Fellowship Goes Last to First in In Reality

Trainer Stanley Gold and Fred Brei's Jacks or Better Farm continued their dominance in the Florida Sire Stakes juvenile divisions when homebred Fellowship rolled from last to first Oct. 3 to take the $500,000 In Reality Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Gold and Brei have now teamed up on 18 victories in the state-bred series for Florida-sired runners.

Jacks or Better Farm had three homebreds entered in the In Reality. Besides the winner, a son of the farm's stallion Awesome of Course  , the farm started Brighton Lane (by Hear No Evil  ) and Abercorn (by Brooks 'n Down), who finished second in the In Reality, a 1 1/16-mile race for juvenile colts and geldings.

"I was hopeful for all three, but I was looking for Abercorn and Brighton Lane," Gold said. "This one, he jumped up and did it. You never know with the babies. He had a really outstanding work last week that surprised me, and I thought if he ran back to that work, there's no telling.

"More than any of the other (horses) we ran, the distance suited these horses the best, we knew that. The large field was a little worrisome with babies and everything new. You don't want to see a lot of traffic trouble. It worked good for us. It doesn't always, but this time it did."

Jockey Jose Caraballo took Fellowship back and immediately to the rail after the break. They trailed the 14-horse field for much of the race while pacesetter Call to Honor took the field through opening fractions of :23.34 for the quarter-mile, :47.78 for the half, and six furlongs in 1:13.12.

Call to Honor still had the lead coming out of the second turn but Fellowship had been gobbling ground and gaining momentum through the turn. At the top the stretch, he took command and blew past leaders Call to Honor and Tribal Drama.

Abercorn was swung three paths off the rail and around Call to Honor to give chase, but couldn't get closer than five lengths from his stablemate. Li'l Meatball was third. The final time was 1:46.13.

"There wasn't a horse in this race that had won going two turns (on the dirt) so we were all finding out today," Brei said. "I've always liked (Fellowship's) breeding; Awesome of Course has always been good to us. He'll stay here and come back and run in the winter races for 3-year-olds. We race in Florida unless there's a compelling reason to race elsewhere."

Fellowship paid $26, $12.20, and $9.20. Abercorn paid $5.80 and $4.60, while Li'l Meatball paid $5.

The Florida Stallion Series included three other stakes.

Coffepot Stables' Flora Dora won the $500,000 My Dear Girl Stakes for juvenile fillies at 1 1/16 miles. Bred by Donald Dizney's Double Diamond Farm and a daughter of Dizney's homebred freshman sire First Dude  , the filly is trained by Marialice Coffey.

Flora Dora also settled toward the back of the nine-horse field, angled out leaving the backstretch, split horses with three furlongs left then passed front-runner and favorite Ballet Diva in the stretch and held off a charging Enterprising Lady (also by First Dude) to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Silent Prayer finished third. The final time was 1:47.22.

Flora Dora paid $20.40, $12.20, and $8.80. Enterprising Lady paid $11 and $7.40, while Silent Prayer paid $3.60.

The series included two races for 3-year-olds.

Moment of Delight, a daughter of A.P. Warrior bred by Jimmy Randolph, won the $150,000 Meadow Star Stakes by 6 1/4 lengths.

The filly races for Pinnacle Racing Stable and Norman Stables. She is trained by Bill Kaplan. Finishing second was Jacks or Better Farm's Dogwood Trail with Tracy Pinchin's Holywell in third. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:44.57.

The $150,000 FSS Foolish Pleasure Stakes was won by Saraguaro, a son of Express Tour bred by Karen Silva. The colt is owned by Thoroughbred Acquisition Group and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

Saraguaro won by two lengths over Jacks or Better Farm's Sing Praises. Finishing third was Southern Barbeque. The final time was 1:44.36.