The FL Sire Stakes- My Dear ($300.000 Purse)
GP- For Fillies Two Years Old Foaled in FL
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
December 2, 2023

It wasn’t pretty for Captain Falcon six weeks ago when she ran in the FL Stakes- Susan, as she was soundly defeated by six lengths, and did not beat anyone. In a similar manner that we saw Reflex Action get redemption in the Demoiselle, Captain Falcon would do the same here in the My Dear. This filly has raced her entire career against FL Breds at GP, and did seem as though she was much better horse than the one we saw here last time out, and she would erase any doubts now. Smokey Stover is her trainer, and he wins the My Dear for the second time as he also did so in 2020 with Tomahawks. L Dettori was aboard for his first win in this race. Congratulations to them! The race was won in a time of 1:42.23, a dead heat with last year’s winner and the second overall fastest time in the stake’s history. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :22.87)- Stormy Breeze is quick out of the starting gate for Fractious and begins to pull away from the rest of the field. However, Establo Pichon’s Eduartin is not going to let her get away and is within a length at a quarter mile. They’re three wide for third and running in the outside lane here is the eventual winner of the race, Smokey Stover’s Captain Falcon. Spanish Roja (Riggins Racing) and Sitting Bulls Champ (Mb Stables) are to her inside, and it’s a length to Guilt Free (TwinTowersRacing) while Improvised Sin (Asgar) is at the back.

(½ Mile- :46.34)- Eduartin flies by Stormy Breeze at the top of the backstretch and quickly opens up a lead of a length and a half. Stormy Breeze is not concerned with her and is content to settle into the second spot. She’s still ahead of the same trio that has Captain Falcon running in the third lane and looking a lot more competitive than she was here in the Susan.

(Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- The pace of the race slows at the front as Eduartin is simply unable to maintain her form. She begins to drop through the field, allowing Stormy Breeze to recapture the lead but even that one is not running as well as she was before, and the consistent stride of Captain Falcon allows her to pull up right alongside her. But it would not only be that one, as Spanish Roja also made up a lot of ground within the turn.

(Finish- 1:42.23)- Captain Falcon inches ahead just enough in the stretch to take over the top spot but her work is not done yet. Spanish Roja would move into the second spot after a brief fight with Stormy Breeze and that one would take a last gasp run at the leader. Captain Falcon would hang on until the end, winning in a photo over Stormy Breeze. It’s a dead heat for third between Stormy Breeze and Improvised Sin with the rest of the order being Sitting Bulls Champ, Guilt Free, and Eduartin.

About the Winner- Captain Falcon, trained by Smokey Stover and ridden to victory by L Dettori is a two-year-old filly by Solar System and is out of Unaffiliated. She was bred a yearling by Smokey Stover in Florida, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her second in five starts, and her first stake win. Her career earnings are now $219.070.

Track: Fast
Time: :22⁴  :46¹  1:10⁴  1:42¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 3 – 1 Paid 14.80
$1 Trifecta: 3 – 1 – 6 Paid 251.20, 3 – 1 – 7 Paid 501.40

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded