Gulfstream Today 3.3.17: – Guaranteed All-Stakes Late Pick 4, Late Pick 5 for Fountain of Youth Day

By David Joseph —-

Apprentice Rider Jimenez Earns First North American Victory Friday
Guaranteed All-Stakes Late Pick 4, Late Pick 5 for Fountain of Youth Day
G3 Winner Power Alert Nominated for Three-Peat in $75,000 Silks Run
$75,000 Captiva Island Draws 17 Nominations in March 11 Co-Feature

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Apprentice rider Manny Jimenez scored his first North American victory Friday afternoon at Gulfstream Park aboard the pacesetting Killin Them Softly for trainer Jorge Navarro in the fifth race.

The 18-year-old Jimenez, a 10-pound apprentice, won two races in his native Panama before accepting his first ride in the United States Feb. 22 at Gulfstream. Killin Them Softly represented his fourth mount in this country.

Jimenez guided the 7-year-old Killin Them Softly ($15.60) to a 1 ¼-length victory in the 5 ½-furlong dirt race for $6,250 claimers, finishing in 1:06.23 over a fast main track for her 17th lifetime win.

“I’m going to make [Jimenez] a star,” Navarro said. “You can tell he got tired toward the end of the race, but that’s not his fault. He’s a very good rider, and his English is very good and that will help him.”

Jimenez said he enjoyed this victory every bit as much as he did his first-ever win, which came Dec. 8.

“I’m excited to start another part of my career here in the United States,” he said. “I have much to look forward to.”

Guaranteed All-Stakes Late Pick 4, Late Pick 5 for Fountain of Youth Day

As part of a nine-stakes program worth $1.5 million led by the $400,000 Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth (G2) featuring some of the top 3-year-olds in the country, Gulfstream will offer guaranteed pools in the 50-cent Late Pick 4, 50-cent Late Pick 5 and 20-cent Rainbow 6.

The Late Pick 4 (Races 10-13) will have a guaranteed pool of $600,000, while the Rainbow 6 (Races 8-13) will be guaranteed at $400,000 and the Late Pick 5 (Races 9-13) at $300,000.

Also on Saturday’s card are the $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale for 3-year-old fillies, $100,000 Fred Hooper (G3) for 4-year-olds and up at a mile and six turf stakes including the $200,000 Mac Diarmida (G2), $150,000 The Very One (G3), $150,000 Canadian Turf (G3), $100,000 Palm Beach (G3) and $100,000 Herecomesthebride (G3).

The Late Pick 4 will include, in order, the Davona Dale, Canadian Turf, Mac Diarmida and Fountain of Youth. The Late Pick 5 kicks off with the Palm Beach while the Rainbow 6 opens with a 13-horse maiden allowance at seven furlongs.

There will also be a $12,233.77 Super Hi 5 carryover in the first race.

G3 Winner Power Alert Nominated for Three-Peat in $75,000 Silks Run

Grade 3 winner Power Alert, undefeated in five career starts at Gulfstream Park for co-owner and trainer Brian Lynch, is nominated to go after his third straight victory in the $75,000 Silks Run.

The fourth running of the five-furlong Silks Run for 4-year-olds and up on turf shares top billing with the $75,000 Captiva Island for fillies and mares 4 and older on the Saturday, March 11 program.

Australian-bred gelding Power Alert is five-for-five on the Gulfstream turf course with back-to-back victories in the Silks Run by 1 ½ combined lengths. His other local wins came in his North American debut, a five-furlong allowance in December 2014 and successive editions of the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, most recently on Jan. 28 to kick off his 7-year-old campaign.

Mongolian Saturday has one win in seven starts, the Woodford (G3) in October at Keeneland, since his 15-1 upset of the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) over that same course. He was off the board last time out in the GP Turf Sprint.

Also nominated are Grade 3 winner Doctor J Dub; Manhattan Dan, winner of two turf stakes at Gulfstream during last year’s Championship Meet; and stakes winners Conquest Tsunami, Gorgeous Bird, Super Spender and Weekend Hideaway

Multiple stakes winners Brandy’s Girl and Ruby Notion, and Stoneway Farm’s Pretty Perfection, a winner of two straight including the Ladies Turf Sprint Jan. 28 at Gulfstream, top the nominees to the Captiva Island.

Stakes winners Coco as in Chanel, Ready for Romance and Triple Chelsea and Elusive Joni, yet to finish worse than third with four wins in seven starts since being switched to the turf, are also among the nominees.

Who’s Hot: Meet-leading rider Luis Saez picked up a pair of wins with Over Limit ($6) in the fourth race and Albert Charles ($8.40) in the eighth. Jose Ortiz was also a double winner aboard Tiz a Kitten ($4) in the sixth and In Closing ($6.20) in the ninth. Over Limit was one of two wins on the day for trainer Antonio Sano, along with Elsenordeloscielos ($20.80) in the second.

Gulfstream Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; XpressBet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets.