Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s Neat delivered a polished performance at Gulfstream Park on Saturday as the Neat Miami Mile Victory saw the millionaire multiple graded-stakes winner defeat favoured Indecisiveness by 1½ lengths in the $65,000 Miami Mile overnight handicap.
The Miami Mile was contested by 3-year-olds and older horses over two turns on the turf and formed the second stakes race on a 10-race programme. The meeting also featured the $75,000 Palm Bay overnight handicap for 2-year-olds on the main track, which was won by Stick Talk.
Neat made his first start for trainer Mike Maker and was ridden by Edwin Gonzalez, who completed a sweep of the day’s two stakes races. The five-year-old covered the good turf course in 1:34.31 to register his eighth career victory from 23 starts.
Breaking from the outside Post 7, Gonzalez settled Neat in fifth during the early stages. Prevent and Indecisiveness established the initial pace, with the leaders completing the opening fractions in 22.85 and 46.18 seconds.
Neat began to improve his position along the backstretch and produced his strongest move around the far turn. Racing on the outside, he quickly closed the gap and entered contention as the field turned for home.
Indecisiveness held the advantage briefly in the stretch, but Neat moved past his rival in mid-stretch and continued strongly to the finish. He secured the 1½-length success while recording another important stakes victory for his connections.
Neat Miami Mile Victory Takes Career Earnings Beyond $1 Million
The Neat Miami Mile Victory became the sixth stakes success of his career and added another notable chapter to a résumé that already included graded victories in the 2024 Transylvania (G3), Manila (G3) and Hall of Fame (G2).
The latest success took Neat’s career earnings to $1,048,135. His performance also gave Gonzalez a second stakes victory on the programme after his earlier success aboard Stick Talk.
I Know I Know finished second, while Grade 2 winner Steal Sunshine secured third. Divin Propos and Jayhawk dead-heated for fourth, followed by Indecisiveness and Prevent.
Grade 1-winning millionaire Win for the Money and multiple stakes winner Tank were scratched before the race.
The Neat Miami Mile Victory gave the millionaire a successful beginning with new connections as he defeated Indecisiveness by 1½ lengths at Gulfstream Park, securing his eighth career win and sixth stakes triumph.
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