Liam's Lucky Charm Edges Chance It in Affirmed

The $200,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Affirmed Division became a two-horse race in Gulfstream Park's home stretch Aug. 31. The top choices battled hard, with Shooting Star Thoroughbreds' Chance It looking to take Saturday's race after winning the Dr. Fager Division. But it was Stonehedge's Liam's Lucky Charm who got his head in front.

Behind those two, it was another 17 3/4 lengths back to the rest of the field.

"It was a tremendous race, a tremendous battle between two great horses," said winning jockey Reylu Gutierrez. "Last time, Chance It beat me pretty well. (Liam's Lucky Charm) had a little switching leads problem last time."

It was the third straight Affirmed stakes won by trainer Ralph Nicks—who scored with Garter and Tie in 2018 and Soutache in 2017—and the 11th success in Florida Sire Stakes races for Stonehedge's Gil Campbell.

"He was in a good position," Nicks said of his charge, who was second to Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Chance It in the Dr. Fager. "Saffie's horse kind of … had it his own way after getting some pace pressure early. We got to him today, and it was a battle of the two of them down the lane.

"Last time we couldn't close, and today we finished together. We were lucky enough to be a head better."

Chance It and jockey Edgard Zayas went to the front and set opening fractions of :22.67 and :46.07 with a half-length lead over Absolute Grit. Liam's Lucky Charm was two lengths behind Absolute Grit through the first quarter and had shortened that distance to a length at the half before moving to challenge Chance It.

After turning for home, the two were alone. Though second last time, Liam's Lucky Charm would not be denied and ranged up on the pacesetter's outside. Chance It battled back to briefly regain an advantage, but Liam's Lucky Charm was back in front with a final surge.

He completed the seven furlongs in 1:23.25 on a fast track.

Regarding Chance It's performance, Zayas said: "He was trying hard. But he prefers not to be on the lead, and the way the race set up for him, breaking from the inside, he was having to force himself. He looks like a horse who prefers to have a target all the time."

Liam's Lucky Charm became the first black-type winner for his sire, Khozan , who entered stud at Journeyman Stallions in Ocala, Fla., in 2016. The stallion's 2019 fee was $4,000.

Khozan is by Distorted Humor  and out of the multiple grade 3 winner Delta Princess, making him a half brother to grade 1 winners Royal Delta (a three-time champion), Crown Queen, and Delta Prince. The dark bay raced twice as a 3-year-old for Al Shaqab Racing and Todd Pletcher, winning both times at Gulfstream, but retired early due to injury.

Liam's Lucky Charm is a Florida homebred. The bay colt is out of the Stormy Atlantic mare P. S. I Love You and has a full yearling sister. P. S. I Love You foaled a colt by He's Had Enough  Jan. 26 before being bred back to Khozan.

From four starts, Liam's Lucky Charm has a 2-1-1 record with $189,800 in earnings.

"I think he's a little slow coming around. I think he's going to get better as he matures and gets older," Nicks said. "I think two turns is well within his grasp."

The Florida Sire Stakes series for colts and geldings concludes Sept. 28 with the $400,000 In Reality Division at 1 1/16 miles.

Ceci Valentina upsets Susan's Girl Division

Though Stonehedge took the spotlight in the Affirmed, its previously undefeated filly Lenzi's Lucky Lady faded in the stretch of the $200,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Susan's Girl Division as Amalio Ruiz-Lozano's Ceci Valentina rallied to a 12-1 upset.

Trainer Angel Rodriguez was looking for his filly during the race, expecting her to be toward the front. But Ceci Valentina and jockey Marcos Meneses flew from the far back to run down the tiring pacesetters.

"She was so far back," Rodriguez said. "Marco said she was in a little trouble. They were pinching her. They had nowhere to go. And then she got to the outside and came on very strong at the end."

Ms Big Spring showed the way over two-time stakes winner Lenzi's Lucky Lady, who won the Florida Sire Stakes Desert Vixen Division one start earlier. The opening fractions went in :22.33 and :45.82. Lenzi's Lucky Lady took the lead in the stretch but tired as the horses behind her came running.

Ceci Valentina had to steady inside the five-sixteenths pole while making a move on the inside, but she regained momentum when Meneses shifted her out and got up by 1 1/2 lengths, completing seven furlongs in 1:27.32 on a fast track.

"It was a hard race," Meneses said. "But in the stretch, she really gave me a good run. Today it worked out for us."

Bahamian Girl, Awesome Indra, and Ms Big Spring rounded out the superfecta. Lenzi's Lucky Lady was sixth.

Ceci Valentina is by Ocala Stud's Prospective  and out of the Runaway Groom mare Fort Carillon. The filly is a half sister to stakes-placed Miss Amalita and has a yearling full sister named Battle Cry. Fort Carillon gave birth to a Noble Bird  filly March 29 and was bred to Awesome Slew  for 2020.

Kelli Mitchell consigned Ceci Valentina to the 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sale October Yearling Sale, but the filly was a $30,000 RNA. Now with two wins and a third in three starts, she has $162,750 in earnings.

After Saturday's victory, Rodriguez was convinced to enter Ceci Valentina in the Sept. 28 My Dear Girl Division, the final leg for juvenile fillies in the Florida Sire Stakes series.

"She's really a nice filly," he said.

Video: FTBOA Florida Sire Susan's Girl S. (BT)

Video: FTBOA Florida Sire Affirmed S. (BT)