6th-BEL, $90K, MSW, 3yo/up, 7f, 3:37 p.m.

   Owner/Breeder Godolphin debuts 3-year-old homebred SHREVEPORT in this elongated sprint at Belmont Thursday. The son of leading sire Tapit is out of the MGISW Seventh Street (Street Cry {Ire}) who took both the GI Apple Blossom H. and the GI Go for Wand H., making him a full-brother to GII Demoiselle S. winner and GI Ketel One Ballerina H. runner-up Lake Avenue. Trainer Bill Mott has prepared the gray colt for debut with a pair of Payson Park bullets last month, working four furlongs from the gate Apr. 4 in :49 (1/18) and five furlongs Apr. 11 in 1:01 1/5 (1/4). Jose Lezcano picks up the ride.

One gate to the outside is Mugged (Street Sense) for owner Centennial Farm and trainer James Jerkins. Purchased for $140,000 from the Fasig-Tipton Select Sale, this colt is out of a half-sister to GSW Proceed Bee (Bernstein).

Most intriguing of the non-firsters is Breakwater (Flatter). A son of GSW Quiet Harbor (Silver Deputy), he is from the immediate family of MGSW and sire Ironicus (Distored Humor). Trainer Shug McGaughey unveiled this colt for owner/breeder Janney Stuart III with a third-place effort Apr. 3 at Gulfstream. TJCIS PPs

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A smashing 11 1/4-length winner of a local six-furlong maiden May 6, the $20,000 OBS June graduate yielded late to be second to then-unbeaten Australasia (Sky Kingdom) in the June 6 Jersey Girl S. The dark bay returned to winning ways, scoring by 6 1/2 length in a first-level allowance over this surface July 11 and came from just off a moderate tempo to dust her peers by 4 1/4 lengths in the GI Longines Test S. at Saratoga Aug. 7.

“The Test was a huge, huge win for us, because we don't have these kinds of horses in the barn,” said trainer Rudy Rodriguez. “To win a Grade I at Saratoga, especially a prestigious race like the Test, everything was amazing. We're still dreaming.”

The progressive Lake Avenue (Tapit) hopes to end an unlucky streak of seconditis while giving her younger rival two pounds Sunday afternoon. The 2019 GII Demoiselle S. heroine, the daughter of dual Grade I winner Seventh Street (Street Cry {Ire}) took out the one-mile Heavenly Prize Invitational S. earlier this year, but has rounded out the exacta in the GIII Bed O'Roses S., the GII Honorable Miss S. and the GI Ballerina H. in her three most recent starts.

Don't Call Me Mary (El Padrino) handed Chub Wagon (Hey Chub) her first career defeat in the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial S. at Parx Aug. 23, a performance that looks a bit better within the context of Chub Wagon's bounce-back victory in Saturday's Roamin Rachel S. on the Pennsylvania Derby undercard in suburban Philly.

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A last-out winner in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos, the Bob Baffert-trained 4-year-old filly came into the Ballerina as the prohibitive favorite off of four consecutive victories dating back to her win in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. in early November. Breaking from post one, the daughter of leading North American sire Into Mischief went to the lead as expected, with Estilo Talentoso in second. After a first quarter in :23.20 and a half-mile in :45.60, Gamine and John Velazquez held a three-length lead into the far turn, with Estilo Talentoso still in second and Lake Avenue third.

Into the stretch, with Lake Avenue on the rail and Ce Ce to her outside, Gamine maintained her front-running status, holding off the two closers by a length and three-quarters at the wire. The time for the seven-furlong Ballerina was 1:21.61. Lake Avenue was second, Ce Ce third, with Sconsin, Estilo Talentoso, Truth Hurts, and Casual round out the order of finish.

Find this race's chart here.

The G1 Ballerina is a Win and You're In event for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Nov. 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. The winner of Win and You're In events earn a fees-paid guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding Breeders' Cup race.

Gamine paid $2.70, $2.30, and $2.10. Lake Avenue paid $7.10 and $3.70. Ce Ce paid $2.80.

