King of Dreams ruled supreme in Saturday's $60,000 Oakland Park, rallying from well off the pace to win his debut over Gulfstream Park's newly installed Tapeta racing surface at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track.
Owned by former Major League Baseball star Victor Martinez's Victoria's Ranch, King of Dreams was coming off a pair of off-the-board finishes in turf stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. The 3-year-old son of Air Force Blue had previously won twice in five starts over Gulfstream's turf course.
King of Dreams' victories were achieved in front-running fashion while racing around two turns, but jockey Emisael Jaramillo employed opposite tactics Saturday for the one-turn 5 ½-furlong overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up over the all-weather surface. The Kentucky-bred 3-year-old settled well behind pacesetter and 4-5 favorite Wind of Change, who was closely stalked by Harry's Ontheloose and Yes I Am Free along the backstretch and far turn. Wind of Change held off Harry's Ontheloose through the stretch but was unable to withstand the far-outside surge of King of Dreams, who prevailed by three-quarters of a length at 11-1.
King of Dreams ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:06.42. Wind of Change finished second, a neck ahead of Harry's Ontheloose.
Earlier on the program, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. saddled Make It Big for a most promising debut victory in a seven-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds. Owned by Red Oak Stable, the Florida-bred son of Neolithic scored an 8 ½ -length front-running triumph under Edgard Zayas. The 4-5 favorite was bought at the OBS April sale for $120,000.
Rajiv Maragh is back in winning form after a slow start to the 2021 season. The multiple Grade 1 stakes-winning jockey with more than 1900 wins and $100 million in purses-won visited the winner's circle for the fourth time in the last two days with Free Play ($8.80) in Saturday's Race 9. Maragh, who multiple Grade 1 stakes aboard champion Groupie Doll and Main Sequence, rode three winners on Friday's program.
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