Grade 3 winner Hades will look to build on a long-overdue return to the winner’s enclosure when he lines up for Saturday’s Sunshine Classic at Gulfstream Park, stepping back into Florida-bred company for the first time since his juvenile season. Freshened by confidence and careful placement, the five-year-old gelding arrives with renewed purpose for the $75,000 feature.
The Sunshine Classic, run for the 23rd time over 1 1/16 miles, anchors an 11-race program and shares top billing with the Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf, a two-turn mile for older state-bred fillies and mares. First post is scheduled for 12:20 p.m., with a competitive Classic field promising a searching test of stamina and resolve.
Hades, raced by D. J. Stable and Robert Cotran and trained by Joe Orseno, returns to familiar surroundings after ending a 22-month wait for victory with a decisive allowance success at Tampa Bay Downs on December 6. It was a welcome breakthrough for a horse whose résumé has long hinted at deeper ability than recent results suggested.
When last seen against Florida-breds, Hades was a rising star. He cruised to an eight-length allowance victory early in his career, then followed up five weeks later with the finest performance of his life when capturing the Holy Bull (G3) in his three-year-old debut. What followed was a frustrating stretch: 11 starts without a win across two seasons, despite several credible efforts at stakes level.
That sequence included a fifth-place finish in the Florida Derby (G1), multiple stakes placings, and a controversial summer evening at Gulfstream when he crossed the wire first in the Tackleberry overnight handicap only to be demoted after an inquiry. The Tampa win, achieved over two turns, appears to have steadied both horse and outlook.
“It worked out perfectly last time,” Orseno said. “We sent him up there to get that race into him going two turns. He won, he came out of it great, and he’s ready for this. We’re looking forward to a good race.”
Orseno is hoping to see continuity now, something that has eluded Hades since his early promise. “We’d like to see him put two races together. That’s what we’re hoping for,” he added. “His biggest win came here. You’ve got to keep after him, keep him involved, and give him something to run at.”
Hades will start from post two with Tyler Gaffalione taking the reins for the first time. Three of his four career victories have come over Gulfstream’s main track, a statistic that adds quiet encouragement as he tackles a compact but accomplished field of six.
Familiar Rivals Add Depth to Sunshine Classic Field
The Sunshine Classic has often rewarded durability as much as raw talent, and Saturday’s renewal is no exception. Two former winners return in Lightning Tones and Lure Him In, both attempting to join Mucho Macho Man as the only multiple winners of the race.
Lightning Tones, owned and trained by Jose Castro, is the defending champion after producing a powerful late run to land the prize last winter. That effort formed part of a productive campaign that also included victories in the Carry Back and Black Diamond Cat handicaps. He arrives off a series of consistent handicap performances and is drawn in post five.
The most seasoned runner is Lure Him In, a nine-year-old gelding whose career ledger reads like a tribute to longevity. Owned by BAG Racing Stables and partners and trained by Sam Wilensky, he has amassed 56 starts, 11 victories, and more than $720,000 in earnings. His most recent outing saw him finish second in the Finallymadeit handicap, and he returns to a race that has brought him notable success.
“He’s doing phenomenal,” Wilensky said. “At nine years old to act the way he does, it’s honestly shocking. He loves it. He’s still enthusiastic, still eager, and still wants to compete.”
Lure Him In captured the Sunshine Turf in 2022 and returned two years later to edge out subsequent Grade 3 winner Octane in a thrilling Classic finish. Edwin Gonzalez retains the ride as the veteran aims to repeat the feat.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has entered Neoequos, a four-year-old stakes winner whose form includes solid efforts around two turns as well as appearances on the sport’s biggest stages last spring. He has not raced since September, adding an element of intrigue to his return.
Completing the line-up are Pure Class, a former Sophomore Stakes winner making his first start for trainer Laura Cazares, and Awesome Train, a consistent handicap performer who has repeatedly held his own at this level.
With experience, resilience, and revived confidence converging, Saturday’s Sunshine Classic shapes as a contest where timing and temperament may matter as much as raw ability. For Hades, it represents a chance to confirm that the long road back is finally pointing forward.
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