Noble Drama, Caribou Club Make Victorious Returns At Gulfstream

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 in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Out of a half-sister to 2010 Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Big Drama and full sister to multiple Grade 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 mile overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up.

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

Unraced since finishing second in the Jan. 16 Sunshine Classic at Gulfstream, the homebred 6-year-old gelding dropped back to trail the six-horse field as Pro Quality showed the way during a first quarter of a mile in 24.59 seconds on his way to half-mile in 47.85. Emisael Jaramillo asked Noble Drama for some 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 to narrowly prevail over a 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, the 6-5 favorite who carried highweight of 122 pounds, ran a mile in 1:36.39 to claim his sixth career stakes victory and boost is career bankroll over $700,000.

“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 and jockey Miguel Vasquez.

Caribou Club Returns a Winner in Sunny Isles
Glen Hill Farm's Caribou Club, coming off a year layoff, drove to the lead down the stretch to win Saturday's $60,000 Sunny Isles over Harry's Ontheloose. Tiger Blood was third.

Winner of the 2019 Baltimore-Washington International Turf (G3) in 2019, Caribou Club, a 7-year-old gelding by City Zip trained by Thomas Proctor and ridden by Edwin Gonzalez, covered a firm five-furlong turf course in :55.01.

Caribou Club, who raced only three times in 2020, has now won 10 of 26 starts on the turf.

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Edwin Gonzalez Bags Five Winners Thursday At Gulfstream Park

Edwin Gonzalez continued to make his presence felt in the South Florida jockey colony, riding the winners of five races Thursday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The native of Puerto Rico, who won at a better-than-30-percent clip the previous two years at Penn National, has ridden 33 winners at the Spring/Summer Meet since moving his tack to South Florida.

Gonzalez won aboard Laurel Canyon in Thursday's second race, K's Running Free in the third, Karen's Cove in the fourth, Vow Me Now in the fifth and Panarea in the eighth and final race on the program.

A multiple group stakes winner in his native Puerto Rico, where he won 443 races before coming to the U.S. in 2013, Gonzalez is closing in on 1,500 career wins. He ranked 14th overall in North American wins in 2020 with 177 and 11th in 2019 with 236.

“We've been north here the last two years and it's been good,” Gonzalez said at the start of the meet in explaining his decision to ride at Gulfstream. “But we only race two days a week and I'd like to ride at a better track with some better horses. I'm looking forward to riding here during the summer. I'll keep working hard to win some races.”

He is represented by agent Kevin Meyocks.

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Zayas To Have New Competition When Gulfstream Spring/Summer Meet Opens Thursday

The Spring/Summer Meet at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., will kick off Thursday with an eight-race program. First-race post time is set for 1 p.m. ET during the meet that will run through Sept. 30.

The Spring/Summer Meet stakes schedule will be worth $3.5 million with $500,000 in incentives offered by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association for Florida-bred and Florida-sired horses.

The $350,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2) and the $200,000 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) will be contested on the July 3 Summit of Speed card, highlighting a program of 34 stakes.

The seven-furlong Princess Rooney is a designated Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' race with the winner earning a spot in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Mar.

The tradition-rich FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series will offer a total of $1.3 million in purses for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida stallions. The popular series will kick off with the $100,000 Dr. Fager and the $100,000 Desert Vixen July 31, followed by the $200,000 Affirmed and $200,000 Susan's Girl Aug. 28 and the $350,000 In Reality and $350,000 My Dear Girl Sept. 25.

On Thursday's opening day program, Stonehedge LLC's Seazan, who finished third in both the Affirmed and In Reality last year, is the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the Race 2 feature, a $47,000 optional claiming allowance for Florida-bred 3-year-olds at a mile. The Ralph Nicks trainee, who finished off the board while trying turf for the first time last time out, was beaten by just a half length while finishing second in an open optional claiming allowance at a mile in his previous start.

Jockey Edgard Zayas, the defending Spring/Summer Meet titlist, has seven mounts Thursday while coming off a career-best Championship Meet.

Gonzalez Gets Acquainted with Gulfstream Winner's Circle
Journeyman Edwin Gonzalez rode three winners on Sunday's program at Gulfstream Park while preparing to ride during the Spring/Summer Meet for the first time.

The Puerto Rico-born jockey, who had been winning at over a 30-percent clip the past few years while dominating at Penn National, scored aboard Ian Wilkes-trained Keitany ($5.40) in Race 1 with a ground-saving journey in the 1 1/16-mile maiden claiming race on turf. He came back to score aboard Keep Quiet ($) for trainer Saffie Joseph in Race 7, a $16,000 claiming race at one mile on turf, and Race 10 aboard Phat Man ($11.20).

“I'm looking forward to riding here during the summer. I'll keep working hard to win some races,” Gonzalez said. “I love Florida.”

