Mi Bago passes synthetic test in Dania Beach

Gary Barber’s Mi Bago, already a stakes winner on grass and a winner on dirt in his debut, became a stakes winner on synthetic Wednesday in the $150,000 Dania Beach at Gulfstream Park.

Taken off the grass following overnight rain, the 1-mile Dania Beach also marked the second straight win for Mi Bago. Sent off as the 4-5 favorite in the field of seven off a win in the Pulpit Stakes November 29 at Gulfstream, Mi Bago won by three-quarters of a length over Hammerhead.

Edwin Gonzalez, aboard for winning trainer Mark Casse, kept it simple on the 3-year-old son of Vekoma.

“Nick [Tomlinson] didn’t give me too many instructions for the horse,” Gonzalez said of Casse’s assistant. “Today I break out of the gate, he put me right there. He was pulling my arm. He wanted to keep going. I wanted to keep him in a nice and relaxed position, and he finished good. He’s a really good horse.”

Barber and his team identified that quality after Mi Bago won his debut in a 5-furlong dirt maiden at Colonial Downs last August for owner CM Thoroughbreds and trainer Carlos Munoz. Barber purchased Mi Bago privately after that effort and moved him to Casse’s care. Mi Bago finished a non-threatening sixth in the Funny Cide Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day at Saratoga Race Course August 25 before moving to the grass to win the October 5 bet365 Algonquin Stakes at Woodbine.

Mi Bago missed out on the Breeders’ Cup after failing to draw into either the Grade 1 Juvenile Turf or Grade 1 Juvenile Turf Sprint. He finished fifth in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes on the Future Stars Friday undercard before returning to the East Coast to win the Pulpit.

Mi Bago led the field through splits of :24.23, :47.03 and 1:10.41 in his synthetic debut, putting away Hit That Review. Mi Bago opened up a 1 1/2-length advantage in midstretch and held off Hammerhead’s late run. Maui Strong finished third, with I Know I Know, Hit That Review, Nothingsubtle and Bucaro completing the field.

Mi Bago, who won the 1-mile and 70-yard test in 1:39.17, earned $91,140 for his lastest victory. He’s won four of six starts.

Bred by Highclere Inc. and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Mi Bago is the fifth winner produced by the unraced New York-bred Indian Charlie mare Wabanaki. She’s the dam of seven-time winner and $227,242-earner Lady Macho (by Mucho Macho Man) and winners What Mightavebeen (Freud), Dawnland (Jimmy Creed), Weyron (Goldencents) and Fast Chaz (Fast Anna). The latter graduated in his 13 start on the New Year’s Eve card at Turf Paradise.

A $62,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale in 2023, Mi Bago was a $90,000 RNA later in the year at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2025/01/01/mi-bago-passes-synthetic-test-in-dania-beach/

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Gatsas homebred Five G wins Cash Run Stakes

Gatsas Stables’ homebred Five G returned to the main track and came away with a victory over open company in the $150,000 Fasig-Tipton Cash Run Stakes on the New Year’s Day program Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.

The newly turned 3-year-old daughter of Vekoma, second in the Tepin Stakes on the turf in her most recent start in mid-November at Aqueduct, blitzed her six foes in the 1-mile Cash Run. Five G won by 9 lengths under John Velazquez, finishing in 1:38.11 over the fast track.

Five G also won a state-bred maiden race on the grass in early November at Aqueduct, after making her debut in a 6-furlong state-bred maiden August 22 at Saratoga Race Course. Trainer George Weaver put the filly back on the dirt after being impressed with her recent works at Palm Beach Downs.

“She worked very well on the dirt and when you’re trying to figure out what horses want to do and what’s best for them, you need to try things sometimes and she worked well enough on the dirt that we needed to try it,” Weaver said. “Obviously we’re happy, she likes the turf and the dirt. With that kind of performance, we’ll probably stick to the dirt now and try and get her on the (Kentucky) Oaks trail.”

Supplemented to the Cash Run, Five G broke well from the rail and stayed close to Andrea through the opening quarter in :24. Velazquez sent Five G to the front before the field hit the half-mile in :46.74.

Five G went on from there, widening her advantage around the far turn and running past 6 furlongs in 1:12.26.

“I left the race in the hands of Johnny,” Weaver said. “I said to just get her comfortable and see what she does. When they got into turn and he had the lead and the more they went on, other people were scrubbing and we weren’t scrubbing yet. I was like, ‘We might be all right here.’ ”

Five G cruised through the lane, increasing her advantage from 4 lengths in midstretch to 9 at the finish. Paradise City, sent off the 9-5 favorite, closed to be a distant second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Unchained Elaine. Yellow, Fallon, Sweet Note and Andrea completed the order of finish.

“Pretty easy,” Velazquez said. “She broke really well, and I was trying to let the speed go. [Jockey Emisael] Jaramillo was on the outside [on Andrea]. When he got close to her she kind of went away from her, and I pulled her to be close to her and she got really on the bridle. After that I just let her get into her rhythm.”

Five G picked up $91,140 for her second victory in four starts, boosting her earnings to $160,290.

Weaver said he’d look at options for Five G going forward, with eyes on the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks March 30, including possibly the Grade 3 Forward Gal going 7 furlongs February 1 and the Grade 2 Davona Dale at 1 mile March 1.

“These Oaks and Derby horses, there’s a bunch of spots,” Weaver said. “We’ll just map out something we think is going to get her there the right way. There’s plenty of options.”

Five G is the second foal out of the Quality Road mare Triumphant, who was purchased by Gatsas Stables in foal to Runhappy for $57,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. The resulting foal, the now 4-year-old Runhappy filly Six O Three, is winless in three starts. Triumphant is also the dam of a yearling full brother to Five G, also bred by Gatsas in New York.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2025/01/01/gatsas-homebred-five-g-wins-cash-run-stakes/

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