“We were down in the one-hole, so you have to break and go from there. She handled the gate well, broke well and Johnny [Velazquez] put her in the race,” Baffert assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes said after the race. “The 23 [second quarter-mile] felt pretty comfortable, 45 was pretty comfortable. [They were gaining on her] slightly, but once Johnny got her to switch leads, I wasn't really concerned. They were moving but we were still running.”

“She just kind of waited and then by the quarter pole, I asked her for what she needed to do, and she got it done,” Velazquez told the NYRA Press office. “I didn't think there was much speed in the race. She's a nice horse to relax. If they went fast, she was going to go fast. If they went slow, she was going to go slow, so that's what I like about her. When she's in the lead, she's in control of herself.”

Bred by Grace Thoroughbred Holdings, Gamine is out of the Kafwain mare Peggy Jane. Consigned by Bobby Dodd, she was purchased by owner Michael Lund Peterson at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic Two-Year-Olds InTraining Sale for $1.8 million. Her win in the G1 Ballerina is her fourth victory in four starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of nine wins in 10 starts and $1,681,500 in career earnings.

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“She's filled out and she looks good and she's been working well, so we wouldn't send her unless we thought she was doing really well,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “We're excited about it. She always runs well when she goes back East. She likes the Eastern tracks.”

Gamine, a 'TDN Rising Star,' is a perfect three-for-three at the Ballerina's seven-furlong distance and romped home a seven-length winner of last year's GI Test S. in her only previous start at Saratoga.

“She's just brilliant, just a brilliant filly,” Baffert said. “She's fun to watch and people like watching her run. Fans love those kinds of horses, and they count on them.”

Also invading from the West Coast for the Ballerina is Bo Hirsch's Ce Ce (Elusive Quality). Fifth in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, the 5-year-old mare opened 2021 with an optional-claimer win going seven furlongs at Santa Anita in April. She bobbled at the break before tiring to fourth in the 1 1/16-mile GII Santa Maria S. May 22 and cut back and returned to the winner's circle with a 3 1/4-length win over Estilo Talentoso (Maclean's Music) in the July 3 GII Princess Rooney S. last time out.

“She came out of her race in Florida in good order and has trained forwardly,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “This is a race we've had on her calendar for a while.”

Ce Ce won last year's GI Beholder Mile and GI Apple Blossom H. and will be chasing a third Grade I tally Saturday. She comes into the race off a bullet five-furlong drill in :59 flat (1/73) at Del Mar Aug. 20.

“She's always been good. She's caught a couple of racetracks that weren't to her liking, but she's been very good this year,” McCarthy said. “She's wonderful. She is just a treat to train. She enjoys her job and is very classy around the barn. We're very lucky to have one like her. It's a big thrill.”

Godolphin's Lake Avenue (Tapit), winner of the 2019 GII Demoiselle S., narrowly missed out on a second graded victory in both her most recent starts. She lost by a neck when second behind Estilo Talentoso in the June 4 GIII Bed o'Roses S. and was second again by that same margin behind Bell's the One (Majesticperfection) in the July 28 GII Honorable Miss S. last time out.

“She had a good trip the last couple of times. She did get beat both times, but not by much,” trainer Bill Mott said. “Hopefully, she'll put in that same type of effort again this weekend. We're going into a very tough spot, but we want to give her an opportunity in another Grade I. None of these Grade I races on Saturday are easy. They're all tough.”

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Bell's the One broke well from the outside post, but was quickly left at the rear of the field as the frontrunners raced up the Saratoga backstretch. Ain't No Elmers grabbed the early lead over Honey I'm Good, setting fractions of :23.80 and :45.85, while Lanerie patiently allowed Bell's the One to find her stride.

Lake Avenue was behind a wall of horses turning for home so jockey Junior Alvarado angled her out to the center of the course. Lanerie tracked that move and went wider still, drafting Bell's the One off Lake Avenue's hip as they geared up for the final three-sixteenths of a mile.

When the two sprinters matched strides at the eighth pole, Lanerie gave Bell's the One her cue to hit her next gear. The mare responded willingly, pulling ahead by a neck at the finish while appearing to have something left in the tank after the finish. Lake Avenue had to settle for second after a game effort, and it was several lengths back to pacesetter Ain't No Elmers. Truth Hurts filled out the superfecta.

“I just let her run her race and when she got on her left lead on the turn, she said 'it's time to go' and started making up ground so easy,” said Lanerie. “The four-horse [runner-up Lake Avenue] actually put in more of a fight than I expected. I thought when I got to her, I was going to run away. But she wouldn't go away for a while; we were running home. This was a good race.

“She ran her own race today and I let her do it. It can get kind of scary at times, especially here at Saratoga. It's hard to win here.”

“They didn't go very fast,” said Pessin. “They went 22 and four for the first quarter but she just took herself back and Corey didn't rush her, so I said we'll see what happens from there and she made her run like she usually does. It's been a hard track to close on today. I think she's the only one that deep-closed any at all, but I thought she was also the best horse in the race coming in, and I feel that way coming out.”

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones, Bell's the One is out of the winning Street Cry mare Street Mate, a half-sister to Grade 1-placed, Grade 2 winner Tap Day (Pleasant Tap). As a yearling, Bell's the One commanded $155,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. She won her first four starts, and got her first top-level win in the 2020 edition of the G1 Derby City Distaff before running third in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

“She's about as high-class a filly as you want,” said Pessin. “She gives it her all every time she runs. Hopefully, now she'll get the accolades she deserves and people won't put her on the back burner when they talk about the sprint fillies.

“I don't get real high or low,” Pessin added. “I was very happy that she won, but I was happier for her than for me just because people never really give her the credit she deserves. It's nice to win a race like this at Saratoga and maybe people will start to put her up in the top echelon now.

Pessin said the G2 Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland Oct. 9 – a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race for the Filly & Mare Sprint division – will most likely be Bell's the One's next start. “It's a 'Win and You're In' and then we'll go to the Breeders' Cup from there,” he said.

The Honorable Miss is the second win in a row for Bell's the One, and improves her overall record to nine wins from 19 starts for earnings of $1.13 million.

“She's the best horse I've ever had, and I've been training for almost 40 years,” said Pessin. “She's about as special as they come to me. I've got one other filly that I had in her category, Eden Prairie, that didn't do the races that this mare's won but she was all heart and tried every time. They're the two favorite horses I've ever had.”

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Trained by Neil Pessin, Bell's the One, who boasts a record of 18-8-3-2, captured the 2020 Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs by a nose over Serengeti Empress. Her graded stakes ledger also includes scores in the 2019 Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., and last year's Grade 3 Winning Colors at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

The 5-year-old Majesticperfection bay enters from a three-quarter length score in the Roxelana under returning rider Corey Lanerie on June 19 at Churchill.

“I'm really not scared of any sprint filly in the country right now, to be honest,” Pessin said. “It's just a question of if she runs her race. If she does, she's going to be tough to beat no matter who shows up. I respect them all, but I don't fear any of them. I'm very confident in my filly's abilities.”

Bell's the One rated closer to the pace last out in the 6 1/2-furlong Roxelana before popping outside rivals to secure the win.

“I'm trying to get her a little more that way, so we're not so pace dependent,” Pessin said. “In her last race, they didn't go fast early but we weren't far off of it. She was stuck in between horses – there were three across the track – and Corey let her suck back a little bit so she could get to the outside. When she turned for home, she just kicked on. She won by three-quarters, but it was a handy three-quarters.”

Bell's the One launched her current campaign with a narrow loss to Kimari in the Grade 1 Madison on April 3 at Keeneland ahead of a fourth-place finish in her title defense in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill in May.

“Kimari beat us at Keeneland and it was my mare's first out of the year,” Pessin said. “We also got stuck on the inside and didn't get to bounce outside. If we'd got outside, I think we'd have beat her that day.”

Bell's the One breezed a bullet half-mile in :47 flat on July 20 over the Arlington Park synthetic and will arrive in Saratoga on Sunday.

“It was an OK work. She went a little faster in the first part than what I wanted,” Pessin said. “She finished good and did it fairly handily. It didn't take a lot out of her. Fitness-wise, I don't have any issues. It's just a matter of if she handles the shipping and likes the track.”

Lanerie retains the mount from the outermost post 9.

“He knows her well and rode her excellent last time,” Pessin said.

Godolphin homebred Lake Avenue enters in search of her first graded stakes win since the 2019 Grade 2 Demoiselle in the final start of her 2-year-old campaign.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 4-year-old Tapit chestnut was winless in four starts last year but has enjoyed a resurgence in 2021, posting wins in an optional claimer at Gulfstream in February ahead of a 6 3/4-length score in the Heavenly Prize Invitational in March at the Big A.

Last out, Lake Avenue made the lead at the stretch call of the Grade 3 Bed o' Roses but could not stave off Estilo Talentoso, who prevailed by a neck in the seven-furlong sprint on a sloppy Belmont main track on June 4.

Junior Alvarado will pilot Lake Avenue from post 4.

Dennis Narlinger's graded-stakes-placed Sadie Lady, a 5-year-old New York-bred daughter of Freud, boasts a record of 20-8-1-3 with purse earnings of $406,322.

The speedy mare won the open-company Correction in her seasonal debut at Aqueduct in March ahead of a strong second in the Grade 3 Vagrancy on May 8 at Belmont. Last out, Sadie Lady went gate-to-wire in the six-furlong Dancin Renee for state-breds.

Trainer Rob Atras said Sadie Lady, who breezed a half-mile in :49.26 Friday on the Saratoga main track, may consider waiting for the state-bred Union Avenue Handicap on August 19.

“We breezed her this morning and she went really well. It was just an easy half with a nice little gallop out,” Atras said. “We're probable to run but there's also a New York-bred stake in just over three weeks, so we'll talk it over with the owner.”

Atras said Sadie Lady is at her best on the engine.

“She runs her top race when she can get out front and dictate it a little bit,” Atras said.

Jose Ortiz retains the mount from post 3.

Almost Heaven Stables' Honey I'm Good enters from a neck win in the Regret, contested at six furlongs over a muddy Monmouth Park main track on July 3.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the 5-year-old Shackleford mare was a gate-to-wire winner of the six-furlong Harmony Lodge over muddy going at Belmont last June.

Honey I'm Good will emerge from post 7 under Ricardo Santana, Jr.

Truth Hurts, trained and co-owned by Chad Summers with J Stables, added blinkers and romped to a 5 3/4-length score last out under Luis Saez in the off-the-turf Perfect Sting at one mile over a sloppy and sealed Belmont main track on July 3.

The 4-year-old Ontario-bred daughter of Tonalist tried her luck at longer distances last season, including a third in the 1 1/16-mile Bison City at Woodbine.

Truth Hurts breezed a half-mile in :48.54 on July 20 on the Saratoga main track under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Summers said he is cautiously optimistic after her last-out win.

“I think it was good for her. The first time with blinkers on she was more aggressive,” Summers said. “She came out of the gate good and sat a perfect trip. I'm proud of how she finished up and she galloped out strong. She came out of the race like nothing. I know we'll be a big price on the board, but she's doing so well. Irad came out and breezed her the other day. He liked her and it gives me a lot of confidence going into Wednesday.”

Truth Hurts, who graduated at first asking sprinting 6 1/2-furlongs in December 2019 at the Big A, will shorten up to six furlongs for the first time.

“I think seven [furlongs] is probably her game, but she can go six,” Summers said. “With Sadie Lady and a few of the others with speed in there, I'm hoping we can work out a good trip.”

Rounding out a competitive field are Ain't No Elmers [post 1, Adam Beschizza], Reagan's Edge [post 2, Jose Lezcano], Don't Call Me Mary [post 6, Saez], and Miss Mosaic [post 8, Manny Franco].

