Girvin colt Seminole Chief, under Paco Lopez, wins the In Reality
Trainer Jack Sisterson was in no rush to decide what’s next for Brad Grady and David Grund’s Seminole Chief the day after the juvenile son of Girvin pulled off a 12-1 upset in Saturday’s $300,000 In Reality at Gulfstream Park.
“I’d like to talk to the owners and figure it out. He’s still a young horse,” Sisterson said. “He handled the two turns. I would have liked to have seen him switch leads. But he moved forward again,” Sisterson said. “Possibly the Holy Bull.”
The $250,000 Holy Bull (G3), an important prep for the $1-million Curlin Florida Derby (G1), will be contested at the 1 1/16-mile distance of the In Reality at Gulfstream Feb. 3.
Seminole Chief was making only his third career start Saturday, following an eight-length debut score at Finger Lakes and a troubled sixth in the seven-furlong Affirmed, the second leg of the FSS series.
Sisterson was pleased with how Seminole Chief exited his half-length triumph in the final leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series, in which Bentornato finished a length back in third in his bid to sweep the series for juveniles sired by accredited Florida stallions.
“He’s doing great. I kept him out in the round pen for a few hours this morning. He’s happy,” said Sisterson, whose stable is based at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training center in Palm Beach County.
