Saturday, December 7, 2024
Wins 2-miler right on the wire . . .
    HALLANDALE BEACH - John Rowe’s Lord Eddard Stark caught Utah Beach at the finish line to pull off a 60-1 upset victory in the $115,000 H. Allen Jerkens Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

    It took all two miles of the turf handicap for 3-year-olds and up for Lord Eddard Stark to edge the 4-5 favorite, but the 6-year-old gelding earned his way into the winner’s circle under a patient ride by Leonel Reyes.

    “We’ve been talking about trying to run him a mile and a half or two miles for a while now and we just didn’t have the opportunity,” trainer Joe Orseno said. “When this came up, I said, ‘We’re going to run him in this two-mile race. You might think I’m crazy, but we have to take a shot.’  Until you try it, you never know.”

    Lord Eddard Stark settled comfortable in a pack of horse that allowed Prevent to set a lonesome lead while setting a half-mile fractions of 48.70 (seconds) on his way to a mile clocking of 1:40.55. Prevent continued to show the way in the second circuit of the Gulfstream turf before shortening stride on the far turn. Utah Beach engaged the tiring pacesetter on the turn into the homestretch and appeared on his way to a popular victory in the stretch when Lord Eddard Stark launched a late rally to his outside to prevail by a head.

    “I wasn’t so concerned with the horse in front. I was pretty happy with the trip we were getting because he was just sitting on the inside covered up like I wanted him, and then he swung him around when he had to,” said Orseno, who saddled Tell Me Some Lies for a 68-1 upset score last Saturday at Gulfstream. “I was happy he got a galloping trip, because in the morning that’s what the horse does all the time. He just gallops them into the ground. The riders always tell me the horse never gets tired. I couldn’t wait to run him this far.”

    Lord Eddard Stark raced two miles over a firm course in 3:20.28 to score his fifth victory in 28 starts. Utah Beach finished 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Six Minus.

    Utah Beach assumed the role of high-weight (122 pounds) following the Saturday morning scratch of The Grey Wizard, the 2-1 morning-line choice and 126-pound high-weight. The Ignacio Correas IV-trained favorite, who had finished third in the 1 ¼-mile Sycamore at Keeneland in his prior start, conceded five pounds to Lord Eddard Stark.
Friday, December 6, 2024
Also, meet Edgar Prado . . .
    HALLANDALE BEACH - Breakfast at Gulfstream, the popular Saturday feature that allows fans to watch horses train and meet racing personalities, returns Saturday with special guest Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado.

    For $15, fans can enjoy a casual breakfast buffet in the Breezeway while watching horses train and take a tram tour (first come, first served) of the backstretch. Breakfast at Gulfstream runs from 7:30-9:30 a.m.

    Prado, a native of Peru inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2008, began his career in Florida before settling in Maryland. He was the nation’s leading rider in wins from 1997-99 and became only the fourth jockey ever to win as many as 500 races in one year. He was Gulfstream’s Championship Meet leading jockey in 2002 and 2005.

    Prado’s achievements include a victory in the Kentucky Derby aboard Barbaro, two wins in the Belmont Stakes and five Breeders’ Cup wins. He is also the author of ‘My Guy Barbaro,” a memoir of his relationship with the 2006 Kentucky Derby and Florida Derby winner.
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Raises funds for PDJF . . .
    HALLANDALE BEACH - Angel Cordero, Jerry Bailey, Steve Cauthen, Julie Krone, Edgar Prado, Pat Day, Laffit Pincay, Ramon Dominguez, Jean Cruguet and Chris McCarron are just a few of the names confirmed to attend the 10th annual Jockeys and Jeans event at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, Jan. 11.

    The annual fundraiser, which will include a luncheon and other events at Gulfstream, has raised more than $3 million for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF).


    Other riders confirmed to attend the event include Jose Santos, Jorge Velasquez, Earlie Fires, Alex Solis, Bill Boland, Mike Manganello and current riders John Velazquez, Javier Castellano and Joel Rosario.

    The event, to be held in the Flamingo Room overlooking Gulfstream, includes lunch, a meet and greet with all guests, autographs, photos, live and silent auctions, and a free collectible giveaway.

    Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at https://pdjf.org/purchase-tickets. For more information on Jockeys and Jeans go to: https://www.jockeysandjeans.com/

    For more information on PDJF go to: https://pdjf.org/
Monday, December 2, 2024
My Denysse is no longer a maiden . . .
    HALLANDALE BEACH - Just For Fun Stable’s My Denysse, bred, owned and trained by Ruben Sierra, broke her maiden in spectacular fashion Saturday by rallying past favored Stunner in deep stretch to spring a 25-1 upset in the $300,000 My Dear Girl at Gulfstream Park.

    The 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl, third and final leg of the Florida Sire Stakes Series for 2-year-old fillies by accredited Florida stallions, served as a co-headliner with the $300,000 In Reality for 2-year-olds.

    My Denysse ($72.80) had made four previous starts, the last three under jockey Jesus Rios, who gave the daughter of Neolithic a patient trip before unleashing a rally at the top of the stretch to snap stakes winner Stunner’s two-race win streak.


    “My expectation, I’ve got to be honest, was I hope I run second. Stunner looked like a very difficult task. I was hopeful that the extra half a furlong was going to help us,” Sierra said. “I’ve got to give all the credit to Rios. When he rode her the first time he said, ‘This is the filly I want to ride.’”