The Honorable Miss is slated as Race 9 on Wednesday's 10-race card. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Estilo Talentoso marks the first graded stakes winner for trainer Juan Arriagada, and was off as the 5-2 second choice in the field of six.

“I feel like I'm blessed,” Arriagada said. “To be in Belmont today and to win with her, it's one of the more beautiful things that could happen in my life right now. I appreciate the owners giving me the opportunity.”

Race-favorite Victim of Love (9-5) broke on top, as expected, and was pressured by Pacific Gale through fractions of :22.90 and :45.87. Bayerness and Lake Avenue were also close to the pace early. Castellano kept Estilo Talentoso out in the clear going in the center of the course, though at the back of the compact field down the backstretch.

Lake Avenue got a perfect rail trip to challenge for the lead at the head of the lane, but Castellano had already moved Estilo Talentoso into contention while staying widest of all. Lake Avenue grabbed a brief advantage while Bayerness made a run up the rail, but Estilo Talentoso was able to get her neck in front in the final sixteenth of a mile.

“It went well,” Castellano said. “That's what I was looking for today. Everything worked out perfect, the way it was set up. The two speed horses [went to the front] and I tried to keep track of the third horse, outside, because there seemed to be a lot of puddles on the rail, but my horse helped me to handle the situation very well. When I asked her, she responded very well and did it very well.”

Lake Avenue had to settle for second, while Bayerness checked in third. Pacific Gale was fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Mile High Bloodstock, Estilo Talentoso is out of the unraced Afleet Alex mare Bazinga Baby. A $77,000 yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall sale, the filly later brought just $15,000 when selected by Arriagada at the OBS June sale. Estilo Talentoso began her career with four straight second-place finishes, and finally broke her maiden in her sixth start. She was stakes placed next out, and won the Escena Stakes at Gulfstream in August of her sophomore season. Since then Estilo Talentoso has twice hit the board in Grade 1 company, and the Bed o' Roses improves her overall record to 3-8-3 from 14 starts for earnings of over $430,000.

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Vault, a Pennsylvania bred trained by Brad Cox making just her second career graded stakes start, was unhurried breaking from the inside post, content to let Gibberish lead the field through the opening quarter-mile in 23.57 seconds and the half in 47.24 over the fast main track.

Taking back under Rosario, Vault saved ground entering the turn as 6-5 favorite Lake Avenue temporarily took command over Water White. Nearing the top of the stretch, Rosario tipped out his charge, as Gibberish and Water White were kept to the inside and Lake Avenue pressed on from the outside.

Vault found a seam between Lake Avenue and Water White, splitting the contenders in surging to the front. Water White, encouraged by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., gamely pursued Vault, but the 5-year-old Jump Start mare pulled away in a final time of 1:35.81 to notch her second consecutive win.

“She was a little slow out of there,” Rosario said. “Brad said to let her be comfortable where she was and come with a run and she did. She was pretty amazing.

“I was trying to stay inside, keep away from the dirt [kick back] and save some ground,” he added. “It looked like maybe I could go through inside, but then maybe not. So, I looked to go in between or maybe outside. When they split, I just went right in the middle [inside of Lake Avenue]. It was perfect.”

Owned by Kueber Racing, Barlar, Madaket Stables and Little Red Feather Racing, Vault entered off her first win of her campaign with a 1 3/4-length score against allowance company going 1 1/16 miles on March 27 at Oaklawn Park.

Her first foray over Belmont's Big Sandy was just her second career stakes appearance and first since a sixth-place effort in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher in July at Monmouth Park. She shipped in from her base at Churchill Downs and impressed her connections in her New York debut.

“They had her down in Kentucky and it took us a while to figure her out, but now it looks like we got the wheels spinning finally and she showed it today,” said Dustin Dugas, assistant to Cox. “The guys in Kentucky had her ready to roll. I'll talk to Brad and let him decide where we go next. He'll sit down with the partners and figure out a game plan from there.”

