Ballet Diva, Tribal Drama Win Florida Sire Stakes Races for 2-Year-Olds

By Jim Freer

Sunday, Sept. 6–The filly Ballet Diva and the colt Tribal Drama (above photo) won Saturday’s races for 2-year-olds in the Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Ballet Diva was part of a pair of one-two finishes for the team of trainer Stan Gold and owner Jacks or Better Farm.

Ballet Diva finished first and her stablemate Silent Prayer came in second in the $300,000 Susan’s Girl at seven furlongs on dirt for 2-year-old fillies.

The Gold-Jacks or Better duo of Twotwentyfive A and Southern Barbecue finished first and second, respectively, in the $150,000 Prized for 3-year-old males. The race was scheduled for one mile on turf but was moved to one mile on dirt because of Saturday’s rains.

Gold and Jacks or Better, owned and operated by Fred Brei, came into the day with a record 17 wins in Sire Stakes races. They now have 19.
They came within a neck of making it 20.

That’s the margin by which Tribal Drama won the $300,000 Affirmed over Abercorn from the Gold-Jacks or Better barn. The race was seven furlongs on dirt for 2-year-old males.

David Fawkes trains Tribal Drama for owner Hallmarc Racing.

Tribal Drama is a son of Big Drama, the horse that in 2008 swept the three races for 2-year-olds in the male division of the Sire Stakes. Fawkes trained Big Drama for owner Harold Queen.

In 2010, Big Drama won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Grade 1) and the Eclipse Award for male sprinters.

The Affirmed, Susan’s Girl and Prized were run on a sealed track that was listed as sloppy.

In Saturday’s fourth Sire Stakes race, Josdesanimaux held of a late-running Katie’s Kiss and won by a half-length in the $150,000 Jewel Princess. The race was one mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies.

The wins by Josdesanimaux, Twotwentyfive A and Tribal Drama assured that there will be no sweeps this year of the three races in any of the Sire Stakes divisions.

The series began Aug. 8 and will conclude Oct. 3.

Later today, HorseracingFLA will have a more detailed review of Saturday’s Sire Stakes races and an early preview of the Oct. 3 races.

The Sire Stakes races are open only to sons and daughters of Florida-based stallions that have been nominated for the program by the breeders that own them.

The program is administered by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, which joins Gulfstream and the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association in providing purse money for Sire Stakes races.

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