Breeze On By Looms Tough in Gulfstream's In Reality

Stonehedge's Breeze On By will seek a sweep of the 2020 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series Sept. 26, when the undefeated homebred son of Cajun Breeze  takes on eight rivals in the $400,000 In Reality Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Breeze On By captured the FSS Dr. Fager Stakes at six furlongs Aug. 1 and the FSS Affirmed Stakes at seven furlongs Aug. 29. The undefeated Ralph Nicks trainee, who captured his July 12 debut, will seek to become the fifth horse to sweep the FSS open division, joining Three Rules (2016), Sir Oscar (2003), Seacliff (1995), and Smile (1984).

"He's a nice horse. The question will be: Will he handle the two turns? That being said, he's done everything pretty handily so far," Nicks said. "I love young horses. Stonehedge sends them to us early and lets us do our job. It's fun to watch them develop. The ones who have talent, you can mold into these kind of horses."

Nicks, who won his fourth consecutive running of the Affirmed when Breeze On By romped to victory by 7 1/2 lengths, has saddled the winners of eight Florida Sire Stakes series races since 2016.

"I've been blessed with some nice horses. It would be special to put him on the list with the other ones that have swept the series," Nicks said.

Breeze On By provided Gil and Marilyn Campbell's Stonehedge Farm with a 15th victory in the tradition-rich series with his Affirmed score.

The gelding, who made a rather auspicious debut while capturing a July 12 maiden special weight race at Gulfstream by six lengths, set the pace in the six-furlong Dr. Fager before meeting a strong challenge from Gatsby at the top of the stretch. After Gatsby put his nose in front in midstretch, Breeze On By fought back gamely to prevail by a length.

In the Affirmed, Breeze On By was followed to the finish line by Nicks stablemates Big Daddy Dave and Seazan, who are also owned by the Campbells, who achieved the superfecta with Kathleen O'Connell-trained fourth-place finisher Top Boss.

While Big Daddy Dave, who finished a distant second in the Affirmed, is scheduled to bypass the In Reality and start in the Hollywood Beach, Seazan will return in the FSS final. After a troubled second-place finish in his debut, the son of Khozan  graduated in his second start Aug. 1. Seazan closed from ninth and last to finish third in the Affirmed.

"I honestly believe he is a two-turn horse," Nicks said. "He'll be picking up lot of ground late. He's going to be even better the middle of next year than he is right now."

Emisael Jaramillo has the return call aboard Breeze On By, while Samy Camacho is slated to ride Seazan.

Arindel's Gatsby will seek to rebound from a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Affirmed after giving Breeze On By a scare in the Dr. Fager. The homebred son of Brethren  broke a step slow from post 1 before setting a pressured pace and faltering in the stretch.

An impressive winner of his April 12 debut, he rebounded from an off-the-board finish in the June 27 Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs with his second-place finish in the Dr. Fager. Gatsby pulled off an upset victory over heavily favored Golden Pal in his April 17 debut at 4 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream, chasing the Wesley Ward-trained odds-on favorite into the stretch before edging clear by three-quarters of a length. Golden Pal has gone on to impress on turf, finishing second in the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot and winning the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga handily by 3 1/2 lengths.

Arindel and trainer Juan Alvarado will also be represented by Hercules, who debuted impressively at Gulfstream Aug. 29, scoring by 2 1/2 lengths despite racing greenly through the stretch.

Cristian Torres has the call on Gatsby, and Hector Berrios has been named to ride Hercules, also a son of Brethren.

Kenneth Fishbein's Boca Boy, who finished third in the Dr. Fager, returns to FSS action Saturday after bypassing the Affirmed in favor of the Proud Man, an undercard turf stakes in which he finished second. Edgard Zayas will ride the son of Prospective.

Social Equality, Chess's Dream, Honesto, and The Red Man round out the field.