    Stunner, winner of the one-mile Tempted Nov. 2 at Aqueduct, broke running from her rail post under jockey Edgard Zayas and was in front through a quarter-mile in :23.32 and a half in :47.49 pressed by R Morning Brew, winner of the Sept. 7 Desert Vixen to open the series. Last out maiden winner Fede raced in third with Oct. 19 Susan’s Girl winner Win N Your In saving ground in fourth.


    Zayas and Stunner made the turn for home with a comfortable lead but Rios and My Denysse were just gearing up from well off the pace as six furlongs went in 1:13.21 with Win N Your In passing R Morning Brew for second.


    “All I told Rios was, ‘Good luck,’” Sierra said. “He’s been telling me all along he was very confident going into the race. I was surprised that he was that confident, but I guess he knew what he had. He executed the plan to perfection. I can only give him a lot of credit.”

    Brad Cox-trained Stunner, sent off at 1-5 in a field of seven, clung to a shrinking lead past the eighth pole but My Denysse was coming with a flourish and surged past in the final sixteenth of a mile to win by a neck in 1:49.30 over a fast main track. Stunner was followed by Fede, R Morning Brew, Bee a Queen, Win N Your In and Kip the Distance.

    “The horse was a maiden before race but I suspected he’d run a good race because a long time ago I said to the trainer, ‘This filly, with more distance at 1 1/16 miles she will be running very well and maybe she will run this race,’ and she won,’” Rios said through an interpreter. “I felt the pace was fast at the beginning, so I decided to be at the back of the pack. She allowed them to sprint and down the stretch she was coming very strong.”

    Stunner had made each of her first three starts against open company in New York, winning her last two in front-running fashion by 9 ¾ combined lengths.

    “The track seemed a little bit heavy and getting that pressure probably bothered her in the end,” Zayas said.

    My Denysse has raced exclusively at her home track of Gulfstream, finishing fourth in her debut on June 23 under Leonel Reyes. Third in her next two starts sprinting six furlongs including as the favorite on Aug. 9 behind R Morning Brew, she got some time off before coming back in a one-mile maiden special weight on Oct. 20, finishing second by a neck.

    “What we did was try to curtail her career for this target. [When] she ran the mile, she had a little bit of trouble. She actually lost a shoe in that race. We were very excited about this opportunity, until we saw Mr. Cox enter Stunner,” Sierra said. “She’s shown us that she wants distance. That’s why we targeted this race."
Monday, December 2, 2024
Battalion Runner colt scores at 1-5 in In Reality . . .

    HALLANDALE BEACH - St. Elias Stable’s Rated by Merit completed a sweep of the 2024 Florida Sire Stakes series Saturday at Gulfstream Park, putting forth the dominating performance that was expected of him by those who sent him to post as the 1-5 favorite in the $300,000 In Reality.

    “It’s been such an amazing trip with this horse,” said Monique Delk, executive director of racehorse development for Vinnie and Teresa Viola’s St. Elias Stable. “Mr. and Mrs. Viola let him have the time to develop on his own and he dances every dance. I couldn’t be more proud.”

    Rated by Merit exited the 1 1/16-mile final leg of the series for 2-year-old colts and geldings undefeated in four career start, providing jockey Jesus Rios with a sweep of the Florida Sire Stakes co-features on Saturday’s program. Earlier in the day, Rios guided Just For Fun Stable's My Denysse ($72.80) for an upset victory in the $300,000 My Dear Girl, the 1 1/16-mile final for fillies.

    Making his first start around two turns, Rated by Merit broke alertly from his rail post position to quickly assume pacesetting duties heading into the first turn. The homebred son of Battalion Runner set comfortable fractions of :24.13 and :48.92 for the first half mile under a motionless Rios. As early stalkers Latch the Hatch and Roar of the Beast weakened, Classic of Course made a sweeping move on the turn to loom as the only danger, but Rated by Merit had yet to be asked. When Rios finally got to riding the Michael Yates-trained favorite, the Florida-bred colt responded, drawing away for a six-length victory.

    “At the beginning of the race I decided to put the horse in the best position possible. When I took the lead at the beginning I was expecting some pressure, but I didn’t get any. For that reason, I was very relaxed with the horse and in the final stretch he got wide a little bit but the horse was very strong in the last part of the race,” Rios said. “He is a very special horse. I feel very blessed to win this race and win the Triple Crown of the Florida Sire Stakes.”

    Rated by Merit became the 11th colt or gelding to sweep the series since its inception in 1982. He covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.71. Classic of Course finished second, nine lengths ahead of Just Relax. “It’s a hard thing to do. Only a handful of horses have done it. I feel quite honored to be honest with you to have a horse to do it with,” Yates said.

    Heading into the In Reality, Rated by Merit held the distinction of being the fastest 2-year-old in North America based on speed figures. He earned a 99 Beyer while winning the $200,000 Affirmed, the seven-furlong second leg of the series on Oct. 19, by 3 ¾ lengths. 

    Rated by Merit debuted on July 13 with a 9 ¾-length victory that earned a 92 Beyer that was the highest produced by all 2-year-olds at the time. He came right back in the Sept. 7 Dr. Fager, earning a 93 Beyer  for his 6 ¼-length romp in the six-furlong first leg of the series.

    “We’ll freshen him and then map up a plan for the winter meet here,” Yates said.