by Mike Curry
He’s Bonafide stole the spotlight from Illinois-based star Fort Prado on Saturday with a dominant victory in the $103,950 Buck’s Boy Handicap (video), one of six stakes for Illinois-breds on Hawthorne Race Course’s Illinois Festival of Racing card.
In the final career start for 13-time stakes winner Fort Prado, He’s Bonafide surged clear in the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile race under Eduardo Perez and powered to a 5 1/2-length victory to earn his first career stakes win.
He’s Bonafide completed the distance in 1:44.57 on a track rated as fast for trainer, owner, and breeder Hugh Robertson. Out of the winning Vermont mare Smog, the gray or roan gelding is the first stakes winner for second-crop sire Animo de Valeroso.
A Block family homebred trained by Chris Block, Fort Prado never fired and finished seventh in the eight-horse field in what was the last race in his seven-season career. The eight-year-old El Prado (Ire) gelding has won 18 of 59 career starts and earned $1,211,681.
Also on the card, Apple Martini closed from three wide and drove to a three-quarter-length score in the $86,175 Illini Princess Handicap (video). The Giant’s Causeway filly completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:47.51 to post her third career stakes win for owner-breeder Virginia H. Tarra Trust.
My Time to Star improved to two wins in as many starts with a dazzling seven-length romp in the $91,125 Sun Power Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings (video). Bred by James Lynch and Patrick Durbin and owned by Heiligbrodt Racing Stable, the Five Star Day colt covered six furlongs in 1:10.65.
Thats Whatshesaid rallied with a sustained bid to win the $88,725 Showtime Deb Stakes for two-year-old fillies by three-quarters of a length for owner-breeder Hoss-Bone Racing (video).
Mighty Rule opened a clear lead in the stretch and cruised to a 1 1/4-length win in the $91,275 Lightning Jet Handicap, a six-furlong race for three-year-olds and older (video).
Ripe Tomato completed a last-to-first rally to win the $84,750 Powerless Handicap, a six-furlong race for fillies and mares, by 2 1/2 lengths (video).
For an Equibase charts, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor