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Great Island Overcomes Stumble To Win Off-The-Turf Suwannee River

Alpha Delta Stables LLC's Great Island overcame a bad stumble at the start to put her head in front at the finish of Saturday's $100,000 Suwannee River at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Making her first main-track start in the 1 1/8-mile stakes for older fillies and mares that was taken off the turf due to afternoon rain, the 4-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy collected her first career stakes victory while narrowly prevailing over pacesetter Drop a Hint on a sealed sloppy racetrack. The Chad Brown-trained filly provided jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. with his fourth of six victories on Saturday's 12-race program.

Sent to post as the 1-5 favorite in a field reduced to six by scratches, Great Island stumbled leaving the starting gate to drop several lengths behind the field heading into the first turn. Drop a Hint set fractions of 24.28 and 48.81 seconds without pressure for the first half mile and continued to show the way on the far turn after rebuffing a challenge by Loving Moment. Great Island steadily advanced along the backstretch and far turn to reach contention on the turn into the homestretch, but Drop a Hint wasn't showing any signs of weakening under Edgard Zayas.

“It's hard to overcome after that in the first part of the race,” Ortiz said. “She just stumbled, big-time, twice. After I said, 'Let me just see what she can do.' I just let her settle and by the backside she started moving really good so I didn't want to take too much hold of her after what happened in the beginning. I just let her roll and find her stride.”

It took the entire length of the stretch, but Ortiz succeeded in urging the Chad Brown trainee to victory by a head.

“By the quarter pole. I had to start working on her, but thank God, she kept coming. The trainer did a great job. She had a lot of stamina,” Ortiz said. “For a second, I thought she didn't want to go by the other horse probably, and she was looking at her, so I just tried to stay a little away in the stretch so she can feel free and go on and pass that horse. I got lucky I could go by.”

Great Island, who was placed third after finishing second in the Via Borghese at Gulfstream in her previous start, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.51. Drop a Hint finished second, a half-length ahead of Mylastfirstkiss.

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Fire At Will Likely to Return in Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth

Three Diamonds Farm's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will (Declaration of War) breezed five furlongs at Gulfstream Park Saturday morning in preparation for a likely start in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Feb. 27.

He was timed in 1:01.71 (27/51) in his fifth breeze in anticipation of his 2021 debut.

“He went super,” trainer Michael Maker said. “I think we're going to the Fountain of Youth.”

After finishing sixth on turf in his Aug. 8 debut at Saratoga, Fire At Will broke his maiden in the Sept. 2 rained-off With Anticipation S. over a sealed, sloppy main track at the Spa. He went back to turf to capture the Oct. 3 GII Pilgrim S. at Belmont prior to his 30-1 upset on the big stage at Keeneland.

“It looked like he handled [the dirt] well this morning,” Maker said. “He won on it at Saratoga, even though it was muddy and against a short field.”

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Maker Pointing Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Winner Fire At Will Toward Fountain Of Youth

Three Diamonds Farm's Fire At Will breezed five furlongs at Gulfstream Park Saturday morning in preparation for a likely start in the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 27 at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track.

The 3-year-old son of Declaration of War, who captured the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland, was timed in 1:01.71 in his fifth breeze in anticipation of his 2021 debut in the key prep for the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n Dale at Xalapa March 27 at Gulfstream.

“He went super,” trainer Michael Maker said. “I think we're going to the Fountain of Youth.”

After finishing sixth on turf in his Aug. 8 debut at Saratoga, Fire At Will broke his maiden in the Sept. 2 With Anticipation Stakes over a sealed sloppy main track at the Spa. The Kentucky-bred colt went back to turf to capture the Oct. 3 Pilgrim (G2) at Belmont by two lengths and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf by three lengths.

“It looked like he handled [the dirt] well this morning,” Maker said. “He won on it at Saratoga, even though it was muddy and against a short field.”

Fire At Will was purchased at the 2019 Keeneland September sale for $97,000.

