Follow Us on Social Media:
Follow Us on Social Media:

Surface change doesn’t stop Kroy in Bear’s Den

Kroy’s owners, Richard and Karen Papiese of Midwest Thoroughbreds receive the Bear’s Den Stakes winning trophy from FHBPA’s Glen Berman alongside trainer Armando De la cerda and jockey Emisael Jaramillo. Jockey Michael Straight also joined the winner’s circle celebration.

By Glen Berman
Switching from the scheduled 7 ½ furlongs on the turf to 7 furlongs on a dirt track listed as good couldn’t stop odds-on favorite Kroy from cruising to victory in The Bear’s Den Stakes at Gulfstream on Sunday. The $100,000 Bear’s Den for Florida-bred three-year-olds was the 10th of a 10-race Spring/Summer Stakes Series presented by the FHBPA and Gulfstream Park which consisted of six Florida-bred races and four Florida-bred enhanced purse races.
Kroy reeled off his third straight victory this year under jockey Emisael Jaramillo and now has four wins in eight starts, all this year and all at Gulfstream Park. The gelded son of The Factor out of the Atticus mare Pieria was purchased by his owners Midwest Thoroughbreds, Inc. at the August 2015 Fasig Tipton Saratoga yearling sale for $185,000. Following up on his August 19 win in the $75,000 Tortugas Stakes, Kroy has earned $158,355 so far this year.
Kroy led wire to wire with Roger Laurin’s Zipping chasing him the whole way. The Laurin Stable, Inc. home-bred gelding Zipping was much the best of the rest of the field and upped his bankroll to $101,540 from eleven starts this year and last, all at Gulfstream Park.