BY BROCK SHERIDAN
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL—Florida-bred Classic of Course circled rivals in the far turn then outran 4-5 favorite Forged Steel in the deep stretch to win the $158,000 Cutler Bay at Gulfstream Park Saturday. In taking his first career stakes, Classic of Course defeated seven other 3-year-olds going seven-and-a-half furlongs in his first start on the grass. Owned by Amy E. Dunne and trainer Patrick L. Biancone, Classic of Course earned the $90,210 winner’s check plus an $8,000 Florida-bred bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Classic of Course broke from post two then raced to the inside of Baker’s Street in a joint fourth, about four lengths behind Forged Steel on the lead. Forged Steel and Irad Ortiz Jr. showed the way through a half mile in :45.77 and six furlongs in 1.08.89 as Classic of Course began making up ground around the far turn.
He and I’m Due met Forged Steel in deep stretch only to see the favorite pulled away from them momentarily. However, Classic of Course dug in again and ran down the favorite to win by three-quarters of a length.
Classic of Course finished in 1:26.48 with Forged Steel finishing second. I’m Due was third followed by Baker’s Street, Discreet Dancer, Wakan, Hit That Review (Ire) and Change at Jamaica. Kinetic Control was scratched.
“They we’re going too fast for me,” Dettori said. “I tucked him on the fence and I had to go wide but he was full of momentum. He’s a nice horse.”
Dettori also mentioned he had a long history of trying to ride horses for Biancone.
“Want to hear a funny story?” Dettori asked. “Forty years ago when I was 14 I told my dad I wanted to be a jockey, his master plan was to do six months with Luca Cumani and six months with Patrick Biancone [who] was a very known trainer for young jockeys.
“But I never got to Patrick. It took 40 years to find him a winner.”
Classic of Course paid $15.20 to win.
Classic of Course broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park in his first career start in May of last year then jumped immediately into stakes company at Saratoga Race Course, finishing fourth to Studlydoright in the $150,000 Tremont going five-and-a-half furlongs. He returned to the Sunshine State where he remained in stakes company for the remainder of the year, producing two seconds and two thirds and a fourth in his next five races.
“This horse has run a lot of quality races,” Biancone said. “We like him a lot. He was supposed to go to Turfway to run on the Tapeta, but the 10 days before he got a little bit of a fever, so I missed a work. I had to regroup and change. He’s mature now. The blinkers help a lot. He’s more focused.”
Classic of Course entered the Cutler Bay off two starts this year, the last of which was a second to Scarecrow in an allowance race going a mile-and-sixteenth on the Gulfstream Park synthetic.
He now has two wins with three seconds and three thirds in 10 starts with earnings of $294,653.
Classic of Course is by Awesome of Course out of Alma Mater, by Honor Code was bred in Florida by Amy E. and Ciaran G. Dunne. He is the only foal out of Alma Mater, who was bred to Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Leinster in 2024.
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