HALLANDALE BEACH - It came down to Sunday’s closing day program, but Saffie Joseph Jr. edged Jose D’Angelo with a three-win day to earn leading trainer honors for the 13th consecutive race meeting at Gulfstream Park.

    Joseph, a 38-year-old native of Barbados, entered Sunday with a one-win lead, 55-54, and clinched the title with 4-5 favorite Drama ($3.80) in Race 3 following a victory with Genuine Gomo ($4.40) in the opener. Dandona, a $1.05 million OBS April purchase, gave Joseph his third winner for the day with a victory in Race 10. Joseph finished with 58 winners and more than $1.9 million in purse earnings during the five-month Royal Palm Meet, which began April 3. D’Angelo added one to his win total in Race 9 with Sigan Viendo ($12.80).

    It was the 14th multi-win day of the meet for Joseph, including three-win days on May 31, June 1 and June 28. His streak began in 2021 with the Royal Palm Meet, which he has now won five straight years. Joseph will attempt to match that feat during the Sunshine Meet, set to open Sept. 5.

    Seven of Joseph’s wins came in stakes, including Lorenz in the Mr. Steele, Luvumorgan in the Game Face, Haulin Ice in the Musical Romance, Implementation in the Smile Sprint and Andrea in the Azalea. He also won the Golden Beach (Mrs. Gambolini) and Mo Green (Claret Beret) overnight handicaps.

    Joseph’s streak also includes four consecutive titles at Gulfstream’s Championship Meet, the country’s premiere winter racing destination. Approaching 1,400 career wins, his top horses include Grade 1 winners White Abarrio, Be Your Best, Drain the Clock, Math Wizard and champion female sprinter Soul of an Angel as well as multi-millionaire Skippylongstocking.

    Twenty-seven of Joseph’s wins came with jockey Edgard Zayas, who had long since clinched the riding title and finished with 93 wins and nearly $3.1 million in purse earnings. Zayas rode three winners Saturday at Saratoga and was aboard White Abarrio in Sunday’s $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup.

    Ken Ramsey finished as leading owner at the Royal Palm Meet with 13 wins, two more than Jose Castro’s JC Racing Stable and Dennis Amaty’s Amaty Racing Stables. Castro won his first career stakes with Lightning Tones in Saturday’s $70,000 Black Diamond Cat overnight handicap.

Sunshine Meet opens with a nine-race program Friday, Sept. 5. Post time is 12:50 p.m.

    The 36-day Sunshine Meet stakes schedule will be kicked off Saturday by the first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida stallions. The $100,000 Dr. Fager and the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies will co-headline Saturday’s 11-race program.

    The $200,000, Gr. III Princess Rooney, a ‘Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In’ stakes that awards the winner a fees-paid berth in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint on Nov.1 at Del Mar, will be renewed Sept. 20. Last year’s winner of the seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares was won by Joseph-trained Soul of an Angel, who went on to capture the Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar.

    Note: Robert Contran’s Rezasrolex ($3.80) captured his fifth straight race Sunday, the 4-year-old son of Bucchero winning Race 6, a five-furlong starter allowance on Tapeta. The Joe Orseno trained gelding’s winning streak has spanned 14 months, starting with a 2 ¾-length victory at five furlongs on Tapeta last June 21. The son of Bucchero went on to win back-to-back starter allowances before heading to the sidelines in August. Rezasrolex made a victorious return in a 5 ½-furlong starter on May 29. He came off a two-month hiatus Sunday to win by 2 ½ lengths in :55.92 seconds under Edwin Gonzalez. comments powered by Disqus