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Edgard Zayas’ Nine Wins Earn Jockey Of The Week Title

Edgard Zayas put an exclamation point on Gulfstream Park's Inaugural Fall Meet with another leading rider title earning him Jockey of the Week for Nov. 15 through Nov. 21. The honor, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

Zayas began the week extending his lead in the standing with a 4-win day on Thursday. Zayas swept the early double for trainers Eddie Plesa, Jr. and Saffie Joseph, Jr. He went on the post wins in races four and six also for Saffie Joseph, Jr. who won the leading trainer title at the Fall Meet.

Zayas continued accumulating wins on Friday for trainers Antonio Sano and Saffie Joseph, Jr. in races six and eight respectively. Saturday, trainer Darien Rodriguez gave a leg up to Zayas in race nine and on Closing Day Sunday, the Saffie Joseph, Jr. and Zayas duo combined to win two races.

A 28-year-old native of Puerto Rico, Zayas dominated the standings finishing with 43 wins, 14 more than his nearest rival and more than $1.2 million in purses. Zayas also won the leading rider title during Gulfstream Park's Spring/Summer Meet.

“I'm really happy and blessed. I'm really appreciative of all the opportunities I get from the owners and trainers,” Zayas said to the Gulfstream Park media. “The quality of horses in South Florida this time of year is getting better and I've been getting on some nice horses. Hopefully there are some big things coming up.”

Zayas is looking to improve on last year's 5th place finish during the Championship Meet at Gulfstream which begins on Friday, Dec. 3.

“I'm looking forward to the Championship Meet. I'm super, super excited,” said Zayas.

Zayas's weekly statistics were 26-9-3-5 for an in-the-money percentage of 65.3 and $228,750 in total purses.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were David Cabrera also with nine wins, Sonny Leon who posted the most wins with 10, Joel Rosario who won the G3 Chilukki at Churchill Downs and Pedro Terrero with an in-the-money percentage of 64.7

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Saffie Joseph Jr. Sets His Sights On Winning Gulfstream Championship Meet Training Title

After adding the inaugural Fall Meet title to his ever-growing list of accomplishments at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is setting his sights on the upcoming 2021-2022 Championship Meet.

Joseph, whose 36 victories during the fall more than doubled the total of nearest competitor Jorge Delgado, finished second behind perennial leader Todd Pletcher during last season's Championship Meet, eight wins behind the Hall of Famer's total of 58 wins.

“The Championship Meet is Todd's meet. Last year, we were pretty close, but we didn't have as many horses as we have this year. I think we can give him a run for his money,” Joseph said. “He's a legend at Gulfstream. What is it, 15, 16, 17 years? We hope to follow in his footsteps and one day take a run at him. Will it be this year, next year, or the future? I think with the horses were getting and with so many owners supporting us, I think it's possible.”

The 34-year-old Barbados native has long been a fan of the newly inducted Hall of Famer, who has captured 18 consecutive Championship Meet titles.

“I grew up coming here from Barbados on holiday when I was 16, 17, seeing Todd. I would just bet Todd and Johnny V [Velazquez]. That was my favorite combination,” Joseph said. “Just being able to compete against him – he's an icon trainer – I'm just thankful to be in this position.”

Joseph understands he, alone, can't dethrone the longstanding king of Gulfstream.

“I'm just thankful for the horses we have for the people we train for. We have a good team. That's the important thing – you need the horses and a good team behind you,” Joseph said.

Joseph did get the better of Pletcher Sunday when he saddled Girolamo's Attack ($4.20) for a front-running victory in the $60,000 Miami Gardens Handicap. Pletcher-trained Fearless, who captured the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile in February, finished second while coming off a six-month layoff.

Jockey Edgard Zayas, who dominated the Fall Meet title race with 43 wins, once again enjoyed success while teaming with Joseph Sunday while guiding Girolamo's Attack to victory in the mile overnight handicap, in which he carried five pounds fewer than Fearless, the 125-pound highweight.

