HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -- What figured to be a highly competitive second-level allowance race for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park turned into a showcase for the English-bred Radiohead, who cruised to an easy victory over stablemate Homeboykris in Saturday's third event.
Radiohead was making his first start on dirt and first since being switched to trainer Rick Dutrow's barn following his seventh-place finish in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He stalked the pace of the previously undefeated New York-bred General Maximus under confident handling from jockey Edgar Prado in the one-mile race, readily gained command when roused nearing the eighth pole, and was never seriously threatened thereafter, winning by 3 1/4 lengths. He was timed in 1:35.90.
"It was a good day for us," said Dutrow referring to his one-two finish in the race. "This is what I wanted to see from Radiohead. He could have gone to the lead, but I told Edgar to let the other horse go and be a measuring stick. It certainly showed he likes the dirt."
Dutrow, who scratched Radiohead from last Saturday's Grade 2 Hutcheson after his horse drew the rail, said he has nothing picked out for the colt's next start.
"I was trying to just get him into a race here," said Dutrow. "I wasn't trying to set him up for anything."
Nice maiden win for Miner's Reserve
Add another horse to trainer Nick Zito's growing list of 3-year-old prospects following Miner's Reserve's runaway victory in Saturday's fourth race, the second and faster division of a one-mile maiden special weight. Miner's Reserve, a son of Mineshaft owned by Robert LaPenta, had finished a troubled fourth following a slow start when he launched his career going seven furlongs five weeks earlier.
"He had the one post and didn't break the first time, but I knew he needed to go further," said Zito. "These are the kind of races you want to be in and win at this time of year. They're like stakes races."
Like Dutrow, Zito said he has nothing picked out at the moment for Miner's Reserve's next outing.
"One thing for certain, I'm not going to beat up a good, young horse," said Zito. "It's a long year."
Miner's Reserve's final time of 1:35.87 was nearly a full second faster than Game On Dude ran dominating the opening split of the race an hour earlier for trainer Michael Mareina and jockey Jeremy Rose.
Streaker off to promising start
Shug McGaughey suffered one of the most heartbreaking moments of his training career when his multiple Grade 1-winning filly Pine Island broke down during the running of the 2006 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs. Last Sunday, McGaughey saw flashes of that same kind of brilliance when Pine Island's baby sister Streaker launched her racing career with an impressive four-length victory in a seven-furlong maiden special weight.
Streaker is a daughter of Forest Wildcat out of the Seeking the Gold mare Matlacha Pass, who won two of her three career starts while also trained by McGaughey for the Phipps Stable.
"We always had high hopes for Streaker," said McGaughey. "She was ready to run last year but lightened up on me a little in New York, so I backed off on her. I wasn't crazy about her drawing the one hole for her first start, but I figured she'd break good enough to get in position. I think she really has the potential to be okay. She's certainly got the pedigree and the looks."
McGaughey said Streaker's next start would likely come at a mile after he returns to New York.
* The south Florida racing community lost a friend when trainer Paul Maxwell died Friday following a short illness. Maxwell, a former jockey who was the leading apprentice in New York in 1963, was best known for training the stakes winners Formal Miss and Old Southerner. He is survived by his wife, Linda.