Florida Focus Officiating Presides Over Bear’s Den Prior to the $75,000 Bear’s Den Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Sept. 5, Florida-bred Officiating, who races for owner and breeder Peter
Florida-bred Officiating ■ Ryan Thompson Photo
Vegso in the name of his Vegso Racing Stable, had one start in a stakes race in his previous 11 career races. And it was a solid second-place, just a nose short of winner Indy Lyon in the $110,00 Equistaff Sophomore Turf over a mile-and-one-sixteenth on March 28, Florida Cup Day at Tampa Bay Downs. Unsuccessful but competitive in three starts against allowance and optional claimers since, Officiating made a triumphant return to added-money competition against seven other 3-year-old rivals in the Bear’s Den, which was moved from about seven-and-ahalf furlongs on the turf to a sloppy and sealed seven furlongs. Officiating broke well from post three in the Bear’s Den and was directed by jockey Emisael Jaramillo to race close to early leaders Dark Timber and Exchange Day, who were both longshots at 29-1 and 19-1 respectively. Exchange Day had a half-length on Dark Timber in second through a first quarter-mile in :22.46 as Officiating sat just behind those two on the rail with Alabama 8
THE FLORIDA HORSE • NOVEMBER 2021
Compiled by Brock Sheridan
Slammer racing in fourth on the outside. career at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct in Exchange Day and Dark Timber raced on maiden special weight company before reeven terms around the turn as 6-5 favorite Pa- turning to Florida with trainer Bill Mott to petu, who was bumped at the start and lost win a maiden special weight against stateearly position, began to breds going a mile on turf at Gulfstream in move into contention from March just prior to the Sophomore turf runthe four path as Officiating ner-up finish. remained patient on the rail Saffie Joseph Jr. took over the training duin fourth as they finished ties for Officiating two starts back when he finthe half-mile in :45.31. ished fourth, beaten just two-and-a-half lengths Officiating swung by Florida-bred Fulmini in a first condition althree-wide at the top of the lowance going a mile on the turf on June 3 and stretch along with Papetu third, a neck shy of winner Lahinch in the first to his outside and engaged condition, $16,000 optional claiming on July Dark Timber and Ex- 31, both at Gulfstream. ■ change Day as it appeared any one of those four had a chance as they approached Starship Bonita Wins Second Sheer Drama at 34-1 the final furlong. Laurence Leavy and trainer Steven However, Officiating began to pull away from Dwoskin’s Starship Bonita had recently been the competition as they unsuccessful against several of her rivals in went past the eighth-pole with Papetu giving the $75,000 Sheer Drama at Gulfstream Park chase as Exchange Day and Dark Timber on Sept 11 but the 6-year-old mare turned the could not keep up. Officiating crossed the tables to win at odds of 34-1 in the seven furwire three-and-a-half lengths in front of Pa- long test and complete a box car exacta with petu in second in a time of 1:23.11. Dark Tim- stablemate Starship Nala. Starship Bonita ber finished third, more than seven lengths faster than Exchange Day in fourth. They were followed in order by Go Mike, Alabama Slammer, El Socio and Fulmini. Officiating went off at 7-1 and paid $17.60 to win. By Blame out of Come a Callin, by Dixie Union, Officiating has now won two of 12 career starts with four seconds and two thirds with earnings of $145,137. His record is a bit misleading as it took him seven tries to break his maiden while starting his Florida-bred Starship Bonita Ryan Thompson Photo ■
