Lynx, Awesome Strong Continue FSS Series Dominance
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Lynx draws away late in winning the Susan's Girl division of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Series at Gulfstream Park
Arindel's undefeated hombred Lynx kept her chances of sweeping the 2022 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series for fillies alive Sept. 3 at Gulfstream Park, rallying through the stretch to win the $200,000 Susan's Girl division of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Series by 4 3/4 lengths.
The Susan's Girl, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies, co-headlined Saturday's program with the $200,000 Affirmed, another seven-furlong division of the series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida. Awesome Strong took the Affirmed.
Lynx, who captured the first leg of the FSS series while winning the $100,000 Desert Vixen division after a slow start Aug. 6, came under a drive to advance from fifth on the turn in Saturday's race but responded to encouragement. Once in the lane, she powered past her rivals for a decisive score under Edgard Zayas.
The daughter of Arindel stallion Brethren trained by Carlos David ran seven furlongs in 1:25.79 to win her third race without defeat. Guardian Angel finished second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Cajun Tease .
Zayas said his filly responded once she got to the outside.
"She's still learning," he added. "She'll be better next time. She was better this time than last time."
David saddled Arindel's Octane , also by Brethren, for Florida Sire stakes victories last year in the $200,000 Affirmed and the $400,000 In Reality. He said he was "blessed" to train for Arindel.
Bred in Florida out of the unraced Red Bullet mare Darby Rose, Lynx is the second stakes winner produced from seven foals to race, all of whom winners. Two other horses produced from the dam are stakes placed. One of the dam's two unraced foals is a yearling full sister to Lynx.
On Oct. 1 when the My Dear Girl division of the series is carded at 1 1/16 miles, Lynx could become the first filly to sweep the Florida Sire Stakes series since Scandalous Act did so in 2013.
"Nice to see her a little closer this time. Really, she's not meant to win these sprints," Brian Cohen of Arindel said of Lynx. "So for her to win the first and the second one ... the distance won't be too much of a problem next time."
Video: FTBOA Florida Sire Susan's Girl S. (BT)
Awesome Strong Powers Home
CSLR Racing Partners' Awesome Strong also preserved his perfect record Saturday while capturing the Affirmed in convincing fashion.
The son of Awesome Slew overcame early trouble to capture his debut by six lengths in May before being purchased by his current partnership for $500,000. He entered the Affirmed off a frontrunning 4 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 Dr. Fager, the Aug. 6 six-furlong first leg of the series.
Awesome Strong captured the FTBOA Florida Sire Affirmed Stakes
Favored at odds of 4-5, Awesome Strong was outgunned for the early lead Saturday by Gran Slash and Undalay , who set contested fractions of :21.84 and :44.89 for the first half-mile while stalked by the eventual winner. Having to restrain Awesome Strong to race behind the pacesetters on the backstretch, Miguel Vasquez allowed his mount to sweep by his tiring rivals to take the lead on the turn into the homestretch. The favorite quickly opened a clear lead at the top of the stretch and continued on to win comfortably by three lengths.
"Miguel told me that the toughest thing for him was to hold the horse, because he wanted to jump on them," trainer Jorge Delgado said. "That wasn't the plan. We didn't want to go with them."
Awesome Strong ran seven furlongs in 1:24.77 to become eligible to seek a sweep of the 2022 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series in the $400,000 In Reality at 1 1/16 miles. A sweep in the open division was last achieved by Three Rules in 2016.
"It's very emotional. We're excited (about) the way he performed," Delgado said. "He showed me today he is a special horse. He can run on the front, he can race in the mid-pack, and he likes to win. But as Kobe Bryant once said, 'The job's not finished.'"
Alex Childs, who owns Awesome Strong with his father Bill and a couple of business associates, ventured to Gulfstream from Fort Worth, Texas, to be on hand for CSLR Racing Partners' rising star.
"We're blown away by the progression Awesome's had. He keeps getting better and better and better. It's something else. He surprises us every time he runs," Childs said.
Turbo , the 9-2 second choice, closed to finish second, four lengths ahead of Apocalypto.
Awesome Strong was bred by John B. Penn out of the Pleasant Tap mare Pleasant Ring and was a $30,000 purchase by Elena Racing from Sue Vacek's consignment to the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's October Yearling Sale. He improved his earnings to $218,000. He is the most recent foal out of his dam, who was reported bred to Bucchero this year. All 10 of her foals have started, with six of them finding the winner's circle, including black-type winner Bad Debt (by Grand Reward ), who earned $838,330 while racing primarily on the turf.