Joe Orseno

OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training got a late boost from its supplemental section when a colt by Uncle Mo brought the top price of $375,000 during Friday's final session of the three-day auction. The 2024 June sale concluded with numbers just a tick off the sale's 2023 renewal. A total of 582 2-year-olds grossed $21,386,800 during the three-day auction, with the average of $36,747 down 2.2% from last year's figure and the median held at $20,000. Ramon Morales purchased Friday's session...

A trio of Grade III winners and the second-best New Jersey-bred 3-year-old in training are among a field of eight set to head to the post for Saturday's NYRABets Pegasus S., the final local prep for the GI NYRABets GI Haskell Invitational S. in five weeks' time. The locally co-owned Hades (Awesome Slew) ran his record to a perfect three-for-three in the GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 3, defeating the running-on Domestic Product (Practical Joke) and Eclipse Award-winning 'Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light). After skipping what turned out to...

D J Stable and Robert Cotran's Hades (Awesome Slew) is recovering from a small setback, but is being programmed for a pair of starts at Monmouth Park over the coming months, including the GI NYRA Bets Haskell S. July 20. Upset winner of the GIII Holy Bull S., defeating Domestic Product (Practical Joke) and champion Fierceness (City of Light), Hades was a well-beaten fifth in the GI Curlin Florida Derby and was last seen finishing seventh in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland Apr. 13. "We found he had...

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training rushed across the finish line with a lively session of bidding Friday and concluded its four-day run in Central Florida with a new sales record average and median and a gross just off last year's highwater mark. "It certainly felt like it picked up here at the end of the four-day stretch," said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. "It felt good. We were bumping up against a record [gross...

Saturday's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland, the final stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, offers a path to Churchill Downs for the first Saturday in May for D. J. Stable and Robert Cotran's Hades (Awesome Slew). Currently on the outside looking in, Hades sits in 24th place on the leaderboard with 30 points. The GI Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters. The Lexington offers 42 points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale. With a victory, Hades would be in the top 20. A runner-up finish would put him...

Hades (Awesome Slew), upset winner of the GIII Holy Bull S. in January and a latest fifth to champion 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 30, will back up on two weeks' rest for the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland Apr. 13, co-owner Jon Green of D J Stable said in a text message Saturday morning. "We are entering Hades in the Lexington and have Jose Ortiz in the irons," Green texted. "Hades is doing great, is sound and ready to...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...