Dreaming of Snow Beats Wonder Wheel in 38-1 Shocker

After racing each race on the kart earlier than the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes, jockey Samy Camacho knew one factor was sure when the doorways opened: On February 11, pace was king. Tampa Bay Downs. 4 of the day’s six filth races had been pulled from wire to wire.

And when the nine-horse assault unleashed on the Suncoast, the champion 2-year-old mare Nice Wheel broke quick however Camacho and Dreaming of Snow it was faster. Tiny Dreaming of Snow, once established in command, never let go of the lead and snatched the returning Eclipse Award winner by the neck in a 38-1 defeat in a dirt race over a mile and 40 yards.

“I beat the Wonder Wheel—Wow!” Camacho raged after Suncoast. “I know this mare well and when I first got on her in the morning (to coach Gerald Bennett) I told her to stay on top of her. She’s pretty good, but I never thought she’d run two laps like this. When the Wonder Wheel came to her, she came back again.”

While on paper the Wonder Wheel is the class of the field, the royal family of Stonestreet Stables Julia Shines two-time champion’s own brother malathat It seemed more than capable of presenting a tough challenge to the Mark Casse intern. Still, Dreaming of Snow had two distinct advantages over the heavyweight racing favorites.

First off, both pups were making their sophomore debuts at Suncoast. Julia Shining had annexed the December 3 Demoiselle Stakes (G2) to complete her campaign, but the Wonder Wheel has been without a race since her brilliant Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) victory on November 4th. The DJ Stables runner has recorded just four workouts since then. Casse’s refresher at the special education center in Ocala, Fla., last month. Meanwhile, Julia Shining was constantly blowing for Todd Pletcher at the Palm Beach Downs Education Center further south.

Dreaming of Snow had raced on the sometimes quirky Tampa Bay Downs surface four times, and Oldsmar, Fla. He was fixed on his track, training on the oval every morning. The Tampa scum has been the downfall of many favorites over the years, and Wonder Wheel and Julia Shining were defeated when they were most vulnerable to Team Equistaff and the Winning Stables’ Dreaming of Snow.

Rolling :24.05 and :47.07 half-miles in the first quarter, Dreaming of Snow maintained its advantage with six long distances in 1:11.26 as the menacing presence of a trailing Wonder Wheel came closer. Returning home after having to get behind the pacemakers early on, Tyler Gaffalone confidently steered the Wonder Wheel into the clear and crushed the leader.

But Dreaming of Snow bravely tackled the Wonder Wheel in a final time of 1:40.18 for one mile and forty yards. He paid $78 to win.

Dreaming of Snow won the Suncoast Stakes. @samycamacho1 Get on board for coach Gerald Bennett! 3 years previous #FLbred the mare belongs @TeamEquistaff and Successful Stables Inc. and was bred by Karyn Phillip! Congratulations!! 🍾 🏆 🥂 pic.twitter.com/iUN1HOWkFb

– Tampa Bay Downs (@TampaBayDownsFL) 11 February 2023

Coming within the second spherical to meet up with jockey Luis Saez, Julia Shining made a bid within the lane however failed to the touch the highest two and completed in third place, 1 1/4 lengths behind.

Gaffalione remained optimistic in regards to the mare’s ahead efforts.

Gaffalone mentioned, “He was touring nice popping out of trip. That was my solely concern. I attempted to attend for him so long as potential however he is so drained in the present day. At present was not the ultimate vacation spot. Now we have larger issues forward of us.”

The champion stays primary on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard with 48 factors, eight of which have been secured with a second end on Saturday.

On Could 5, Dreaming of Snow scored 20 high quality factors in opposition to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and recorded its first main victory on the Suncoast. Churchill DownsThis was the primary try at two returns of Florida-raised mares. 3 yr previous daughter Jess’s Dream Educated by Gerald Bennett, he posted his 8 1/2-length six-length on-demand claimant subject on December 17 and completed fourth within the seven-length Gasparilla Stakes on January 14.

Dreaming of Snow, dropped at you by Karyn Phillip previous style mare Snow Trend it is usually accountable for stake-placed. Father Montauk . Dreaming of Snow was bought by Mary Okay. Thomas final yr from the Boutte Gross sales consignment of Ocala Breeders’ Gross sales Firm for $60,000 within the 2-Yr-Olds in Schooling March Sale.