Steal Sunshine steals the show in Ellis Park Derby
HENDERSON, Ky. — Boston-raised, Florida-based trainer Bobby Dibona had never before raced a horse at Ellis Park. But he had a memorable day Sunday, winning the $200,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby with Steal Sunshine.
Dibona’s first Ellis Park starter actually was Tap’er Light, who finished third at 23-1 in the RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Debutante, one of five stakes Sunday. Steal Sunshine followed with a 3 1/4-length triumph over the pacesetting 57-1 shot Rome, rallying from last in the field of nine 3-year-olds. He paid $13.98 to win after covering the mile in 1:38.19.
Steal Sunshine had never raced outside of Gulfstream Park. But the son of the WinStar Farm stallion Constitution returned to his birth state to capture his second stakes in a row under jockey Leonel Reyes, following Gulfstream’s $75,000 Carry Back.
Dibona said his only prior time at Ellis Park came around 30 years ago when, as a young trainer starting out in his hometown of Boston, he came to the track called the Pea Patch to claim a horse. Semi-jokingly, he quipped that he’d never before seen soybeans, Ellis Park’s infield cash crop.
“It reminds me of being in the Field of Dreams,” he said, referring to the 1989 baseball movie starring Kevin Costner. “I think this is a field of dreams right now. So happy. I don’t think you can even say enough. He’s got such an explosive run. It doesn’t matter what they’re doing early. He just waits, and when he gets rolling, he gets rolling.”
Said breeder and co-owner Carrie Brogden, of Machmer Hall Farm in Paris, Ky.: “Crazy. It’s beyond my wildest dreams…. I’m like ‘margarita!’”
Steal Sunshine, who is co-owned by Little Red Feather Racing, is now 4 for 9, with a second and a third, earning $233,910 after his third straight victory.
Asked what might be next, Brogden said, “I have laid my head down at night and dreamed of being in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Now, it’s just a dream, but we all have it.”
Strava, co-owned by the University of Louisville’s legendary basketball coach Denny Crum, railed to finish another neck back in third.
It was a big day for Florida-shippers as Last Leaf closed through the stretch for a 1 3/4-length victory over Take a Stand in the $100,000 RUNHAPPY Audubon Oaks, running seven furlongs in 1:24.69.
Last Leaf ($8.74) also won her third in a row in her first start outside of Gulfstream Park. With Rafael Bejarano picking up the mount for trainer Ron Spatz, it was Last Leaf’s fifth stakes victory as she improved her record to 7 for 15 with a second and two thirds, earning $332,647.
In other races:
John Ortiz, Ellis Park’s leading trainer with 10 victories in 33 starts, showcased a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies prospect as Justa Warrior ($7.02) went to 2 for 2 with a length victory over Pachuca in the $125,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Juvenile Fillies. The time for seven furlongs was 1:25.89 with jockey Reylu Gutierrez in the saddle.
“She’s an incredible filly who showed talent first time out,” Ortiz said. “The last couple of works, she’s been working behind horses. We wanted to make sure to teach her how to tip out and pass.”
The Mike Maker-trained Top Recruit ($15.76) and meet-leading jockey Gerardo Corrales out-finished favored Curly Jack by a head to win the $125,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Juvenile, the seven furlongs going in 1:24.40. Top Recruit is 2 for 3, with a third in Iowa’s Prairie Gold Juvenile.
Li’l Tootsie ($28.90) and jockey Edgar Morales captured the $125,000 Groupie Doll to give owner Joel Politi his first Ellis Park stakes victory since future Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress took the 2018 Ellis Park Debutante. Covering the mile in 1:37.42, Li’l Tootsie defeated Jilted Bride by 1 1/2 lengths to earn her second straight stakes victory, upping her record to 7-1-3 in 17 starts while earning $532,874. Trainer Tom Amoss collected his 4,001st career victory.
Recoded, who won a race a week earlier for trainer Eric Foster of Owensboro, finished third. Pacesetting Super Quick finished fourth but was pulled up after the wire, having sustained what proved fatal ankle injuries.
This article originally appeared on Henderson Gleaner: Steal Sunshine steals the show in Ellis Park Derby
