FHBPA Sprint ($100.00 Purse)
GP- For Four Year Olds and Upward Foaled in FL
Six and a Half Furlongs on the Dirt
April 25, 2026

When the schedule came out, there were six stakes within the FHBPA series that were available, and we were ready to provide coverage of these FL-bred races here at the SRF. However, there would be only one race of this group that would draw, and that is the FHBPA Sprint. This might beg a bigger question though, and where are the FL-Breds? Earlier this month, I had a two-year-old race for FL-Bred fillies not fill at TAM on the third. This is a shame, because this seems to be a great state to breed in, and we have opportunities for them to race at both TAM and here at GP. It’s the inaugural edition of this race, so we’ll be looking to see which of these seven will be the first addition to the winner’s list. Here’s our field!

1- Moratans Reject (Onlineracingclub.com, ridden by J Bravo)- This six-year-old gelding has been a part of many barns over his sixteen-race career, and was picked up by the present trainer for a mere $2.50 last June. He’s been able to find the winner’s circle recently, with four wins in his last seven starts, but those have not been against the strongest of competition. When we last saw him, it was at TAM in a starter allowance, and he failed to beat anyone he was up against. I do like how he ran two starts ago right here, and he will have to run like that in order to have a chance.

2- Black War (Axeman, ridden by P Lopez)- No one in this field has made more than Black War over their careers, as this gelding has earned $368.91 during his nineteen-race career. Six of them are wins, including the $110.00 Ocala Sophomore, for FL-Breds, last year. He generally is able to be near the front and has hit the board in each of his last three races. He’s fresh off an allowance win at TP and is positioned well to get a strong showing in his return to FL-bred stake racing.

3- Blue Finn (Luz International, ridden by J Rosario)- Hasn’t made quite as much as Black War in his career, but the Candlestick gelding is a two-time stake winner. In his last race, he won the $100.00 Thomas Memorial Stakes in a dead heat at SUN, which was his second consecutive victory. He’s appeared in a couple of Grade 1’s in his career and cashed a fourth-place check in the Jerkens Memorial in 2024. If he’s getting hot again, we may be seeing him as a regular entrant in graded races soon, and a win here will go a long way in that.

4- Big Enchilada (Arindel, ridden by Sa Camacho)- He can’t boast having a similar amount of earnings as the two to his inside, as he is still under $30.00 for his career. Arindel claimed him for $16.00 in June when he won a FL-bred claimer here and has raced two times since then. After struggling at the FG in an allowance, he returned to claimers last month and was the runner up at HOU. He takes the jump here into FL-bred stakes, and we’ll see what happens. No matter what, it’s good to see Arindel here, because he was one of those trainers we could always count on for strong FL-Breds.

5- Party Jet (The Sidley Stud, ridden by T Gaffalione)- There was no partying for this one after his last start, a dismal outing in the $20.00 Tondi Stakes at FON. That result was a bit of a surprise, considering he had run in the top four in his previous seven starts, including third in a similar ungraded stake right before that. Based on his history, he may just not like FON, of all places. This is the largest purse he has run for in quite some time, but it was a FL-bred stake, the $300.00 In Reality in 2024, where his biggest challenge was. We need to see that horse that ran at TUP two back for him to have a chance.

6- Indian River King (Night Rider Stables, ridden by J J Castellano)- This will be the 40th career start for this seven-year-old that struggled to find any consistency in his early days. He got his act together with Spinetingling as far as getting wins, but there was no purse money in any of them. Night Rider picked him up for $15.00 last August, and he has been very consistent. Problem is that consistency is with running fifth (five out of seven starts), and no purse money is won then, either. He works well, so on that I can understand why he’s here, but will he just be fifth again?

7- Golden Missile (Spb Racing, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- It’s a colorful three to beat in this race, as Golden Missile is right there with Black War and Blue Finn in terms of earnings. This is his second start with Spb Racing, and the previous race did not go well in the Grade 2 Shakertown. But this isn’t the Shakertown, and he had won his previous three for prior trainer Team 7 Illusions before the sale. Most, but not all of those races came on the turf, but he has certainly shown the ability to run well, and win, on the main track. In fact, when on the dirt, he’s always hit the board. I expect that trend to continue.

Prediction: 3-2-7-1

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded