Reef Runner Roars Back in Style at Gulfstream
Reef Runner returned to the Gulfstream Park turf in emphatic fashion, overcoming a three-month layoff and a recent gelding to capture the $70,000 Warrior’s Pride Overnight Handicap with a powerful late surge under jockey Reylu Gutierrez on Sunday afternoon.
The 4-year-old Florida-bred homebred, owned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong, showed signs of renewed focus and grit in his first race since May 1, cutting between rivals at the top of the lane and finishing with conviction to stop the clock in 55.10 seconds over a firm five-furlong turf course.
“Off the layoff, being gelded, it all helped,” said winning trainer David Fawkes. “If we could just get him to change his leads… but I think the gelding really helped him more than anything.”
Textbook Ride Makes the Difference
Breaking sharply from post 5, Reef Runner settled neatly in fifth along the rail behind early pacesetter El Apagon, who blazed through the opening quarter in 21.52 seconds. The recent Tapeta winner And Uwish pressed the pace, with Louie the Sun King chasing three wide.
Gutierrez, unfazed by the hot fractions, waited patiently before asking his mount for more approaching the far turn. With a dream run opening up, Reef Runner unleashed a grinding finish that reeled in the leaders and sealed the deal.
“Our horse broke very well and pushed everybody’s hand,” Gutierrez noted. “I tucked behind [And Uwish] and made a run at the end.”
Consistency on the Turf
Reef Runner’s latest score marked his third win from 10 starts on the Gulfstream turf, where he’s never finished worse than third. The win also snapped a three-race losing streak dating back to his last victory in the Bob Umphrey Sprint on the Tapeta in the fall.
The gelding now owns a solid record of 5 wins, 4 seconds, and 5 thirds from 18 starts. He had shown competitive form during the Championship Meet, hitting the board in all three sprint stakes, including near-misses in the Silks Run and Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint.
Behind him on Sunday, And Uwish held second by a neck over Abrir Caminos, followed by El Apagon, Louie the Sun King, El Principito, Rouki, Asher’s Edge, and 2-1 favorite Extendo. Sultan the Great was a late scratch.
Pedigree Power Behind the Performance
Bred by the Lieblongs in Florida, Reef Runner is by The Big Beast, a horse they campaigned to a Grade 1 win in the 2014 King’s Bishop and multiple G1 placings. The bloodlines and the careful handling by Team Fawkes appear to be paying off as Reef Runner matures into a consistent turf sprinter.
Fawkes, reflecting on his trainee’s latest performance, said, “He’s a cool horse and Reylu rode him perfect. No complaints. He’s a smart rider.”
As the Gulfstream summer season heats up, this latest effort may just signal that Reef Runner is ready for even tougher company in Florida’s sprinting ranks.
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