Vault improved to 7-6-2 in 21 career starts. She returned $8.80 on a $2 win wager.

EV Racing Stable's Water White, trained by Rudy Rodriguez, bested Our Super Freak by a length for second.

“I got a perfect trip,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “She got through on the inside and did everything right. We just got beat today. I was happy with it.”

Lake Avenue, Saguaro Row and Gibberish completed the order of finish that saw a finish of 1-thorugh-6 in program numerical order.

The 45th running of the Ruffian is named for the five-time Grade 1-winner and 1976 Hall of Fame inductee who was trained by Frank Whiteley, Jr. Ruffian, the 1974 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly and 1975 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly, broke down in a match race against Kentucky Derby-winner Foolish Pleasure in 1975. She is buried in the Belmont infield.

Live racing at Belmont resumes Thursday with a nine-race card that features a 3:05 p.m. Eastern first post.

Starting on May 1, Belmont Park re-opened to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

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The one-turn mile over the main track honors Stuart Janney, Jr.'s late dual champion filly, who is recognized as one of the greatest distaffers of all time. Her notable Grade 1-winning accomplishments include triumphs in the Spinaway, Mother Goose, Acorn, and Coaching Club American Oaks with most of her victories being earned by wide margins. Trained by Frank Whitley, Jr., Ruffian earned a spot in the Hall of Fame in 1976 and is buried in the infield at Belmont Park.

Owned by Paul Winandy's LBD Stable and David Ingordo, the husband of trainer Cherie DeVaux, Our Super Freak made both of her 2021 starts at Oaklawn Park, where she finished second in the Pippin on January 23 and against two-time champion Monomoy Girl in the Grade 3 Bayakoa on February 28.

“This is my first time running her a one-turn mile which is what I think she wants to do,” DeVaux said. “She can run the two-turn mile, since she has good position early and tactical speed, but I'm very interested to see how she handles the one-turn mile at Belmont.”

Originally campaigned on the Mid-Atlantic circuit by Jamie Ness, Our Super Freak notched her only stakes victory in the restricted Shine Again in September 2019 at Laurel Park, marking her final start for Ness.

“We're always looking for prospects that could be appealing as a broodmare and she has a really nice physical,” DeVaux said. “She already had some black type on her, and we were looking to see if putting a horse like her in our program would help increase her value. We looked at her physical and past performances and she checked all the boxes. She's a strong, gorgeous filly with some good form.”

Last season, Our Super Freak garnered graded stakes black type when finishing second to subsequent New Jersey Horse of the Year Horologist in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher in July at Monmouth Park and third to Letruska in the Grade 3 Shuvee in August at Saratoga.

“She's been unlucky having faced a lot of extremely nice fillies and mares like Letruska and Monomoy Girl,” DeVaux said. “She's faced a lot of good horses. We haven't backed down or been afraid of anyone. We're trying to find a spot to give her the best opportunity to get a graded stakes win.”

DeVaux said she is looking forward to possibly training a sibling of Our Super Freak in the near future, after her husband purchased the mare's dam Thatcher.

“When we had this filly, my husband found the broodmare. She was baren last year when we got her and they bred her to Catalina Cruiser, so she now has a beautiful Catalina Cruiser colt,” DeVaux said.

Breaking from post 3, Our Super Freak will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

Our Super Freak's largest obstacle to victory comes from Godolphin homebred Lake Avenue, who has done no wrong in her pair of starts this season for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The 4-year-old daughter of Tapit out of Grade 1-winner Seventh Street broke a step slow in her 2021 debut going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park, but was nevertheless all class winning by 4 ½ lengths in a February 3 allowance optional claimer.

She displayed another open-length triumph when returning to stakes company with vigor in the Heavenly Prize Invitational on April 3 at Aqueduct. The pair of wins were the quite the turnaround for Lake Avenue, who had not tasted victory in four starts last year. During her juvenile campaign, Lake Avenue broke her maiden second out by 12 ¾ lengths at Aqueduct before a four-length win in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at the Big A, winning both races in frontrunning fashion.