On Saturday, his first day of riding at Gulfstream, Gonzalez came within a half-length of winning Saturday's Sir Shackleton aboard Frosted Grace, who held gamely to finish second behind multiple Grade 1 winner Basin.

Gonzalez, who rode 443 winners in Puerto Rico, scored his 1000th win in the U.S. March 10 at Penn National.

Agent Kevin Meyocks will book mounts for Gonzalez, who has been named on four horses Thursday.

Other new faces in the jockey colony for the Spring/Summer meet include Chantal Sutherland and Jose Morelos, who will both see action Thursday.

Sutherland, a multiple graded stakes-winning jockey with more than 1000 career wins, has returned to Gulfstream Park after a long absence.  Agent John Salamone has booked two mounts for Sutherland on the opening day card.

Jose Morelos, a 20-year-old jockey from Panama, is scheduled to ride for the first time in the U.S. at Gulfstream Thursday. The 2016 graduate of the Laffit Pincay Jr. riding school has been booked on three mounts by agent Jay Rushing.

Championship Meet Titlists Honored Sunday
The leading trainer, jockey and owner for the 2020-2021 Championship Meet were honored on Sunday's closing-day program at Gulfstream Park.

Todd Pletcher, who won his record 17th title with 58 wins, was honored in the winner's circle following Race 8. Irad Ortiz, who won his third straight title with a record 140 wins, was honored following Race 9. Paradise Farms and David Staudacher, who had 13 winners, were recognized following the Race 7.

Thursday's Rainbow 6 Guaranteed Jackpot $250,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $250,000 for Thursday's Spring/Summer Meet opening-day card at Gulfstream Park.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Sunday following Saturday's mandatory payout. Multiple tickets with six winners were each worth $24,008.72 Sunday.

The jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Thursday's Rainbow 6 will Span Races 3-8.

WHO'S HOT: Tyler Gaffalione, who finished third in the Championship Meet jockey standings, ended the meet with four wins. He won Race 3 aboard Don't Call Me Mary ($4), Race 8 on Girolamo's Attack ($6.80), Race 9 on My Sea Cottage ($7) and Race 12 aboard Young Flint ($9).

Saffie Joseph Jr., who finished second behind Todd Pletcher in the Championship Meet's standings, saddled back-to-back winners in Race 7 and Race 8, scoring with Keep Quiet ($16.20) and Girolamo's Attack ($6.80), respectively.

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Gulfstream Park: Irad Ortiz Jr. Poised To Break Meet Record; Newly Arrived Edwin Gonzalez Rides On Saturday

Leading rider Irad Ortiz Jt. rode four winners on Thursday's program at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., moving to within two victories of the Championship Meet record.

Ortiz, the defending two-time Championship Meet titlist, won back-to-back aboard Ghostly Beauty ($3.60) in Race 4 and Trappezoid ($8.80) in Race 5 before scoring aboard Star Weaver ($4.40) in Race 7 and Foxxy Belle ($5.80) in Race 9.

With three days remaining in the 2020-2021 Championship Meet, Ortiz has a total of 135, two fewer than Luis Saez's record of 137, set in 2017-2018.

Ortiz has seven mounts Friday and is named to ride in 13 of 14 races Saturday, when he is scheduled to ride Todd Pletcher-trained Known Agenda in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa.

Ortiz, the defending three-time Eclipse Award champion, is also scheduled to ride in all 12 races on Sunday's program.

Gonzalez Named on 4 Horses Saturday on First Day at Gulfstream
Journeyman Edwin Gonzalez, Penn National's leading rider the last two years while winning at over a 30 percent clip, will begin his Gulfstream Park residency with four mounts on Saturday's blockbuster 14-race Curlin Florida Derby Day program.

Gonzalez has mounts in two of Saturday's 10 stakes – Frosted Grace in the $100,000 Sir Shackleton in Race 5 and Dizzy in the $100,000 Orchid (G3) in Race 13. He is also scheduled in a pair of maiden special weight events aboard 3-year-old colt Core in Race 1 and 3-year-old filly My Desdemona in Race 7. Gonzalez is named in seven of 12 races Sunday at Gulfstream, closing day of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet.

Gulfstream's 105-day spring-summer meet is scheduled to open Thursday, April 1 and run through Thursday, Sept. 30.

A multiple group stakes winner in his native Puerto Rico, where he won 443 races before coming to the U.S. in 2013, Gonzalez owns 1,445 career victories. He ranked 14th overall in North American wins in 2020 (177) and 11th in 2019 (236).

Gonzalez was second in wins during the 2017 Tampa Bay Downs meet and won six races there on March 10 of that year. He will be represented by Kevin Meyocks, who also serves as agent for Luca Panici.

Winner of the 2017 Arlington Handicap (G3) with Ghost Hunter, Gonzalez last rode March 17 at Penn National, winning two races to push his meet-leading total to 36. He also won six races Feb. 17 and five races March 4.

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