TAMPA BAY, Florida – Favourite Bluefield chased down the pacesetter to hand Barbadian trainer Saffie Joseph Jr victory in the US$100 000 Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida Sire Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday.
Barbadian trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.Going seven furlongs for the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares, the seven-year-old bay mare saved ground under jockey Samy Camacho before getting up late to beat 2-1 chance Dream Concert by a neck at the wire and claimed her maiden added-money success.
Bluefield returned a time of one minute, 22.47 seconds, marking her eighth win in 20 starts for career earnings of $323 000.
“At the top of the stretch I thought she had a chance, but then [Dream Concert] kicked clear and I thought, ‘second place again,’” Joseph said.
“Samy did a great job getting the rail when it presented itself, and I think that might have been the difference between winning and losing.
“This mare keeps getting better with age. She is in the best form of her life, and we’re going to continue to race her.”
Racing in the second of the evening’s features in race seven, longshot Delta Charm went quickly to the front to complete the quarter in 21.91 seconds, before Dream Concert took up the running with a half-mile left, after pressing the pace.
Dream Concert opened up a near two-length lead around the far turn with Delta Charm having surrendered and Atomically joining the fray, while Bluefield stalked.
In the lane, Dream Concert continued to hold sway and was still ahead the sixteenth pole but Camacho got the best out of Bluefield in the closing yards to hit the wire first.
“When I hit the three-sixteenth-mile marker and hit her on the left side, she gave me a lot of kick and I said ‘I can get it,’ ” Camacho said afterwards.
“I’m real happy because I told my valet and my agent I wanted to ride this horse. All the credit goes to Bluefield and [trainer] Saffie Joseph.”
Bluefield’s victory came on the heels of a fourth place finish in the Grade 3 Princess Rooney at Gulfstream Park last October.
