Photo:

Gulfstream Park / Lauren King

Rated by Merit started owner Vinnie Viola’s Saturday on a winning note at Gulfstream
Park with a 3 3/4-length victory in the $200,000 Florida Sire Affirmed Stakes. This came less
than two hours before Viola’s Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers were slated
to take the nearby ice for their clash with the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

Bred and
owned by Viola’s St. Elias Stable, Rated by Merit remained undefeated in three
career starts while winning the second leg of the 2024 Florida Thoroughbred
Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida-sire stakes for 2-year-old colts and
geldings produced by accredited Florida stallions. The Michael Yates trainee
entered the Affirmed off a July 13 debut victory by 9 3/4 lengths and a 6 1/4-length
romp Sept. 7 in the $100,000 Dr. Fager, the first leg of the Florida-sire
series.

Click here for Gulfstream Park entries and results.

“I just want to thank Bo (Michael Yates). He’s done a
phenomenal job with the horse,” Viola said. “He’s really balanced, and it looks
like he could be something, so it’s exciting.”

Rated by
Merit (1-5), the favorite in the field of six, broke alertly to grab a lead
that would be quickly challenged by Neoequos (5-1), the second betting choice,
along the backstretch and around the turn. After posting fractions of 22.74 and
45.45 seconds, Rated by Merit was asked by jockey Jesús Rios, and the colt
responded with a strong kick through the stretch to win comfortably.

“The race went as we expected. I thought we would be on the
lead and (Neoequos) would be pressing us,” Rios said. “I am very impressed with
the horse. I trust him a lot. When I asked the horse to run, I know he is going
to respond.”

Rated by Merit ran seven furlongs in 1:22.55, just 0.09 seconds
off Soutache’s 2017 record of 1:22.46. Neoequos held second, 7 1/4 lengths
ahead of Classic of Course.               

“He ran well, just beaten by a superior horse in the group,”
trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said of Neoequos. “We tried, gave it our best. He’s a
much better horse, credit to him. We’re running winning races, but we’re not
winning, because we’re facing a horse that’s better than us.”

Yates admitted to being a little nervous from Neoequos’s
strong outside challenge.

“When I saw (Rios) cue him a little bit on the turn to check
him out, he had horse, and I felt a lot better,” Yates said. “He made him work
hard. He needs to work hard to move forward.”

Rated by Merit will have the opportunity to become the 11th colt
or gelding to sweep the Florida-sire series with a start in the $300,000 In
Reality on Nov. 30.

“I think this is the right path for him to get him enough
time to show us where he wants to wind up,” said Viola, who has resisted
out-of-town options for his homebred.

Rated by
Merit earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form for
his debut victory and a 93 for his Dr. Fager win, ranking among the fastest
2-year-olds in the country.

“We’re tickled to death. He’s very talented,” Yates said.
“He just seems to take everything in stride. Today he had his ears up, pricking
his ears back and forth. He knew it was race day.”

The 1 1/16-mile distance of the In Reality shouldn’t pose a
problem for Rated by Merit, his trainer said.

“I think the In Reality is the next step,” Yates said. “It’s
two turns and we’ll get ready for the winter meet.”