HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Neoequos showed a couple of new dimensions –the ability to handle the grass as well as the ability to rate and win from off the pace – when rallying to a two-length victory over Seminole Chief in Saturday’s $75,000 Sunshine Turf at Gulfstream Park.
Neoequos had never raced or even worked on grass prior to the 1 1/16-mile Sunshine Turf. He had also never won a race around two turns, although he did finish third here last season in both the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 1 Florida Derby after forcing the early pace in both events.
With Tyler Gaffalione aboard for the first time, Neoequos was allowed to settle in the run to the first turn, racing well placed down the backstretch, about two lengths off the early leaders, Tank and Brawn. Neoequos was sent up four wide to challenge for command into the stretch before readily edging away from Seminole Chief at the end. .
Seminole Chief saved ground while racing within easy striking distance, loomed boldly near the inside through midstretch but could not match strides with the winner in the final sixteenth. Tank succumbed grudgingly and finished third after contesting the issue until deep stretch.
Echo Lane raced wide, made a middle move down the backstretch, tired after six furlongs and finished fifth as the tepid 5-2 favorite in a field of 10 Florida-bred turf specialists.
Neoequos, trained by Saffie Joesph Jr., scratched from the Sunshine Classic a week earlier. The 4-year-old completed the distance over a firm course in 1:40.36 seconds and paid $13.00.
“We’ve been wanting to try him on the grass for a while and the timing was right now,” said Joseph. “The race last week on the dirt [Sunshine Classic] looked like the right spot but this turned out to be the right call. He traveled really well at the quarter-pole then at the eighth pole he looked like he was beaten. And then he kicked in again. Tyler [Gaffalione] said he seemed like he got a little lost the first time on the grass.”
Joseph admitted he didn’t know what to expect coming into the race, considering Neoequos had never been on the turf, even in the morning, prior to this race.
“The closest we ever got to the turf with him was the Tapeta,” said Joseph. “And his last work was good. But it’s still a big difference. You never know. I had no clue, but I thought if he handled it, he was doing well. Thank God he did. And it opens up some options with him now.”
Sunshine Sprint
Damon’s Mound became the first horse to win the $75,000 Sunshine Sprint two years in succession after registering a very popular and workman like 2 1/2-length decision over a game but out-classed Big Paradise in the six-furlong fixture for older Florida-breds.
Damon’s Mound captured the 2025 renewal of the Sunshine Sprint in game fashion, out-finishing Candy Town following a torrid stretch duel to prevail by a neck. He faced a similar challenge Saturday through midstretch from Big Paradise before asserting his superiority and edging well clear under confident handling from his regular rider Junior Alvarado.
The victory was the second in a row for Damon’s Mound, a 6-year-old son of Girvin, who closed out his 2025 campaign 10 weeks earlier winning the Grade 3 Bold Ruler at Aqueduct. He is trained by Bill Mott, who brought the horse back from a near two-year layoff to win this event last winter.
Damon’s Mound covered covered six furlongs over a fast track in 1:09.29 and returned a mere $2.60 to win.
“Horses like him don’t come around that often. He’s a very classy horse, a very neat horse, and he does everything right,” said Alvarado. “He was good today. He broke out of there very sharp, put himself on the lead. He was doing it pretty nicely so I just stayed with it and when I asked for his best, he was there for me.”
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