Oscar Eclipse, freshened at Hidden Brook Florida since finishing third behind Slip Mahoney in the 1 3/16th mile Bourbon Trail S. Sept. 23 at Churchill Downs, shortened back up and got back on track Saturday with his first stakes win in the Sir Shackleton S. on the big Florida Derby day card at Gulfstream Park.
Sent off the 5-2 favorite against eight more experienced foes, Oscar Eclipse broke well and stalked pacesetting Legacy Isle’s demanding fractions of :22.37 and :44.85 over a fast main track. Edging closer on the turn under his new pilot Jose Ortiz, the colt took dead aim when shifted four-wide into the stretch. He struck the front nearing the sixteenth pole, responded to Ortiz’s brisk pressure and found enough to hold the steadily closing runner-up Dreaming of Kona safe by a neck.
The improving colt continued the excellent form of his trainer Brian Lynch, who was winning his 23rd race of Gulfstream’s Championship Meet from 93 starts. Oscar Eclipse has been training forwardly for Lynch, including a sharp breeze Mar. 9 in :47 1/5 at Palm Meadows (1/113).
Oscar Eclipse’s winning dam, Prospector’s Moon, was purchased as a 2013 Keeneland September yearling for $350,000 by his owner-breeder Woodslane Farm and is a half to the dam of the speedy MGISW A. P. Indian. She previously produced 2020 GII Demoiselle S. third Malibu Curl and has a 2-year-old full-sister to that one named Crimson Sun, who was sold by Hidden Brook to Green Lantern Stables and Patrick Masson for $700,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. She also has a yearling Quality Road colt named Royal Crescent and a Good Magic filly born Feb. 24.
Oscar Eclipse and all of his siblings were foaled at the famed Hidden Brook Farm in Paris, Kentucky.
