Fl Rizzo, under jockey Gonzalo Gutierrez, raced to his third conseuctive win in Friday's $15,000 Walter Merrick Stakes at Fair Meadows in Tulsa.

© Jack Coady Photography

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

TULSA, OK—JULY 18, 2025—Fl Rizzo lived up to his billing as the race favorite with a commanding performance to win the $17,500 Walter Merrick Stakes for the second consecutive year at Fair Meadows on Friday evening.

The 5-year-old brown gelding surged from just off the pace with a rail bid in the stretch to cover the 870 yards in 45.700 seconds over a fast track, earning a 97 speed index despite running into a 12-mile-per-hour headwind.

Bred in Washington by Lindley or Julia Myers, Fl Rizzo is by champion and multiple stake sire Kvn Corona and out of Fly Reba Fly, a daughter of Fly Jess Fly.

The winning connections of Fl Rizzo accept the Walter Merrick Stakes trophy at Fair Meadows.
© Jack Coady Photography

The winner is owned by his breeders, Lindley and Julia Myers, trained by Matt Whitekiller, and was ridden to victory by Gonzalo Gutierrez. The win was worth $8,892 to the connections and marked another stakes triumph for the consistent gelding.

He has a three-race win streak going, starting with the Grade 1 Remington Park Distance Championship on May 31. Fl Rizzo has banked $104,873 in 14 career starts.

Multiple graded-placed Invincible Streak, a 5-year-old Kansas-bred by Painted Dash out of the Ten Streaks mare Streaking Senorita, turned in a game effort to finish second, three and one-quarter lengths behind the winner.

Owned by Paula Marchant, trained by Stacey Capps, and ridden by Roman Cruz, Invincible Streak earned $2,964 for the runner-up finish. He was forwardly placed throughout while racing four wide and held his ground gamely. He has earned $90,664 in 28 starts.

Nine-year-old Eye Am Tuff completed the trifecta with a strong showing on the inside. The restricted Grade 3 winning Texas-bred gelding by Carters Cartel out of Loves Easter Bunny, a Royal Shake Em mare, set the pace early before being outkicked late.

Bred by Sue Fikes, he is owned by Aron Orrantia, trained by Jose Gamez, and was piloted by Bryan Candanosa. Eye Am Tuff banked $1,905 for finishing third and was a $14,000 RNA from the 2017 TQHAY Sale and went on to win the TQHA Sires' Cp Futurity(RG3) the following year. He has earned $138,940.

Fl Rizzo paid $3.20 to win, $3.20 to place, and $2.10 to show. Invincible Streak returned $3.40 to place and $2.40 to show, while Eye Am Tuff paid $3.20 to show.

Rounding out the field were We Call Him Joneson in fourth, Ima Galligar fifth, Gk Imprimatur sixth, and Fun Nfancy Dancer seventh.

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