Delray Beach, FL – The Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association wrapped up its 2025 season with a Super Saturday eight-race program for 2- and 3-year-old Florida eligibles, with total purses being $64,000.
Here are the results:
Race One – Sunshine State Stakes 2-Year-Old Filly Pace – $8,000
In a walkover, Dances With Gators driven by young George Birkhold, cruised around the Sunshine Meadows one-mile oval to complete November with four walkover wins.
This daughter of Dancin Yankee earned $11,800 along the way during the month and extended a “winning” streak of sorts to five, as she came to Sunshine Meadows off of a 2:02 win at Lebanon, Ohio.
Though time is irrelevant in a walkover, the filly toured the oval in 2:05.2 off fractions of :32.2, 1:04 and 1:34.3.
Her lifetime earnings inflated to $19,480 with this walkover win – $11,800 during November alone. Dances With Gators is trained by Mickey McNichol for owner George Birkhold.
Race Two – Sunshine State Stakes 2-Year-Old Filly Trot – $8,000
Mis Amigas, with Mike Wilder handling her lines, scored a three-length win in this Breeders Stakes final over arch-rival SL Mon Petite, driven by Marshall Makin.
The win evened the score at two wins apiece in November stakes action, with the mile clocked in 2:06.
Off the gate leaving, Mis Amigas brushed to the front after a tepid opening panel of :33.1 and put the issue to bed after a 1:05 half, sprinting clear during a :30 third quarter and then used a :31 final home to seal the deal.
The daughter of Father Patrick, trained by Dan Altmeyer for Altmeyer Wilder Racing, David Wills, Beverly Ross and Nadine Kotch, won for only the second time in 11 starts to send her earnings to $13,633.
Race Three – Sunshine State Stakes 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot – $8,000
Ugottabkidnme, a gelded son of Play Trix On Me, proved his 1:59.3 win a week ago was no fluke as trainer-driver Marlin Fry guided the youngster to a handy victory in 1:59.1 for owner Kevin Kelly over It’s Margaritatime, driven by Marshall Makin.
Highlighted by a :58.1 final half and :28.3 sprint home, Ugottabkidnme stretched his winning skein to three and was within one “tick” of tying his lifetime mark of 1:59 in a Gaitway qualifier as his season got under way. He also had a 1:59.1 winning mile at Vernon Downs in breaking his maiden in mid-September.
The win bolstered Ugottabkidnme’s scorecard to 8-4-2-1, good for $13,029.
Race Four – Sunshine States Stake 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pace – $8,000
McHungry, with Mike Wilder in the sulky, led from first stride to the wire in scoring a sharp win over Gators Big Victory, driven by young George Birkhold in 2:04.2.
With 35 m.p.h. gusts hampering times in the first half, :33 and 1:05.3, the wind was at their back as pace quickened during the :30.2 third panel and McHungry’s :28.1 sprint home put the issue on ice.
McHungry, a gelded son of Stay Hungry, was undefeated in four Sunshine Meadows starts this November, with this fifth lifetime win vaulting his earnings to $49,376 for Altmeyer Wilder Racing, Hutchison Harness, Davis Wills and Jean Allred. McHungry’s scorecard now reads 12-5-3-1.
Race Five – Sunshine State Stakes 3-Year-Old Filly Pace – $8,000
The “mythical” story for “QF” driver Joe Fiorello continued on this day as Prairie Puma, the sharp daughter of Royel Millennium, took top honors in the Florida Breeders Stake Final.
This win gave both horse and driver their fifth straight – and for Fiorello, his first sub-2:00 drive – as Prairie Puma stopped Fred Grant’s timer in 1:59.4.
Gator Time, who has been chasing Prairie Puma every week this November in FSBOA stakes action was, again, left in Puma’s wake.
The fillies left the gate side-by-side, and the war was on through an opening quarter where they were still in battle trying to conquer each other and 30-35 mph gusts.
After a :31.1 opener, Prairie Puma took charge and posted subsequent fractions of 1:01.3 and 1:30.1 before a :29.3 finale.
In a post-race interview, Fiorello was “speechless” and, simply, wanted to thank owner Dein Spriggs and trainer Nick Coblentz for “the opportunity of a lifetime.”
The win was the seventh in 16 starts this year for Prairie Puma and sent her 2025 bankroll to $27,514 and $56,358 lifetime.
Race Six – Sunshine State Stakes 3-Year-Old Filly Trot – $8,000
Nola Christian, a daughter of Stormin Normand, stretched her winning skein to five with a sharp 2:02 win for Mike Wilder, in the sulky for owner-trainer Thomas Casey.
Putting up all the numbers as she left the gate with alacrity, Nola Christian posted split times of :31.1, 1:02 and 1:31.2 before leaving her foe, Sunshine Jet, when the latter made a miscue in the lane.
Nola Christian is 8-for-10 this season with only a “DQ” in Ohio preventing the streak from being seven.
The win boosted her earnings to $29,162 this year and $43,412 lifetime.
Race Seven – Sunshine State Stakes 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot – $8,000
Delray Jet, handled by Rob Hoffman for trainer Nick Coblentz and owner Amante Standardbreds, finally shook the “bridesmaid” moniker and took a new lifetime mark, as well, in powering his way to a solid 2:04 win, featuring a last half in :59 flat.
The gelded son of Odino Jet was eight lengths clear at the wire over Jays Gator Boy, handled by Mickey McNichol.
Hoffman gave Delray Jet heads-up rating after a :31.1 opener and lollygagged to the half in 1:05 with the tempo quickening around the final bend and through the lane to the wire.
In only his 10th lifetime start – fifth this semester – Delray Jet sent his lifetime earnings to $29,298.
Race Eight – Sunshine State Stakes 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot – $8,000
Gold Star Lucky, a gelded son of Luck Be Withyou, closed out the FSBOA Super Saturday program with a walkover win to vault his 2025 earnings to $30,320 – $11,800 via the walkover route in November – and $56,989 lifetime for owner Marianne Audley.
The irrelevant time was 2:04 off panels of :33, 1:05.2 and 1:35.3 with a :28.2 finale.
Trainer Nick Coblentz was in the sulky and owner Audley reminding the crowd, “Time is irrelevant in a walkover, and I’d rather have an $8,000 walkover ‘win’ than finishing fourth or fifth in a $100,000 race having to go in 1:52 or faster!”
Gold Star Lucky does own a 1:52.2 mark at Harrah’s Hoosier Park this year.
A large crowd was on hand to witness the festivities with the FSBOA closing the festivities with a “walkover” of another sort, a walk over to the Sunshine Meadows restaurant for lunch and refreshments.