile, so we know he’ll go the
distance,” said Gold, who named leading rider Edgard Zayas to ride the son of
Hear No Evil.

Southern Barbecue, also a son of Hear No Evil, is coming
off a maiden victory at six furlongs in his fourth lifetime start.

“Southern Barbecue is a brother to Jackson Bend, who
preferred one turn, but he would go up to a mile,” Gold said.

Holywell just beat Moment of Delight in the Susan’s Girl… (Leslie Martin/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Holywell, who scored at 41-1 in the Susan’s Girl division FSS for fillies at
Gulfstream on September 6, will
surely be more highly regarded by the bettors on Saturday when
she returns in the final leg, the $350,000
My Dear Girl
division.

“We always thought highly of her. We always knew she was a
good filly from the get-go,” said Jose Pinchin, who trains the Florida-bred
filly for his wife, Tracy Pinchin. “In the first Sire Stakes Series race (the
Desert Vixen), she got knocked around at the starting gate and took her right
out of the race. But if you looked at her works after that race, she was firing
bullets.”

Holywell debuted at Gulfstream on June 14 with a
third-place finish and, two weeks later, graduated with a front-running victory.
Unfortunately, she finished sixth after experiencing early trouble in the
Desert Vixen but rebounded with a gutsy effort in the Susan’s
Girl, in which she pressed the early pace and just managed to hold off a
charging Moment of Delight by a nose.

Although Holywell just hung on to win the seven-furlong
stakes, Pinchin is confident that his two-year-old filly will be suited to the
two-turns of the 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl.

…and Leap Year Luck romped in the filly opening division Desert Vixen (Leslie Martin/Adam Coglianese Photography)

The
daughter of A. P. Warrior debuted at Gulfstream on August 16 with a 4 1/2-length
victory.

“She’s a real long-bodied beautiful filly with a huge
stride,” said Kaplan, who has named Juan Leyva to ride Moment of Delight.
“Beside all her physical attributes, she has a great mind on her. She’s very
trainable and does everything right.”

Leap Year Luck, who captured the Desert Vixen to
kick off the FSS series for fillies on August 9, also closed
from off the pace to finish third in the Susan’s Girl. The Stanley Gold-trained
daughter of Hear No Evil finished less than a length behind Holywell and 3 1/4 lengths ahead of stablemate Awesome Ice, who closed to enter contention before fading late to
finish fourth.

“Leap Year Luck had a wide trip and Awesome Ice was on the
inside fighting traffic,” said Gold, who trains the two fillies for Jacks or
Better Farm. “I’m not concerned about the two turns at all. Are they quality
enough? We’ll see.”

Jesus Rios is set to return aboard Leap Year Luck, while
Ramsey Zimmerman has the return mount aboard Awesome Ice.