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Victim Of Love Goes Back-To-Back In Vagrancy Handicap

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Victim of Love made it back-to-back victories in the Grade 3 Vagrancy Handicap on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., sitting just off pacemaker Sadie Lady and wearing that rival down in the final furlong to win the 71st running of the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares by 2 1/4 lengths.

Sadie Lady nosed out 3-2 favorite Pacific Gale for second, with Piedi Bianchi and Honor Way completing the order of finish.

A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by Speightstown trained by Todd Beattie, Victim of Love was ridden to victory by Joel Rosario, who was scoring his fourth win of the day. She ran 6 1/2 furlongs on a fast track in 1:17.27 after chasing Sadie Lady through fractions of :23.01, :45.64 and 1:10.50.

Victim of Love paid $6.30 as the second choice in the wagering. She carried 121 pounds, one less than Honor Way and Pacific Gale. The latter, coming off back-to-back graded stakes victories this winter at Gulfstream Park, hopped in the air at the start under John Velazquez, breaking behind the field and then rushing up to each contention in the run down the backstretch.

“She came home really nicely and exploded at the end and I was really proud of that effort,” said Rosario. “She put in a really nice race. She's fast and it was a very good performance.”

Victim of Love began her career for Tommy Town and trainer Henry Dominguez as a 2-year-old in New Mexico, racing first at Zia Park and then at Sunland Park where she broke her maiden in her third start and earned black type next out in the Island Fashion Stakes.

Sent east to Beattie after her sixth start, Victim of Love added the What A Summer Stakes in January 2020 at Laurel, finished second in the G3 Barbara Fritchie and then took the Vagrancy in a 27-1 shocker over odds-on favorite Come Dancing.

She's now won six of 18 starts at seven different racetracks.

“Last year when she came here, she was a big price because she ran badly in the Nellie Morse [going one mile in March 2020 at Laurel Park] when we tried her going longer,” said Beattie. “I tried to rate her, but she wasn't happy about that. She wants to be up there and involved early. That's her number. The distance is perfect. Six and a half or seven furlongs is ideal. She can go a mile, but not at this level.”

Beattie said the Grade 3 Bed O' Roses on June 4 was a possibility but noted that Victim of Love was running without Lasix for the first time in the Vagrancy. “This was new territory for us,” said Beattie. “We're going to figure it out together.”

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Nine Victories Net Junior Alvarado Jockey Of The Week Title

Jockey Junior Alvarado had a very good week. With two stakes wins and a total of nine victories including five on a single day, Alvarado was voted Jockey of the Week for March 15 through March 21. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Alvarado's winning week at Gulfstream Park began Thursday with a win for trainer Jose D'Angelo. On Friday's card, Alvarado collected two wins for trainers Francisco D'Angelo and Michael De Paulo.

On Saturday, Alvarado took races 3, 6 and 9 for trainers Jose D'Angelo, Mark Casse and Bill Mott. In race 10, trainer John Kimmel gave a leg up to Alvarado on Pacific Gale in the G3 Hurricane Bertie Stakes, a 6-1/2 furlong sprint for older fillies and mares. With a ground-saving ride by Alvarado, Pacific Gale won by 3-1/2 lengths.

“I rode her a couple of times at Saratoga and Belmont. We always thought she was great but for some reason we never got the best of her,” Alvarado said. “She's stepping up right now. She's at a different level right now.”

One race later, Alvarado had the mount on Warrior's Pride in the Texas Glitter Stakes for trainer Antonio Cioffi, a fellow Venezuelan. Warrior's Pride broke running and never looked back completing the five-furlong dash in :55.37 over a firm turf course.

Speaking of trainer Cioffi, one of his biggest backers since returning to Gulfstream for the first time in 12 years, Alvarado said: “He's been a great help to me since I got here from Venezuela. This win actually meant a lot to me.”

Alvarado concluded his winning week with a victory on Sunday for trainer Mark Casse.

Of his decision to ride at Gulfstream for the winter where he rode his first winner in 2007, Alvarado commented: “The support I've been receiving from the owners and trainers has been beyond what I was expecting. It's been a really amazing experience and I can't wait to come back again next winter.”

