HALLANDALE BEACH - Gulfstream Park’s fall Sunshine Meet will lower the curtain this weekend with Edgard Zayas looking to reclaim his spot atop the jockey standings and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. chasing a remarkable 14th consecutive track title.

    Closing weekend kicks off today with a nine-race program starting at 12:20 p.m. Eleven races are on tap for Saturday, including the $75,000 Juvenile Sprint for 2-year-olds on the main track and the $70,000 Chasie Artie overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up on Tapeta, with 11 more on Sunday.

    Joseph holds a 30-26 lead over Jose D’Angelo in the race for leading trainer with entries in 12 races over the weekend to D’Angelo’s 13. Joseph, a 38-year-old native of Barbados, has won 13 straight meet titles at Gulfstream including last four Championship Meets, the country’s premier winter racing destination that gets under way Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27.

    Zayas tops the rider standings with 40 wins, closely chased by Miguel Vasquez (38) and Emisael Jaramillo (34). Zayas is named in 26 races on the weekend including the entire Saturday program, while Vasquez is named in 22 and Jaramillo in 20.

    A finalist for the 2013 Eclipse Award as champion apprentice, Zayas, 32, has been a year-round force in South Florida since his arrival from Puerto Rico. He owns nine riding titles at Gulfstream including the Sunshine Meet in 2021 and 2023 as well as the 2024 and 2025 Royal Palm Meet.

    Joseph has both Strategic Reserve and Hammond entered in the Juvenile Sprint, with Zayas named on the latter. Vasquez is set to ride Thunder Chuck for trainer Jorge Delgado with Jaramillo on Camigol for Antonio Sano.

    Neither leading trainer entered a horse in the Chasie Artie. Zayas will ride And Uwish for trainer Joe Orseno, Vasquez is named on Full Disclosure for Mohamed Jehaludi, and Jaramillo has the call on Roar Ready for Victor Barboza Jr.

    Jockey Rajiv Maragh enters closing weekend with 1,997 career victories. He is named in three races Saturday and five races Sunday.

    Jose Castro’s JC Racing Stable leads the Sunshine Meet owner standings with eight wins, two more than Michael Yates’ Shadybrook Farm. Castro has entries in four races over the weekend, while Yates has none. Bruno Schickedanz, Arindel, D. J. Stable and In Front Racing Stables have four wins apiece.

Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $150,000

    The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is estimated at $150,000 when the Sunshine Meet resumes today with a nine-race program to kick off closing weekend. First race post time is 12:20 p.m.

    The multi-race wager has gone unsolved for six racing days following multiple mandatory payouts of $7,316 on Nov. 2.

 

      

 

          

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