BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Florida-breds Lightning Tones and One Sharp Cookie, the first two finishers in the $75,000 Sunshine Classic versus state-breds, will try to upset heavy favorite White Abarrio in Saturday’s Grade 3 Ghostzapper presented by FanDuel TV at Gulfstream Park Saturday.  The $165,000 purse for the mile-and-a-sixteenth contest for seven 4-year-olds and older includes $15,000 in Florida-bred bonus money presented by Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owner’s Association. 

 

Since winning the mile-and-a-sixteenth Sunshine Classic by a length-and-a-quarter at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 11, Lightning Tones ran a solid third in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile presented by Domestic Product on March 1. After being bumped at the start, Lightning Tones and jockey Jorge Ruiz circled the field in the far turn to make a run at odds-on favorite Mindframe at the quarter pole but could not keep up in the stretch.

The 5-year-old winner of the 2023 Carry Back at Gulfstream Park was claimed by trainer Carlos Navarez for $16,000 in July at Gulfstream and has since won the Sunshine Classic and produced a second and two thirds in four starts for owner JC Racing Stable.

 

Reliable throughout his career with five wins, six seconds and five thirds in 27 starts, Lightning Tones has earned $257,780. He is by Tonalist out of Rosesandlightning, by Lightnin N Thunder and was bred in Florida by H & A Stables LLC.

Lightning Tones is 8-1 on the morning line and will break from post three with Ruiz getting the return mount.

One Sharp Cookie needs to rebound off a disappointing seventh against second condition, $62,500 optional claimers in his only start since the Sunshine Classic. 

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., One Sharp Cookie would enjoy some help from the weatherman as his last two wins came in consecutive starts on off tracks last year. He won a first level $20,000 optional claiming going seven furlongs on July 21 then a first level $25,000 optional claiming going six-and-a-half furlongs on Sept. 1, both at Gulfstream.

 

One Sharp Cookie has three wins, four seconds and two thirds in 13 lifetime races while earning $159,901 for owner Daniel Alonso. He has proved a good return for Alonso, who purchased him for $40,000 out of the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training where he was consigned by Top Line Sales.
(One Sharp Cookie’s 2023 OBS Under Tack Video / Walking Video)

One Sharp Cookie is in fact a three-time graduate of OBS having first sold for $16,000 to C – G Stables at the 2022 OBS Winter Mixed Sale and then for $130,000 to Mathis Stable at the 2022 OBS October Sale. He was consigned by Stuart Morris at the Winter Mixed Sale and by Sweet River Bloodstock at the October Sale.
(One Sharp Cookie’s 2022 OBS Walking Video)

One Sharp Cookie will be ridden by Edgard Zayas from post six and is 15-1 on the morning line.

White Abarrio comes into Saturday’s race after winning the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational by six-and-a-quarter lengths at Gulfstream on Jan. 25. The 6-year-old son of Race Day also counts among his career wins the 2022 Holy Bull (G3) and Florida Derby (G1) and 2023 Whitney (G1) and Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

An earner of more than $6.8 million, White Abarrio has nine wins, two seconds and three thirds from 20 career starts.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride White Abarrio from post four and they are 1-9 in the program.

Also set for the Ghostzapper are The Thor (Chi) with Luis Saez in the irons, Dylan Davis takes the call on Tuscan Sky, Power Squeez and jockey Javier Castellano and Super Corinto (Arg) with Edwin Gonzalez up. 

Return to the March 27 issue of Wire to Wire