Lake Avenue breaks from post 4 under Junior Alvarado.

Gibberish, a dark bay Lea filly trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., arrives at the Ruffian off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Royal Delta on February 20. Breaking alertly when second from the rail, Gibberish initially displayed her usual frontrunning tactics, but was challenged on the front end by graded stakes winner Mrs. Danvers and gave way around the far turn, just missing third by a half-length.

Gibberish won her three starts prior, with all victories taking place at different tracks. After a five-length triumph travelling the one-turn mile last September at Gulfstream Park, Gibberish won going the same distance at Gulfstream Park West before shipping to Delta Downs for a victory in the Treasure Chest on November 27 over a sloppy and sealed track.

Bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm, Gibberish was selected as a weanling from the St. George Sales consignment at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale, where she was bought for $230,000. She is out of the Pulpit mare Nippy, who is a half-sister to stakes-winners Economic Model, Your Love and Well Monied.

Gibberish, breaking from post 6, will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano who targets his third Ruffian win.

Rounding out the field is Water White [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], a last out four-length winner of an optional-claiming mile, who captured the 2020 Busher Invitational at Aqueduct, Saguaro Row [post 5, Trevor McCarthy], a two-time stakes winner going one turn at the Big A, as well as stakes-winner Vault [post 1, Joel Rosario].

The Ruffian is slated as Race 8 on Sunday's nine-race card. First post is 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Winless in four start last year, the 4-year-old daughter of Tapit closed from far off the pace under Junior Alvarado to catch 35-1 pacesetter Dance d'Oro in mid-stretch on her way to a  4 ½-length triumph in the seven-furlong optional claiming allowance for older fillies and mares.

“She didn't break well at all and in these kinds of races you want to at least break good so you can move forward. But I just think she was much the best. Even with breaking a little slow like that, making my move a little bit wide, having the best horse just helps. She just kept going to the wire. She ran a pretty impressive race,” Alvarado said. “When we passed the half-mile pole, I was hoping that she wasn't just fooling me there because the way she was moving was like how I know she moved when she's on her game. She just proved it today. She kept going, kept moving along pretty good, and had a very strong, nice finish.”

Trained by Bill Mott, Lake Avenue ($8.20) was undefeated as a 2-year-old with Junior Alvarado aboard. She finished third behind future Preakness winner Swiss Skydiver in last year's Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) during her four-race 3-year-old campaign.

Dance d'Oro and jockey Emisael Jaramillo held second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Crumb Bun and jockey Luca Panici. Hopeful Growth, the 6-5 favorite who captured the Monmouth Oaks (G3) last year, finished fourth under Irad Ortiz Jr., in her first start since finishing third in the Oct. 3 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico.

Lake Avenue, a Godolphin homebred, ran seven furlongs in 1:23.46.

Thursday's Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $750,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $750,000 Thursday.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved for the six straight racing day Wednesday, when multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $6,886.32.

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 sequence will span Races 5-10.

WHO'S HOT:  Edgard Zayas notched his second straight four-win day Wednesday at Gulfstream Park. Fresh off a Sunday Grand Slam, the 27-year-old Zayas made four more visits to the winner's circle Wednesday following victories aboard Kantstaros ($13.80) in Race 1, Infatuating ($3.40) in Race 3, Codrington ($4.80) in Race 7 and R Adios Jersey ($3.40) in Race 8.

Zayas has ridden 54 winners during his breakthrough Championship Meet.

Saffie Joseph Jr. saddled his 29^th and 30^th winners of the Championship Meet, scoring with Infatuating ($3.40) in Race 3 and Nitro Time ($3.80) in Race 4. Antonio Sano also saddled a pair of winners, Leyenda ($26.80) in Race 6 Codrington ($4.80) in Race 7.

The post Gulfstream Park: Lake Avenue Regains Winning Ways; Thursday Rainbow 6 Jackpot Guaranteed at $750,000 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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