Boppy O ‘In Good Order’ for Saturday’s Sunshine Turf
At 0h03, on January 16, 2025 • By Gulfstream Park
Gary Barber and D J Stable LLC’s Boppy O figures to be well acquainted with his surroundings when the veteran stakes performer makes his 10th career start at Gulfstream Park in Saturday’s $75,000 Sunshine Turf.
The 5-year-old son of Bolt D’Oro debuted at Gulfstream May 20, 2022 with a victory at five-furlongs on dirt, but he would show a distinct preference for turf two starts later when he captured the With Anticipation (G2) at Saratoga. Boppy O, who also collected a second stakes victory in the 2023 Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park, has returned to Gulfstream on several occasions, placing in four stakes on turf.
Although he’s had some close calls, he will be seeking his first win at Gulfstream since his debut victory in the Sunshine Turf, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for older Florida-breds that will co-headline Saturday’s card with the $75,000 Sunshine Sprint, a six-furlong dash for Florida-bred 4-year-olds and up.
‘He’s a hard-knocker. He tries hard,” said Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. “When things set up for him, he’s tough.”
Boppy O turned in a subpar performance in last year’s Sunshine Turf, in which he finished fifth before heading to the sidelines for nine months. Formerly owned by John Oxley and Breeze Easy LLC, he was sold to his current connections and remained in Casse’s stable. Casse addressed ‘a few little issues’ before Boppy O returned to action at Gulfstream with a second-place finish in an optional claiming allowance on turf in October. Boppy O came back to finish second in his two subsequent starts, including the $100,000 St,. Augustine Handicap last time out.
“He’s come back strong,” Casse said. ”He is in good order.”
