Steeze returned to winning form with a determined performance at Gulfstream Park on Sunday, digging deep late to secure a hard-fought victory in his first try around two turns.

The 4-year-old son of Vekoma entered the 1 1/16-mile allowance race as the 3-2 favorite following a neck second in an allowance race on Jan. 17. Pressing the pace three wide under a good hold by jockey Edgard Zayas through modest early fractions, Steeze made his move approaching the five-sixteenths pole and ranged up to challenge for the lead nearing the quarter pole.

Turning for home, the Riley Mott trainee dueled down the stretch in a prolonged battle. Steeze showed his grit in the final strides, prevailing by a head in a game effort.

The victory caps a strong week for the farm.

Four days earlier, Marshal broke his maiden in a maiden claiming race at Turfway Park on Feb. 11. Ridden by Vincent Cheminaud and also trained by Riley Mott , Marshal’s win marked his first career victory and set the tone for a successful week.

On Feb. 14 at Gulfstream Park, Executive closed from the back of the pack to finish an encouraging second in his return to the races. Away a bit slowly at the start, he finished gamely and willingly in his first race in 10 months. The winner stopped the clock for the mile in a swift 1:34 flat, underscoring the quality of the effort. Executive is trained by Bill Mott and was ridden by Joe Bravo.