Trainer Ralph Nicks has had a strong year-round presence in South Florida since opting to make Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach his base upon the addition of a Spring/Summer meeting in 2015.
The 55-year-old native of Avery, Texas, is enjoying a particularly successful 2021-'22 Championship Meet with a 31 percent strike rate. The former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott saddled Whisper Hill Farm LLC's Gun for Success for a victory in Race 1 on Friday's program, giving him 15 winners from 49 starters.
“That is the way it goes in horse racing. Lifetime, most guys were 16 to 18 percent from where I came from and doing really well. Now, it's a little better percentage wise because they're more selective,” Nicks said. “It's been a meet where I've had the right horses for the right levels.”
Nicks, who saddled Whisper Hill Farm LLC's Dance d'Oro for a victory in the Rampart early in the Championship Meet, intends to continue supporting the year-round program at Gulfstream.
“It's been good for me. You can make a pretty good living and have a life,” Nicks said. “It's been good. Who knows what the future has, but for now it's been good and I'm happy.”
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