7th-Gulfstream, $45,000, Msw, 3-13, 3yo, 7f, 1:22.95, ft, 7 3/4 lengths. BEARS WATCHING (c, 3, Karakontie {Jpn}–Reunited {GSW, $326,771}, by Dixie Union) continued to live up to his moniker, building on a strong debut third–two spots ahead of subsequent 'TDN Rising Star' Collaborate (Into Mischief)–in the local slop Feb. 6 to dismantle an overmatched group of Gulfstream maidens Saturday afternoon. Speedy enough to argue the pace through the early exchanges, the 3-5 pick was eased back out of a potentially tight spot to stalk the pacesetters while racing on his lonesome in fourth. Going nicely on the turn and in need only of somewhere to run, Bears Watching was tipped out into the four path at the quarter pole and ran up the score from there, scoring by 7 3/4 lengths over Gran Runner (Runhappy) in racehorse time. Bears Watching is a half-brother to these connections' Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), MGISW, $2,731,320, who won the 2019 GII Fountain of Youth S. over the Gulfstream main track before going on to add the GI Runhappy Travers S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup later that season; and Big League (Speightstown), GSP, $318,806. Reunited's most recent produce is a Honor Code colt of 2019. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $30,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O/B-William S. Farish (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III.
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $450,000 Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Friday for the third racing day since Sunday's mandatory payout. Multiple tickets with five of six winners were each worth $16,064.30 Friday.
There will also be a Super Hi-5 carryover into the first race of $3,235.62.
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.
The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 7-12, kicking off by a maiden special weight event for 3-year-olds, including Hall of Fame trainer Carl Nafzger's first starter since October 2019, Sensible Jim.
The $75,000 Silks Run, a five-furlong turf stakes carded as Race 11, will headline the Rainbow 6 sequence. Brian Lynch-trained Carotari, who was narrowly defeated in the Sam Houston Turf Sprint last time out, captured the Silks Run last year with a front-running performance.
Irad Ortiz Jr. closed in on the record for most wins by a jockey during a Championship Meet while notching his seventh straight multi-win day Friday at Gulfstream Park.
The defending two-time Championship Meet titlist rode three winners to up his win total to 131, just six winners behind the record of 137 set by Luis Saez in 2017-2018. Ortiz scored aboard aboard Lime ($2.20) in Race 1, Malibu Max ($3.20) in Race 5 and Septemberten ($13) in Race 8.
Ortiz has ridden 23 winners over the last seven programs while rapidly closing in on the record he missed equaling last season by just two winners.
WHO'S HOT: Luis Saez, a two-time Championship Meet champion who was narrowly edged by Ortiz the past two seasons, rode a pair of winners Friday, including Simply the Best ($2.20), who dead-heated with Lime in Race 1, and Blakenstein ($5.80) in Race 3.
Tyler Gaffalione also doubled, scoring with Nicholas Ross ($8.60) in Race 2 and Spend Benjamins ($31.20) in Race 9.
Signed bobbleheads of leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will be available to ticketed patrons Saturday at Gulfstream Park for a $25 donation to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
Donations will be accepted Saturday at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., racetrack beginning at 11 a.m. ET.
Jockeys and Jeans is comprised of a group of former jockeys who are dedicated in aiding jockeys who have suffered career-ending injuries by increasing awareness of their physical and emotional struggles and providing funds to rebuild their lives.
Friday's Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $350,000 The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $350,000 Friday at Gulfstream Park.
The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Thursday for the second racing day since Sunday's mandatory payout. Multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $893.60 Wednesday.
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.
First race post Friday is 1:10 p.m.
Friday's Rainbow 6 begins with the fifth race, a maiden special weight event at a mile on the turf for 4-year-olds and up. Mike Maker will saddle the morning-line favorite in Absam, making his seventh start. Trainer Christophe Clement will send out Voodoo Zip, third and beaten less than a length at a mile on the turf here Jan. 21.
Friday's sequence will have four of the six races on the turf.
Who's Hot: Tyler Gaffalione rode three winners, including the promising 3-year-old Prevalence ($2.20). Gaffalione also won aboard Too Sexy ($4.80) in Race 3 and New York Style ($6.40) in Race 6.
Godolphin LLC's Prevalence took a giant step forward Thursday at Gulfstream Park, where the highly regarded 3-year-old colt registered a dominating optional claiming allowance victory that may very well lead to a Kentucky Derby (G1) prep race for his next start.
Bet down to 1-9 in a field of six 3-year-olds on the strength of a dazzling debut in a seven-furlong maiden special weight event at Gulfstream Jan. 23, Prevalence scored by three lengths in his return to action while running the one-turn mile in 1:35.82.
“I think it was a good step up for the horse going from the seven [furlongs] to a mile. It seemed like he got the distance good; the time was good,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “We can't ask for much more than what we saw.”
The $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill n' Dale will be run March 27 at Gulfstream Park but will come up too soon for Prevalence. The Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland, the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park and Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct will be run April 3. The latter two preps would seem the most likely targets since Godolphin's Essential Quality is scheduled to run in the Blue Grass.
“We'll get back and let the dust settle and talk to the team at Godolphin and see where we go after that,” Walsh said, '[A Derby prep] is a strong possibility, for sure.”
Prevalence established himself as a hot Triple Crown prospect when he debuted on the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) undercard. After brushing with a rival shortly after the start, he asserted himself on the backstretch and drew away under wraps to complete seven furlongs in 1:23. The Feb. 27 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream had been a goal for the homebred son of Medaglia d'Oro before he missed a key workout due to a brief bout with a cough.
“It was very important that we did what we did today, and not throw him in too deep,” Walsh said. “I'm very pleased we got this race. Hats off to the guys at Gulfstream for getting the race to go, because I think it was very important for the horse.
Prevalence broke cleanly from his outside post to race a couple lengths off the pace set by Tio Magico, who was making his 2021 debut after finishing second in the Coronation Futurity at Woodbine in his juvenile finale. The Kentucky-bred colt joined the pacesetter leaving the backstretch without any encouragement from jockey Tyler Gaffalione and took a slight lead on the turn into the homestretch. He opened a clear lead in the stretch and finished under mild encouragement.
“It was probably not as flashy as his first race, but I think we're going to get a lot more out of this race today,” Gaffalione said. “He was definitely more green. He was looking up at the grandstand down the lane. He kind of got lost by himself. I just had to remind him to keep to his task. He has a really bright future. I'm really looking forward to getting to the bottom of him.
“He didn't disappoint at all today, if anything, I'm even more excited about him because I know, if it comes to it, he will give me some fight,” Gaffalione added.
Southern Passage, who trailed the field early, closed to finish second under Corey Lanerie, a length ahead of Tio Magico.
