Joe Orseno

Hades, Fierceness Tune Up For Curlin Florida Derby

D J Stable and Robert Cotran's GIII Holy Bull S. winner Hades (Awesome Slew) worked a half-mile in an easy :50.21 over the Gulfstream Park main track Friday morning, his final serious gallop ahead of next Saturday's $1-million GI Curlin Florida Derby. A perfect three-for-three in his career, Hades was scheduled to breeze Saturday, but forecast heavy rains led trainer Joe Orseno to call an audible and work the gelding 24 hours earlier. "He has exceeded my expectations," Orseno said, "even with today's last breeze going into the Florida Derby....

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FTHA Announces Board Election Results

Officials at the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association have announced the results of the Board of Directors election, which were finalized Mar. 14. Elections are held annually, and the term of all Directors is three years. The Board is elected by the Association members via secret ballot. A Board of no fewer than 11 and no more than 15 Directors supervises the FTHA and each year, five positions are filled on a rotating basis. For 2024, Incumbent Owner/Directors Chester Bishop, Jonathan Green, and Teresa Palmer were re-elected.  Incumbent Trainer/Director Ron Spatz...

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'Wow' Work for Hades Ahead of Florida Derby

D. J. Stable and Robert Cotran's Hades (Awesome Slew), coming off a win in the Feb. 3 GIII Holy Bull S., tuned up for an expected start in the Mar. 30 GI Curlin Florida Derby with a five-furlong work in 1:00.34 (2/14) Sunday at Gulfstream Park. The gelding worked in company with 3-year-old maiden Halon (Flameaway). "It was what I call a 'Wow!' work," trainer Joe Orseno said. "I put a horse in front of him to have a horse to run at a little bit. At the quarter-pole, I...

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Gulfstream Boosts Spring/Summer Purses

Overnight purses for the upcoming Spring/Summer Meet at Gulfstream Park will be increased in all categories from open handicaps to $6,250 claiming races with conditions. Open handicap purses will rise from $60,000 last season to $74,000; $6,250 claiming races with conditions will jump from $17,000 to $20,000; open allowances will be $10,000 higher than 2023 levels, ranging from $61,000 to $63,000; entry-level allowances for Florida-breds will increase from $43,000 to $48,000; maiden special weight races will increase by $10,000 to $60,000; maiden special weight races for Florida-breds will go up...

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Holy Bull Winner Hades To Wait For Florida Derby

All continues to go smoothly for D. J. Stable and Robert Cotran's undefeated GIII Holy Bull S. winner Hades (Awesome Slew), a trend trainer Joe Orseno hopes to see continue as the colt sits out Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park to await the GI Florida Derby. Since his two length score in the first leg of the Florida series, Hades has worked twice at four furlongs and at a mile, which prompted the connections to give the second leg some consideration before deciding to pass....

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Connections Eye Florida Route to Derby for Holy Bull Winner Hades

D. J. Stable LLC and Robert Cotran's Hades (Awesome Slew), upset winner of Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. over juvenile champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), may be pointed to either the Mar. 2 GII Fountain of Youth S. or the Mar. 30 GI Curlin Florida Derby, hinted trainer Joe Orseno to the Gulfstream Park notes team Thursday. "We're obviously working backwards from the first Saturday in May," said Orseno. "We'll do what's best for the horses. I don't think both races are in the plans. If...

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Bucchero Relocating To McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds

Bucchero (Kantharos), the sire of the current 2-year-old stakes winners Book'em Danno and Mattingly and of the stakes-placed and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint fifth-place finisher Shards, will take up residence at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds for the 2024 breeding season for a fee of $7,500. After breeding 471 mares while standing for five seasons at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida, Bucchero will join a powerhouse New York stallion lineup alongside Central Banker and Solomini. "Traditionally, New York breeders have not had the opportunity to breed to a new...

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Bucchero Colt Goes Deep In Hollywood Beach

Mattingly (Bucchero) gave his young sire a second juvenile stakes winner in 2023 and his third black-type winner overall with a good-looking victory in Saturday's Hollywood Beach S. over the Gulfstream synthetic surface. Purchased for $70,000 out of this year's OBS March Sale with the objective of sending him over to Royal Ascot--where his sire was a strong fifth to Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) in the 2018 G1 King's Stand S.--Mattingly debuted in the May 13 Royal Palm Juvenile S., finishing runner-up to No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never),...

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Bucchero Represented By First SW In Blue Sparkler

Sent off at overlaid odds of 13-1 from a 5-1 morning line, Ironhorse Racing Stable's Beauty of the Sea (Bucchero) was given a perfect ride by Jairo Rendon and held off My Sweet Affair (Twirling Candy) and Love Appeals (Speightstown)--each scratched out of Friday's rained-off Coronation Cup S.--to become the first black-type winner for her Florida-based stallion, also campaigned by Ironhorse. Nicely drawn in gate two, the Florida-bred broke with them, but eased back to sit just behind a strong pace set by Coronation Cup entrant Bosserati (Holy Boss) with...

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Tax Package Including $27.5M in Support of Florida Tbred Industry Passed

Florida lawmakers passed a tax package May 5 that includes significant support for the state's Thoroughbred industry. With the support of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo; Senator Blaise Ingoglia, the Finance and Tax Chair; and Senator Jason Pizzo; House Speaker Paul Renner; Representative Stan McClain, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee; and Representative Lawrence McClure, chair of the State Affairs Committee; as well as Wilton Simpson, Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture, the package includes $27.5 million annually for two years to bolster purses and racing awards at Gulfstream Park and...

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Joe Orseno to be Interim President of Florida HBPA

The 2022 election for the board of the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) has concluded with trainer Joe Orseno slated to serve as interim president. He replaces Stephen Screnci, who did not run for reelection. Reelected to the board of directors are owner Adam Lazarus and trainers Orseno, Kathy Davey, and Terri Pompay. New to the board is owner David Rousso. Troy Levy and Ralph Nicks have stepped down. The remainder of the board consists of owners Chester Bishop, Thomas Cannell, and Teresa Palmer, as well as trainers...

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FHBPA Ballots in the Mail

The ballots for the 2022 Election of the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association Board of Directors were sent out Monday. The FHBPA has hired Election Services Co. as its independent third-party election provider. Ballots will be sent by email to all FHBPA members who have a valid email address on file or by paper ballot to the mailing address on file if there is no email address available. Election day is set for Mar. 15. A total of seven candidates will run in the election: owners Adam Lazarus, Troy...

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