Jesus’ Team On Schedule For March 27 Dubai World Cup

Jesus' Team, who finished second behind Knicks Go in the $3-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., continues to train forwardly toward a scheduled start in the $12-million Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan in the United Arab Emirates on March 27.

Trainer Jose D'Angelo reported Sunday that the 4-year-old son of Tapiture exited Saturday's 1:01.45 breeze at Palm Meadows in good order.

“It was an easy work, a maintenance work,” D'Angelo said. “Next week, he'll work six-furlongs.”

Luis Saez, who has been aboard for his last three starts, has been signed on to ride Jesus' Team in Dubai.

Jesus' Team, who broke his maiden for a $32,000 claiming price at Gulfstream last March, has been stakes-placed in his last six starts, including a third-place finish in the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes (G1), a second-place finish in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland, and his runner-up effort in the Pegasus that boosted his bankroll over the $1 million mark.

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Irad Ortiz Jr. Rides Six Winners At Gulfstream: ‘Tomorrow, Everybody WIll Forget’

Two-time defending Championship Meet titlist Irad Ortiz Jr. rode six winners on Saturday's 12-race program at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

After notching a natural hat trick with victories aboard Hard Game ($8) in Race 2, Noble Empire ($3) in Race 3 and Bourbon in May ($7.60) in Race 4, Ortiz scored aboard Great Island ($2.60) in Race 6, the $100,000 Suwannee River, Democracy ($15.60) in Race 7, and R Mercedes Boy ($5.60) in Race 9.

Ortiz has ridden a meet-leading 76 winners, 16 more than Luis Saez.

“You never think that you're going to win that many races, but you come here positive,” Ortiz said. “You try to win every race. I ride all my horses with the same mind. I try to win, no matter what. I think that helps. I got the right horses, too. My agent does a great job and all the trainers support me. They give me a lot of good chances, and the owners. Right now, we're in a good position, thank God. I'm glad. I feel great.

“It's pretty great. You don't have too many days like this, so I just enjoy it. For me, honestly, I go home and it's just another day. Tomorrow everybody will forget what happened today. I just move on. I celebrate the way I want to; I go home with my family. That's it, and tomorrow is a new day.”

The record for most wins on a Gulfstream program is 7, shared by Jerry Bailey (3/11/96), Tyler Gaffalione (7/4/17), Luis Saez (1/24/18 and 3/29/18) and Paco Lopez (3/21/20).

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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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Zaajel Starts Slow, Finishes Fast To Win Gulfstream’s Forward Gal

Shadwell Stable's Zaajel, a striking bay 3-year-old filly by Street Sense, stepped up from a maiden victory in her debut to a graded victory in Saturday's $100,000 Forward Gal (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Luis Saez, Zaajel took the lead entering the stretch from pacesetter Queen Arella to win the Forward Gal by 1 ¼ lengths. Lady Traveler, making her first start since the Golden Rod (G3) in November, closed for the place and Wholebodemeister finished third, with Dial to Win fourth.

The top four finishers split 17 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points with 10 for first, four for second, two for third and one for fourth.

Zaajel covered seven furlongs in 1:24.72. She paid $3.20 to win as the odds-on favorite. The filly broke her maiden Dec. 20 at Gulfstream by 7 ¼ lengths.

Queen Arella went to the front in the Forward Gal and posted an opening quarter in :22.77 and a half in :46.03 before Zaajel, who broke second to last, cruised to the front entering the stretch under Saez and held safe to the finish.

“She was misbehaving in the gate and she missed the break a little,” Saez said. “After that, she just kept coming and everything went well, and she kept coming.”

“I was really pleased with the outcome. I was pretty concerned at the start. She got a little antsy in the gate and missed the break, and she put in a long, sustained run,” Pletcher said. “That's hard to do, especially in her second start going from a maiden to a graded stake. But she's trained like a quality filly and she overcame some adversity today so we're proud of her.”

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