HALLANDALE BEACH - Harold Queen’s Noble Drama made a triumphant return from a four-month layoff, closing from last to eke out a victory in Saturday’s $60,000 The Name’s Jimmy Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

    Out of Queen Drama, a half-sister to 2010 Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Big Drama and full sister to multiple Gr. 1 winner Sheer Drama, Noble Drama showed his class while rallying off a pedestrian early pace to prevail by a nose over Glory of Florida in the one-mile overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up.

    “He gives you 150 percent every time,” said trainer David Fawkes, who also conditioned Big Drama and Sheer Drama, both Queen home-breds.

    Unraced since finishing second in the Jan. 16 Sunshine Classic, the home-bred 6-year-old gelding dropped back to trail the six-horse field while Pro Quality showed the way during a first quarter in :24.59 and a half-mile in :47.85. Emisael Jaramillo asked Noble Drama for run leaving the backstretch and the son of Gone Astray responded with a four-wide rally to enter contention at the top of the stretch. The Florida-bred veteran kicked in through the stretch and narrowly prevailed over the rail-rallying Glory of Florida.

    “Emisael said it took him a little time to get him moving, but where he was sitting going into the turn, I was comfortable, although he did have to go four wide,” Fawkes said. “I wasn’t so comfortable right there [at the finish line].”

    Noble Drama was the 6-5 favorite and carried highweight of 122 pounds. He raced the mile in 1:36.39 to claim his sixth stakes victory and the $36,000 winner's check boosted his career bankroll to $669,687. “Look at the weight he’s gained. We gave him three months off, brought him in and breezed him four times, and he won,” Fawkes said. “He’s such a neat horse.”

    Glory of Florida, who was ridden by Samy Camacho, finished a neck in front of pacesetter Pro Quality with Miguel Vasquez.

CARIBOU CLUB RETURNS A WINNER 

    Glen Hill Farm’s Caribou Club, coming off a one-year layoff, drove to the lead down the stretch to win the $60,000 Sunny Isles over Harry’s Ontheloose. Tiger Blood was third. Winner of the Gr. III Baltimore-Washington International Turf in 2019, Caribou Club, a 7-year-old gelding trained by Tom Proctor and ridden by Edwin Gonzalez, covered a firm five-furlong turf course in :55.01. The son of City Zip raced only three times in 2020, and has now won 10 of 26 starts on the turf.

RAINBOW 6 JACKPOT POOL GUARANTEED AT $350,000

   The jackpot pool in today’s Rainbow 6 will be guaranteed at $350,000. The sequence will begin with the sixth race, a 7 ½-furlong turf race for maiden claimers, 3-year-olds and up. The sequence will also include the return of 2019 Florida Sire Stakes champion Chance It. There will be four turf races in the Rainbow 6.

NOTES- Saturday’s 10th race, a $48,0000 allowance optional claimer, was won by Arindel’s home-bred Sonar. The 4-year-old daughter of Brethren went off at 9-1 and drew off to a two-length victory while covering seven furlongs in 1:23.30. Graded stakes-winner Tonalist’s Shape, making her first start in seven months, broke last and was never a factor finishing fifth. Saguaro Row, fifth in the Gr. II Ruffian last out, tired after setting the pace and checked in seventh  . . . The $75,000 Musical Romance, to be run next Saturday at 6 ½ furlongs, has drawn a field of 10 fillies and mares. The race has a $25,000 Florida Sire Stakes win bonus. The field includes Hurricane Bertie runner-up Sound Machine and A Bit of Both, winner of the Captiva Island. comments powered by Disqus