Cuban Corbra is the second black-type winner for A E Phi Sensation, who also produced 2021 Century Mile Handicap and Don Getty Handicap-winner Greek Geek, by Misremembered. She has produced four winners from four starters and has an unnamed yearling filly by Sungold.

Cuban Cobra was bred in Florida by Moonshine Meadow Ranch and he has now earned $94,567 in his six career starts.

John C. Oxley and Breeze Easy LLC’s Boppy O came from off the pace to win the $100,000 Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park on June 3. The $100,000 Jersey Derby offered a field of seven three-year-olds who went one mile on the grass and Boppy O won for the first time since taking the Grade 3 With Anticipation going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the inner turf at Saratoga in August.

Second to last early in the Jersey Derby, Boppy O and jockey Isaac Castillo were about five lengths off of fellow Florida-bred Cosmic Speculation, who set quarter-mile fractions in :22.69, :46.77 at odds of 110-1 while being chased by Florida-bred Swan Lake in second.

Cosmic Speculation and Swan Lake were heads apart with a quarter mile to the finish before 2-5 favorite Talk of the Nation took a clear lead in the run for home. But Boppy O was in full stride in deep stretch and raced by Talk of the Nation to win by a length in 1:34.02 on the firm course.

Making his first start since finishing second to It’s a Fact in the US$36,013 Birdcatcher at Century Mile on Oct. 29, Florida-bred Cuban Cobra started his 2023 campaign with a two-and-a-quarterlength score in US$36,862 Western Canada Handicap on June 3.

Ridden for the first time by Dane Nelson for new trainer Gonzalo Anderson, who owns Cuban Cobra with Crystal Cates, Cuban Cobra led from start to finish to win for the fourth time in six career starts while carrying the co-highweight of 122 pounds. He covered the six furlongs in 1:09.88 after setting quarter-mile splits of :22.10 and :44.80 with a two-length margin most of the way.

Odds-on favorite American Blaze was second followed by Readytotapnsing, Flashin Aces, Mohamad, Money Muncher and It’s A Fact.

Cuban Cobra paid $5 to win as the second choice.

It was also the third career stakes victory for the 3-year-old son of Flat Out out of A E Phi Sensation, by Johannesburg who also won the US$38,619 Canadian Juvenile in August at Century Mile and the US$37,874 Winnipeg Futurity in September at Assiniboia Downs. His only other career loss came when second to Readytotapnsing in the US$39,042 Martin Dearline Juvenile at Century Mile in July.

Talk of the Nation finished two-and-a-quarter lengths in front of third-place finisher Turf King (Ire) followed by Swan Lake, Cosmic Speculation, People Force and Sherlock’s Jewel. Activist Investing (GB), Ironsides and Offaly Cool scratched.

Trained by Mark Casse, Boppy O paid $18.80 to win at odds better than 8-1.

“I talked to Isaac Castillo in the paddock and I thought he’d be closer to the leaders this race,” Casse assistant Shane Tripp said. “After the break, he wasn’t. He was shuffled back.

“Today we learned something about him. He can let the speed go and get his feet under him and come late like he did today. I was a little concerned he was too far back early on. I thought he’d be keener early. Isaac just had to adjust and call an audible.”

Boppy O was second in his previous two races, both against stakes horses. He was second to Otago in the $100,000 Equistaff Sophomore Turf at Tampa Bay Downs on Florida Cup Day in March and second to Jersey Derby foe Swan Lake in the $100,000 English Channel over the Gulfstream Park grass on May 6.

Boppy O has now won three of 10 career starts with two seconds and a third while banking $268,978.

By Bolt d’Oro out of the stakes-winning mare Pappascat, by Scat Daddy, Boppy O was bred by George and Karen Russell’s Rustlewood Farm Inc., and is a half-brother to their graded stakes-winner Pappacap. Pappascat has four winners from four starters plus an unnamed 2-year-old colt by first crop sire Omaha Beach and an unnamed yearling colt by War of Will. She was bred to Candy Ride (Arg) in 2022.

The current ownership team purchased Boppy O for $190,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in September out of Francis and Barbara Vanlangendock’s Summerfield consignment.

“I think after today he can get another graded stakes,” Tripp said. “He has tried a few and won one. I think with what he showed today he can win another.” n

Dominic Larocca’s 5-year-old Florida-bred Tape to Tape earned his first career stakes victory June 9 at Prairie Meadows with a wire-to-wire victory in the $50,000 Ed Skinner while winning for the seventh time in his last eight starts. In a race riddled by six scratches, Tape to Tape won the six-furlong test for 3-year-olds and older by three-quarters of a length as the even-money favorite under jockey E. T. Baird.

Breaking from post four, Tape to Tape went right to the front and led by a length ahead of Tiger Dad in second through the first quarter mile. Tiger Dad could not keep up around the turn as Kneedeepinsnow tried to challenge Tape to Tape with an outside run but Tape to Tape spurted away to a two-length advantage down the stretch. Ultimate made a late run but could not catch Tape to Tape at the wire and they finished in 1:09.62 on the fast track.

Trained by Larry Rivelli, Tape to Tape’s only other appearance against stakes horses came when third to Chasing Artie in the $100,000 Bob Umphrey Sprint going five-and-a-half furlongs on synthetic at Gulfstream Park in July of last year.

By Uncaptured out of Trippi Honor, by Trippi, Tape to Tape was bred in Florida by Honors Stable Corporation and has now won eight times in 24 career starts with earnings of $278,304. He sold for $85,000 to Michael Lay at the 2020 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale where he was consigned by Ocala Stud. n

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