Roaring Forties Scores Frontrunning Sunshine Turf Win

Borders Racing Stable's Roaring Forties  rolled to a frontrunning victory Jan. 21 in the $75,000 Sunshine Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park while making his first start against fellow Florida-breds.

The 7-year-old Stormy Atlantic  gelding, who competed exclusively at Woodbine in 23 previous starts, ran against graded stakes company in his two most recent outings.

Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan. Roaring Forties ($17) broke alertly to show the way around the first turn and along the backstretch while setting fractions of :23.10 and :47.69 for the first half-mile of the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes.

Challenged by Max K.O. on the second turn, the chestnut kicked away at the top of the stretch and held off a late-charging Hot Blooded  by a half-length. Me and Mr. C  closed steadily to finish third, another three-quarters of a length back.

Trained by Katerina Vassilieva, Roaring Forties finished in 1:40.57 on a firm turf course to record his first stakes success. Bred by Stroud Lane Farm out of the Lemon Drop Kid  mare Sweet Tart , he failed to meet his reserve when the hammer fell at $13,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. His record now stands at 6-3-1 from 24 starts, all for Borders, with earnings of $280,924.

Roaring Forties is the most accomplished runner out of his 19-year-old dam, who produced seven winners from eight starters. After three years without success, her most recent reported foal is an Almasty  filly born in 2022.