Alvarado's weekly stats were 34-9-7-3 for a winning percentage of 26.4% and total purses of $304,630.

Alvarado out-polled Florent Geroux with two stakes wins at the Fair Grounds including the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks, Flavien Prat who won the G3 Sensational Star at Santa Anita and also collected 9 wins, Joel Rosario who won the G2 Louisiana Derby and Tim Thornton who also won nine races.

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Pacific Gale’s Hurricane Bertie One Of Five Winners On Day For Alvarado

Holly Hill Stable's Pacific Gale rolled to her second straight graded-stakes victory at Gulfstream Park Saturday, scoring a dominating victory in the $100,000 Hurricane Bertie (G3) and providing jockey Junior Alvarado with his fourth of five victories and first of two stakes successes on a 12-race card.

The 22^nd running of the Hurricane Bertie, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, was supported on Saturday's 12-race card by the $75,000 Texas Glitter, a five-furlong turf dash for older horses, and the $75,000 Melody of Colors, a five-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares.

Alvarado, who came back to ride Warrior's Pride to victory in the Texas Glitter two races later on the card, has ridden 48 winners while riding full time during the Championship Meet for the first time in 12 years. The 36-year-old native of Venezuela had been highly successful while riding at Aqueduct during the winter months in past years.

“The support I've been receiving from the owners and trainers has been beyond what I was expecting,” said Alvarado, who rode his first winner in the U.S. at Gulfstream in 2007. “It's been a really amazing experience and I can't wait to come back again next winter.”

The John Kimmel-trained Pacific Gale ($3.80), who had gone winless in 17 straight starts before impressively capturing the Jan. 23 Inside Information at Gulfstream under John Velazquez, came right back to score a 3 ½-length triumph in the Hurricane Bertie under a ground-saving ride by Alvarado.

“I rode her a couple times at Saratoga and Belmont. We always thought she was great but for some reason we never got the best of her,” Alvarado said. “She's stepping up right now. She's at another level right now.”

The 6-year-old daughter of Flat Out advanced along the rail to race behind pacesetter Cory Gal and to the inside of stalkers Sonar and Sound Machine. Sound Machine made a three-wide sweep on the turn to get the jump on the favorite and take the lead at the top of the stretch. Alvarado was able to ease Pacific Gale off the trail entering the stretch and the Kentucky-bred mare kicked in to rush past Sound Machine and draw off to win comfortably.

“I just had to make sure I stayed off the heels of everybody and make sure to give her a clear run from there,” Alvarado said. “She was there for me all the way around.”

Pacific Gale ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.93. Sound Machine held second, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Saguaro Row.

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Gulfstream Park: Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Has $1-Million Guarantee

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $1 million Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Friday for the eighth racing day in a row since a March 6 mandatory payout. Multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $28,355.44 Friday.

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, featuring three stakes. The $100,000 Hurricane Bertie, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, will headline the sequence in Race 10. John Kimmel-trained Pacific Gale, who captured the Inside Information (G2) last time out, is rated as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in a field of eight that includes Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Sound Machine, Kent Sweezey-trained Saguaro Row, and Patrick Biancone-trained Reluctant Bride.

The $75,000 Melody of Colors, a five-furlong turf dash for older fillies and mares, will kick off the Rainbow 6 sequence in Race 7. Wesley Ward-trained Wink is set to make her 2021 debut after winning her first two starts and finishing second in a Groupe 3 stakes in France last year.

A mile maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds follows in Race 8. Todd Pletcher-trained Tallis, who made a strong middle move before tiring in a fourth-place finish in his recent debut, is rated as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in a field of nine. Race 9, a well-balanced optional claiming allowance for older horses at 1 1/16 miles on turf, may prove to be a 'spread' race for many handicappers.

The Hurricane Bertie, which will kick off the second half of the sequence in Race 10, will be followed by the $75,000 Texas Glitter, a five-furlong turf dash for older horses. Ward-trained Carimba, who won both of his starts easily last year at five furlongs on turf, is set to make his 2021 debut in the Race 10 stakes.

A 7 ½-furlong turf race for $16,000 claimers drew a full field of older horses for Race 12.

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