Opa-Locka | Horse Racing Free Tips

After adding the inaugural Fall Meet title to his ever-growing list of accomplishments at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is setting his sights on the upcoming 2021-2022 Championship Meet.

Joseph, whose 36 victories during the fall more than doubled the total of nearest competitor Jorge Delgado, finished second behind perennial leader Todd Pletcher during last season's Championship Meet, eight wins behind the Hall of Famer's total of 58 wins.

“The Championship Meet is Todd's meet. Last year, we were pretty close, but we didn't have as many horses as we have this year. I think we can give him a run for his money,” Joseph said. “He's a legend at Gulfstream. What is it, 15, 16, 17 years? We hope to follow in his footsteps and one day take a run at him. Will it be this year, next year, or the future? I think with the horses were getting and with so many owners supporting us, I think it's possible.”

The 34-year-old Barbados native has long been a fan of the newly inducted Hall of Famer, who has captured 18 consecutive Championship Meet titles.

“I grew up coming here from Barbados on holiday when I was 16, 17, seeing Todd. I would just bet Todd and Johnny V [Velazquez]. That was my favorite combination,” Joseph said. “Just being able to compete against him – he's an icon trainer – I'm just thankful to be in this position.”

Joseph understands he, alone, can't dethrone the longstanding king of Gulfstream.

“I'm just thankful for the horses we have for the people we train for. We have a good team. That's the important thing – you need the horses and a good team behind you,” Joseph said.

Joseph did get the better of Pletcher Sunday when he saddled Girolamo's Attack ($4.20) for a front-running victory in the $60,000 Miami Gardens Handicap. Pletcher-trained Fearless, who captured the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile in February, finished second while coming off a six-month layoff.

Jockey Edgard Zayas, who dominated the Fall Meet title race with 43 wins, once again enjoyed success while teaming with Joseph Sunday while guiding Girolamo's Attack to victory in the mile overnight handicap, in which he carried five pounds fewer than Fearless, the 125-pound highweight.

Girolamo's Attack, who captured the Oct. 27 Miami Beach Handicap in similar fashion, set fractions of :24.12 for the first quarter and :46.57 for the first half mile before holding off Fearless through the stretch to win by a length in 1:34.50.

“His last race was a huge race, but I wasn't sure if because the fractions were so slow, he kicked on and got brave. But today, he definitely showed he's getting better and getting to be a nice horse,” Zayas said. “Early in this horse's career, he had some mental problems. He was a little crazy, but I think he's getting it all together. Today, he acted super professional.”

Fresh off a dominant Spring/Summer Meet title campaign, the 28-year-old native of Puerto Rico finished with 14 wins more than runner-up Chantal Sutherland.

“I'm really happy and blessed. I'm really appreciative of all the opportunities I get from the owners and trainers,” Zayas said. “The quality of horses in South Florida this time of year is getting better, and I've been getting on some nice horses. Hopefully, there are some big things coming up.”

Zayas finished fifth in wins and purses-won during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet and looks forward to the upcoming winter meet that gets underway Dec. 3.

“It's definitely a new challenge. We did pretty good last year. We finished in the Top 5. I'm looking forward to the Championship Meet. I'm super, super excited,” Zayas said.

Zayas and Joseph also teamed for a victory with Designed for Kitten ($6.40) in the Fall Meet's finale.

In Sunday's co-featured Opa-Locka, a mile overnight handicap for fillies and mares, Helping Lisa D ($9.40) pulled off a mild upset following a ground-saving ride by Paco Lopez. The Steven Dwoskin-trained 6-year-old daughter of Flat Out, rated well off the early pace set by 8-5 favorite Dance d'Oro before rallying along the rail to score by 1 ½ lengths in 1:36.50.

The post Saffie Joseph Jr. Sets His Sights On Winning Gulfstream Championship Meet Training Title appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

A mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool yielded multiple payoffs of $41,039.94 Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The popular multi-race wager had gone unsolved for 21 racing days in a row following a $461,035.47 jackpot payoff Oct. 9 at Gulfstream Park.

There was one ticket eligible to take down the whole pool heading into the final race of the six-race sequence (Races 5-10) with No. 5 Spinning Kitten, who finished off the board.

The Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot is usually 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 usually goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool. However, on mandatory-payout days, the entire pool is paid out to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the six-race sequence.

A jackpot pool of $450,473.78 was carried over to Saturday's program. Betting on the six-race sequence reached $2,048,201 Saturday.

The Rainbow 6 will start anew Sunday, the closing day of the inaugural Fall Meet, with a $75,000 jackpot pool guarantee. Sunday's first-race post time is sent for Noon.

Sunday's program will be co-headlined by a pair of $60,000 overnight handicaps at a mile – the Miami Gardens for 3-year-olds and up in Race 3 and the Opa-Locka for fillies and mares in Race 10.

Todd Pletcher-trained Fearless, who captured the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile last winter, is scheduled to come off a six-month layoff in the Miami Gardens. Rated as the 1-2 favorite in the morning line, the Repole Stable's 5-year-old son of Ghostzapper followed up his Gulfstream Park Mile score with a close second in the G2 Oaklawn Handicap and a third in the G3 Pimlico Special before going to the sidelines. Paco Lopez has the call.

Steve Budhoo-trained Eye of a Jedi, who captured the G3 Ghostzapper during the Championship Meet, and Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Girolamo's Attack, who captured the Oct. 27 Miami Beach Handicap, will challenge Fearless.

Joseph Jr.-trained Queen Nekia, also a graded-stakes winner during the Championship Meet, is scheduled to return from a three-month layoff in the Opa-Locka. The 6-year-old daughter of Harlington, who captured the G3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream, went on to finish fourth in the G1 Ogden Phipps at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and third in the G2 Delaware Handicap in Wilmington, Del.

The post Mandatory Rainbow 6 Jackpot Payout Yields $41,039 Payoff Saturday At Gulfstream appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post