Florida Focus

Compiled by Brock Sheridan

as they took their battle out of the chute and onto the backstretch.

Florida-bred Dorth Vader set a stakes record while winning her second consecutive added-money test as the Florida-bred filly won the $100,000 Sandpiper at Tampa Bay Downs Dec. 3. The dark bay or brown daughter of Girvin finished the six furlongs in 1:09.35 on the fast track, eclipsing the mark of 1:09.76 set by

Lady Radler and jockey Antonio Gallardo shook free for a onelength advantage past the half-mile marker to finish the first two furlongs in :22.04 as Dreaming of Snow chased in second. Meanwhile, Dorth Vader was another three-quarters of a length back in third.

Lady Radler continued with her clear lead around the turn as Dorth Vader and Dreaming of Snow raced together in second before Dorth Vader ranged up to the outside of Lady Radler as they passed the quarter-mile marker to complete the half-mile in :44.92.

Lady Radler had a head in front of Dorth Vader as they raced by the eighth pole when Dorth Vader found another gear and quickly accelerated away from her rivals. She then cruised home to finish two-and-a-quarter lengths faster than late-running Florida-bred Awesome Pic in second. Lady Radler finished two-and-a-quarter lengths farther back in third followed by Dreaming of Snow and Final Episode.

Dorth Vader paid $5.80 to win.

Dorth Vader now has three wins from five starts with a third and earnings of $206,228.

“I love her. She is sweet and relaxed and doing everything perfect,” Meneses said.

Yates said he had some concern when Dorth Vader drifted out slightly coming out of the turn.

Feeling Mischief in the 2020 Sandpiper. Dorth Vader missed the track record of 1:08.67 set by Florida-bred It’s Me Mom in the Hilton Garden Inn Sprint on Florida Cup Day in 2012.

Trained by Micheal Yates for owner and breeder John Ropes, Dorth Vader also took down a $50,000 purse supplement from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association as a Florida Sire Stakes-eligible winner, giving her an $81,000 payday including the $31,000 winner’s share of the purse.

Dorth Vader now has three wins in five career starts including a four-length victory in the $75,000 Juvenile Fillies Sprint over seven furlongs at Gulfstream on Oct. 29. She won her second start against special weight maidens going five-and-a-half furlongs at Gulfstream in August and her only blemish is a third-place finish behind Atomically and Lynx in the $400,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes My Dear Girl going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on Oct. 1.

Dorth Vader and jockey Marco Meneses broke like a shot from post five in the Sandpiper but were quickly joined on the lead by Florida-breds Awesome Pic on the rail and Dreaming of Snow from post three. Lady Radler, the 8-5 favorite, made it four across the track

“I was a little nerve-wracked at the quarter pole, but she kicked on and did her thing. I thought she ran incredible,” he said. “She is a very consistent, nice filly, and Marcos was very patient on her.”

Dorth Vader is named for Dorothy Harden, Ropes’ significant other.

“I have horses named for my children and grandchildren but wanted to name a horse after Dorothy,” Ropes said. “So Chris Fekay [wife of Rose Grove Farm manager Jeff Fekay] and I name all of our horses and that is how we came up with Dorth—for Dorothy—Vader.

“Dorth Vader was always a favorite on the farm. Gayle Woods trained her. We didn’t send her to the sale because she was a little off-set and you know how they like perfect horses at the sale. Everybody loved Dorth Vader, including Gayle. She said this is a racehorse, so we decided to race her. And it’s fortunate that we did.”

Dorth Vader is out of stakes-placed Yonaguska mare Hardcore Candy, who Ropes purchased for $23,000 in foal to Wildcat Heir in the name of his Rose Grove Farm at the 2014 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Fall Mixed Sale.

Hardcore Candy has produced five winners from six starters with Dorth Vader her only black type progeny. She also has The- forcebewithyou, a yearling filly by Air Force Blue and an unnamed weanling filly by Ocala Stud’s Adios Charlie.

“The Adios Charlie filly is the best of the lot,” Ropes said. “I have a number of nice weanlings this year and everyone likes the Adios Charlie filly.”

Ropes went on to say that he is lucky to still have Hardcore Candy.

“We almost lost Hardcore Candy last year, and that is why we didn’t breed her,” Ropes said. “She had a deep abscess that no one could find but our farrier, John McMahon, found it and he is the one that saved her.”

Ropes said that Hardcore Candy will again be bred to Girvin in 2023. n

Speed Boat Beach bounced back from a ninth-place finish in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (Grade 1) won by Mischief Magic at Keeneland on Nov. 4 to win the Grade 3 Cecil B. Demille at Del Mar by an easy half-length on Dec. 4.

The Cecil B. Demille, run at one mile on the turf for 2-yearolds, was the second stakes victory for Speed Boat Beach and first around two turns. He also won the $102,000 Speakeasy going five furlongs on the grass at Santa Anita on Oct. 2.

Speed Boat Beach set a new Del Mar track record for five-and-ahalf furlongs on the main track in his debut, covering the distance in 1:01.86 while winning a maiden special weight by a lengthand-a-quarter.

Ridden in the Cecil B. Demille by Flavien Prat, Speed Boat Beach started well from post seven and immediately engaged recent maiden-winner Game Time and jockey Umberto Rispoli as those two raced together around the first turn. With Game Time in front of Speed Boat Beach by a half-length on the rail, the pair sprinted through a first quarter-mile in :22.82 before moderating the pace down the backstretch to complete the half-mile in :47.30 on the firm turf while keeping daylight on 2-1 second choice First Peace and jockey Mike Smith in third.

Speed Boat Beach took over around the far turn but could not shake free from a stubborn Game Time, who chased the confident Speed Boat Beach the length of the stretch as they finished in 1:35.38. It was another length-and-three-quarters back to First Peace in third while Ah Jeez, Ransomware, Ze’bul, Fleet Feet and Kolomio completed the order of finish.

Speed Boat Beach paid $5.40 to win as the 8-5 favorite.

“[Speed Boat Beach] broke well and I thought I was going