HALLANDALE BEACH - Well on his way to a Sunshine Meet title, jockey Leonel Reyes got his weekend off to a fast start Friday at Gulfstream Park, riding six winners on a nine-race program, including the winners of the first three races.

     The 40-year-old Venezuela native, who has been a mainstay in the Gulfstream jockey’s room since 2016, visited the winner’s circle aboard Pardo ($2.80) in Race 1, Camm’s Girl ($22.20) in Race 2, Amande ($4) in Race 3, With Kindness ($7.80) in Race 6, Uncle Dar ($12.60) in Race 8 and Dream Dancer ($3) in Race 9.

    “I’m so happy and grateful, because last year I had the injury (fractured ankle) but now I am 100 percent,” said Reyes, who had ridden five winners in a row on the Sept. 13 Gulfstream program. “I’m just so happy. When I looked at the program today, I thought I had a good chance to win some races but six is a lot. Thank God it worked out.”

    The record for most wins on a single Gulfstream Card stands at 7, shared by Jerry Bailey, Tyler Gaffalione, Luis Saez (twice), Paco Lopez and Irad Ortiz Jr.

    Reyes, who has ridden nearly 1100 winners in North America, started the day with an eight-win lead over Royal Palm Meet titlist Diego Herrera in the jockey standings for the Sunshine Meet that runs through Nov. 22.

    Pardo, Amande, Uncle Dar and Dream Dancer are trained by Jose D’Angelo, who is locked in a fierce battle for the Sunshine Meet training title with Saffie Joseph Jr.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $175,000

    The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $175,000 today: the multi-race wager went unsolved Friday for the 10th day in a row. The carryover is $117,085.96.
The  sequence will span Races 6-11, featuring the $60,000 Time Passage, a mile overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up on Tapeta, in Race 8, and the $60,000 Carotari, a 5 1/2-furlong overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up on the all-weather surface, in Race 10.

    A mandatory payout of the jackpot pool is scheduled for Sunday. Should the Rainbow 6 go unsolved today, the pool is expected to grow to an estimated $1.250 million.

NOTES

    Wild Night ($10.40) scored a highly promising debut victory for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in Friday’s Race 7, a six-furlong maiden special weight for fillies and mares. The 3-year-old Liam’s Map filly broke alertly from her rail post position on her way to an impressive 3 1/4-length front-running victory over stablemate Just a Girl, the 3-5 favorite who was making her first start since finishing second at Saratoga in her Sept. 7 debut. Wild Night was the second win on the card for jockey Miguel Vasquez, who scored aboard Coristine ($9).

     Owner Mariam Vargas notched her first win as a trainer Friday, saddling Camm’s Girl ($22.20 for a victory in Race 2, a six-furlong maiden claiming sprint for fillies and mares. “It feels very good,” said Vargas, a 27-year-old native of Venezuela. “I was so nervous.”

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