Gulfstream: Jerry Bozzo, 97, Breaks Own Record with Gulfstream Victory

By Davi Joseph —-

Jerry Bozzo, 97, Breaks Own Record with Gulfstream Victory
World War II Veteran Still Oldest Trainer to History to Win a Race
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Carryover Rises to $412,491
Summer Meet Alumni Continue to Impress at Saratoga

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – When Gusty Wind drew off to win Saturday’s fifth race at Gulfstream Park by 3 ¾ lengths, Jerry Bozzo, 97, maintained his status as the oldest trainer to win a race in Thoroughbred racing history while breaking the record he set last year.

“It’s very gratifying. I wish I could have been there in the winner’s circle,” said Bozzo, who watched the historic victory on his home computer. “That would have pumped me up even more.”

A graduate of Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bozzo celebrated his 97th birthday last Oct. 25.

The retired aeronautical engineer, industrialist and World War II veteran sold his Pennsylvania bottle manufacturing company in 1969. He has been breeding and training Thoroughbreds in South Florida since the 1970s.

Bozzo became the oldest trainer to win a race June 3, 2017 when he sent out Cotton Tooyah for a 4 ½-length victory at Gulfstream Park. He surpassed the record of the late Noble Threewitt, who visited the winner’s circle for the last time two months after celebrating his 95th birthday.

Threewitt, who was born Feb. 24, 1911, was credited with being the oldest trainer to win a race when Threeatonce captured a maiden claiming race at Santa Anita on April 22, 2006.

Bozzo had already become the oldest trainer ever to saddle a stakes winner when homebred Flutterby won the Sea Lily at Gulfstream on May 30, 2015 before going on to finish second in the Princess Rooney (G2) and win two more stakes.

Gusty Wind ($14.80) rated far off the early pace under jockey Luca Panici before making a sweeping run on the turn into the homestretch and drawing clear to break his maiden in his sixth career start. Bozzo, who still actively trains a small stable at Gulfstream Park West, is also the breeder and owner of the 3-year-old son of Indy Wind.

“Good for him. He is a man with an amazing history, a World War II veteran,” said Panici, who stated that Bozzo had made contact to discuss Gusty Wind with him by phone Friday evening. “We had some nice wins with [Flutterby] a few years ago. I always enjoy riding from him.”

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Carryover Rises to $412,491

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 went unsolved at Gulfstream Park Saturday, creating a $412,491.92 carryover jackpot for Sunday’s program (First-race post time — 12:45 p.m.)

Multiple tickets with all six winners Saturday were each worth $6,791.72.

The carryover jackpot 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.

The Rainbow 6 has gone unsolved for 11 straight racing days following the June 30 mandatory payout of a pool in excess of $4 million that yielded a $196,953.84 payoff for each ticket with all six winners.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 7-12, including the $75,000 Coast Is Clear, a one-turn mile stakes featuring graded-stakes winners Conquest Big E, Mr. Jordan and Deland. Donna Green-trained Conquest Big E defeated 2017 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Florida Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming by three lengths in the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) March 31. Multiple-stakes winner Mr. Jordan will seek to rebound from a rare-off-the-board finish in the June 30 Smile Sprint (G3) that was compromised by a troubled start. Leland, a close second in an optional claiming allowance last time out, will seek his first stakes victory after winning multiple Grade 1 stakes in Puerto Rico.

Spring/Summer Meet Alumni Continue to Impress at Saratoga

Two-year-olds who debuted at Gulfstream Park during the Spring/Summer Meet continued to impress at Saratoga Race Course Saturday. Todd Pletcher-trained Sombeyay, who broke his maiden at Gulfstream April 27 by 6 ½ lengths, captured Saturday’s $150,000 Sanford Stakes (G3), completing a sweep of the 2-year-old stakes at Saratoga this weekend. In Friday’s $150,000 Schuylerville (G3), Mark Casse-trained Catherinethegreat, who finished second in her May 20 debut and broke her maiden by 10 ¼ lengths June 23 at Gulfstream, turned in a dazzling front-running victory.

In addition to the stakes victories by Spring/Summer Meet alumni, Pletcher-trained Seanow, who finished fifth in his debut over Gulfstream’s main track June 23, broke his maiden in Saturday in Saratoga’s second race in his turf debut.

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. The Stronach Group is also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.