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Gulfstream Park: Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Has Jackpot Guarantee Of $950,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $950,000 Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Saturday's 12-race program, which will be highlighted by the $100,000 Suwannee River (G3) and the $100,000 Ladies Turf Sprint, will get underway at 12:10 p.m. ET.

The Rainbow 6 went unsolved for the eighth straight racing day Friday, when multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $5,691.58.

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.

Saturday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 7-12, kicked off by a six-furlong maiden special weight race for 3-year-old that attracted a full field of exciting prospects. Bears Watching, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner and 2019 Fountain of Youth (G2) victor Code of Honor, is scheduled to make his debut for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey in the Race 7 Rainbow 6 opener. Rodrick Rodriguez-trained Campeador, a half-brother of 2020 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) winner Mucho Gusto, is also set to launch his career in the race that will also feature the first starts for Todd Pletcher-trained Dupuis, a son of Distorted Humor who was purchased at auction for $700,000; Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Collaborate, a $600,000 son of Into Mischief; and Pletcher-trained Democracy, a $400,000 son of Quality Road.

Positively Awesome, the undefeated half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Jackson Bend, is slated to make a return from an 18-month layoff in Race 8, a six-furlong optional claiming allowance for older horses. The Ralph Nicks trainee, who won the first two races of his career at Gulfstream before going to the sideline, will face five rivals, including Larry Rivelli-trained Tabulator, who won his only start at Gulfstream last year by more than eight lengths; Larry Bates-trained With Verve, who captured last season's Hutcheson; and Brittany Russell-trained Yodel E. A. Who, who was claimed for $62,500 out of second-place finish behind multiple graded stakes-winning Mischevious Alex last time out.

Race 9, a five-furlong optional claiming allowance on turf, attracted a full field of older horses, including six last-out winners.

Trainer Chad Brown is scheduled to unveil a pair of well-bred, well-connected 3-year-olds in Race 10, a mile maiden special weight event – Shadwell Stables' Mutasallem, a homebred son of Union Rags, and Juddmonte Farms Inc.'s Higher Quality, a $600,000 son of Tiznow. Pletcher-trained Tallis, a son of Uncle Mo, is also scheduled to debut.

The Ladies Turf Sprint, a five-furlong turf dash for older fillies and mares, will headline the Rainbow 6 sequence in Race 11. Lady's Island, who successfully defended her Sugar Swirl (G3) title over Gulfstream's main track last time out, is rated as the 5-2-morning-line favorite in a field of 8. The speedy 7-year-old mare is 1-for-4 on turf, that victory coming in her last turf appearance in October 2019. Hear My Prayer and Victory Kingdom, who finished first and second, respectively, in the Jan. 1 Abundantia Stakes, are set to clash again Saturday.

The Rainbow sequence will conclude with a six-furlong dash with a full field of $6,250 claimers in Race 12, which many bettors will likely identify as a 'spread' race.

The $100,000 Suwannee River (G3), a 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares, will be renewed leading up to the Rainbow 6 sequence in Race 6. Brown-trained Great Island is favored at 5-2 in the morning line. The 5-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy most recently finished second in the Via Borghese Stakes, won by Always Shopping, who came back to the La Prevoyante (G3) at Gulfstream. Brendan Walsh-trained La Signare, who has been knocking heads with some of the top turf females in the country in recent starts, returns to the Gulfstream turf, over which she won the Sand Springs last season.

There will also be a Super Hi-5 carryover of $2,840.83 heading into Saturday's card.

WHO'S HOT: Luis Saez broke out of a rare slump at Gulfstream Park Friday while riding a three-bagger, scoring aboard Ms V Time ($4.60) in Race 2, Bareeqa ($6.80) in Race 6, and Mai Ty One One ($7.80) in Race 9.

Saffie Joseph Jr. saddled a pair of winners, scoring back-to-back with Foxy Belle ($4) in Race 4 and Berhanu ($5.20) in Race 5.

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