Girolamo's Attack, who captured the Oct. 27 Miami Beach Handicap in similar fashion, set fractions of :24.12 for the first quarter and :46.57 for the first half mile before holding off Fearless through the stretch to win by a length in 1:34.50.

“His last race was a huge race, but I wasn't sure if because the fractions were so slow, he kicked on and got brave. But today, he definitely showed he's getting better and getting to be a nice horse,” Zayas said. “Early in this horse's career, he had some mental problems. He was a little crazy, but I think he's getting it all together. Today, he acted super professional.”

Fresh off a dominant Spring/Summer Meet title campaign, the 28-year-old native of Puerto Rico finished with 14 wins more than runner-up Chantal Sutherland.

“I'm really happy and blessed. I'm really appreciative of all the opportunities I get from the owners and trainers,” Zayas said. “The quality of horses in South Florida this time of year is getting better, and I've been getting on some nice horses. Hopefully, there are some big things coming up.”

Zayas finished fifth in wins and purses-won during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet and looks forward to the upcoming winter meet that gets underway Dec. 3.

“It's definitely a new challenge. We did pretty good last year. We finished in the Top 5. I'm looking forward to the Championship Meet. I'm super, super excited,” Zayas said.

Zayas and Joseph also teamed for a victory with Designed for Kitten ($6.40) in the Fall Meet's finale.

In Sunday's co-featured Opa-Locka, a mile overnight handicap for fillies and mares, Helping Lisa D ($9.40) pulled off a mild upset following a ground-saving ride by Paco Lopez. The Steven Dwoskin-trained 6-year-old daughter of Flat Out, rated well off the early pace set by 8-5 favorite Dance d'Oro before rallying along the rail to score by 1 ½ lengths in 1:36.50.

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Laurel’s Claiming Crown Preview Winners Among Nominees For Claiming Crown Races At Gulfstream

All five of Laurel Park's Claiming Crown preview race winners as well as several Maryland-based horsemen are among the nominees for the 23rd Claiming Crown to be held Saturday, Dec. 4 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., played host to Claiming Crown Preview Day Oct. 10, where preview race winners each earned an automatic berth to the Claiming Crown as well as a $2,500 stipend toward travel costs to South Florida.

Stablemates Belgrano and Aequor, trained by 79-year-old Frank Russo, were respectively nominated to the $90,000 Canterbury for 3-year-olds and up which have not started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2020-21 sprinting five furlongs on turf and $75,000 Express for 3-year-olds and up that have run for a tag of $8,000 or less lifetime going six furlongs.

Peace Sign Stables' Belgrano has strung together three consecutive wins including the Rainbow Heir Aug. 28 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., in his preview day prep. The 7-year-old gelding ran seventh in last year's Canterbury. Also among the 33 nominations is Winning Stables, Inc.'s Xy Speed, neck winner of the Oct. 2 Laurel Dash for trainer Gerald Bennett.

Morning Moon Farm's Aequor edged Sevier by a neck in the Express preview, his second straight win. Formerly based at Gulfstream, the 6-year-old gelding ran ninth in the 2019 Claiming Crown Jewel. Sevier, from the barn of trainer Jamie Ness, is also one of 24 Express nominees.

Travin Stables' Lookin At Roses rebounded from a fourth behind Magic Michael in the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup to win Laurel's preview for the $85,000 Rapid Transit, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up that have started for a claiming price of $16,000 or less in 2020-21. Ness-trained Magic Michael is nominated to the $125,000 Claiming Crown Jewel as well as Laurel's $100,000 Richard W. Small Nov. 27, both going 1 1/8 miles.

Other Rapid Transit nominees include Silent Malice and Grade 3 winner Tusk. Silent Malice is one of three horses nominated to Claiming Crown races by Laurel-based trainer Rodolpho Sanchez-Salomon, along with Foggy Dreams ($95,000 Tiara) and Calypso Ghost ($80,000 Glass Slipper). Trainer Mary Eppler, based at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., also nominated Tusk to the Jewel and $95,000 Emerald, Seranade a Kitten to the Tiara and Heza Kitten to the Emerald.

Bruno Schickendanz's Mandate, trained by Robert J.W. Johnston, is among 50 nominees to the 1 1/16-mile Emerald on turf for 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2020-21. The 4-year-old Blame gelding won Laurel's Emerald preview by 3 ½ lengths and followed up with a victory in the one-mile Artie Schiller on the grass at Aqueduct Nov. 13.

You Must Chill and Just Whistle, respectively third and fifth in Laurel's Emerald preview for trainers Ness and Michael Matz, are also nominated, as is Ten Strike Racing's Caribbean, a 7-year-old Australia-bred gelding claimed for $40,000 out of his most recent start Marc 19 at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., by Laurel-based trainer Lacey Gaudet. Caribbean is also nominated to the Jewel.

Team Valor International's Beantown Baby, from the Fair Hill, Md. barn of trainer Arnaud Delacour, was a popular neck winner of Laurel's Distaff Dash preview, her third win from five 2021 starts. The $90,000 Distaff Dash at five-furlongs on turf is for fillies and mares 3 and up that have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2020-21.

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Maker Leads With 20 Horses Nominated For Claiming Crown At Gulfstream

Graded stakes-placed in his most recent start, Three Diamonds Farm's Doubly Blessed is among six Mike Maker-trained nominations for the $125,000 Jewel, the centerpiece of the $810,000 nine-race Claiming Crown Dec. 4 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Doubly Blessed, who finished third in the Sept. 21 Grade 2 Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., is among 27 nominees for the Jewel, a 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds and up who have started for a claiming price for $35,000 or less in 2020-2021. Maker, who has saddled a record 18 winners of Claiming Crown races, is also represented on the noms list by Auburn Hills, First Line, Healing, Malthael, and Mr. Tip.

Maker, who has saddled two Jewel champions, has nominated 20 horses for the Claiming Crown, the annual showcase for the blue-collar Thoroughbreds that are the day-to-day backbone of the racing industry throughout the country.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has nominated four horses for the Jewel, including John Fanelli and partners' Girolamo's Attack who most recently captured the Oct. 27 Miami Beach Handicap, and Sonata Stable's Calibrator, who most recently romped to a dominating optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream.

The Claiming Crown, which attracted a total of 267 nominations for nine starter stakes, will headline opening weekend of the 2021-2022 Championship Meet that will get underway Friday, Dec. 3.

The $95,000 Emerald, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up who have raced for a claiming price of $25,000 or less during 2020-2021, leads all Claiming Crown races with 50 nominations, including five trained by Maker, who has saddled a record seven Emerald winners. Bruno Schickedanz's War Bomber, who captured the $125,000 Toronto Cup Sept. 12 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, in his first start after being claimed for $25,000, is also prominent on the noms list.

The $95,000 Tiara, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares who started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2020-2021, drew 30 nominations, including Mike Repole's Kitten by the Sea, whom Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher saddled for back-to-back optional claiming allowance races at Saratoga.

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The $90,000 Distaff Dash, a five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares who started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less, drew 27 nominations; the $90,000 Canterbury Tom Metzen Memorial, a five-furlong turf dash for 3-year-olds and up who started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less, attracted 33 nominations; the $85,000 Rapid Transit, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up who ran for a $16,000 claiming price or less, got 27 nominations; the $80,000 Glass Slipper, a one-mile stakes for fillies and mares who ran for a $12,500 claiming price or less, attracted 24 nominations; the $75,000 Iron Horse Kent Stirling Memorial, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up who raced for a claiming price of $9000 or less, drew 25 nominations; the $75,000 Express, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up who have run for a claiming price of $8000 or less, received 24 nominations.

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