Gulfstream News & Notes

By David Joseph —-

Ortiz Jr. Seeks Repeat Clasico Success
Ecuador’s Hopes Riding on El Kurdo
Handicapping the Clasico

HALLANDALE, BEACH – Irad Ortiz Jr. has amassed a worldwide fan base while establishing himself as an elite jockey since arriving to the U.S. from Puerto Rico in 2011, but the 26-year-old rider’s talent and success have never been more vocally celebrated than during the Clasico Internacional del Caribe at Gulfstream Park last December.

Ortiz Jr. was a frequent visitor to the winner’s circle, capturing three of the five stakes in the event that was held outside the Caribbean and Latin America for the first time. With each visit, his fans’ reception became more and more boisterous.

“That was great. Winning those races kind of races are very special to be because I grew up watching those races,” he said. “A lot of Latin people came here to watch the races. They are big fans. They know me and all the jockeys. They were calling my name. It was very exciting.”

Ortiz Jr. has mounts in all five races in Saturday’s $600,000 Clasico Internacional del Caribe, which will be hosted by Gulfstream Park for a second time. His two most high-profile mounts will be Kukulkan, Mexico’s Triple Crown champion who is undefeated in 13 starts, in the $300,000 Clasico del Caribe; and Jala Jala, last year’s Clasico del Caribe winner, in the $100,000 Copa Confraternidad del Caribe.

Jala Jala defeated the boys by nine-lengths in the Clasico del Caribe, a 1 1/8-mile stakes for 3-year-olds based in the Caribbean and Latin America.

“That was big for me. Of all the races I watched in Puerto Rico, that race was very special to me,” Ortiz Jr. said.

The Mexican-bred daughter of Point Determined will face males again this year in the Copa Confraternidad del Caribe, a 1 ¼-mile event for older horses based in the Caribbean and Latin America.

“She’s been doing it against the boys there again. She’s been winning,” Ortiz Jr. said. “She has a big heart. She’s a nice filly.”

Kukulkan, who is rated at 3-5 in the morning line, will provide his jockey with a solid chance for a repeat victory in the Clasico del Caribe.

“I galloped him (Thursday) morning. He felt good. He has a lot of class. It looks like he has a lot of talent,” Ortiz Jr. said. “He can do anything. He wins from off the pace; he wins close to the pace; and he wins on the lead.”

Ortiz Jr. also has mounts in the Copa Invitacional (Mishegas), the Copa Dama del Caribe (Kutzamala), and the Copa Velocidad (Tati). He also has mounts in five of the six open stakes for 2-year-olds on the Clasico Internacional del Caribe undercard on Saturday’s all stakes program with an 11:50 first-race post time.

Ecuador’s Hopes Riding on El Kurdo

Stud David Y Daniel’s El Kurdo, second in the Copa Invitacional during last year’s Clasico Internacional del Caribe program, will have a chance to reverse that finish Saturday at Gulfstream.

A 7-year-old son of Giacomo, El Kurdo enters the 1 ¼-mile Copa Invitacional with a perfect 4-0 record this year in Ecuador, where he is based. The most recent win came by 22 lengths Oct. 8, marking his 21st victory from 42 career starts.

“This year was really cool because his first race was just 5 ½ furlongs and he was able to win. To have that ability where you can win from 5 ½ to a mile and a quarter is really, really quite unique,” trainer Chad Summers said. “They weren’t sure if they were going to send this horse or Kingdom Road and we were watching the last race to kind of figure out what was what.

“He actually won the last prep by 22 lengths and Kingdom Road finished third, and Kingdom Road since has come back and won two in a row, so that’s kind of flattered the form a little bit of El Kurdo,” he added. “The real question is going to be where Ecuador’s best stacks up with some of the other countries.”

This is the second straight year that Summers, based at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, has handled El Kurdo’s North American preparation for the Clasico del Caribe. El Kurdo stayed in South Florida to run in the two-mile H. Allen Jerkens Stakes on Gulfstream’s turf three weeks after the Copa Invitacional before heading back to Ecuador.

“My main clients are from Ecuador. They were kind of one of the first ones to give me an opportunity, so it means a lot to me to have that opportunity to kind of pay it back to them,” he said. “To represent Ecuador in the Clasico del Caribe is something that means a lot to us.”

Summers is best known for his work as trainer and co-owner of multiple Grade 1-winning New York-bred Mind Your Biscuits, retired Nov. 14 with eight wins and nearly $4.3 million in purse earnings from 25 career starts, the last coming in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 3. Ecuador’s J Stables was also a co-owner.

“The purse might not be huge deal, but this is a big, big deal to all the countries here that are involved, and to have it here at Gulfstream Park and everything else is great. Here at the barn there’s just a sea of people. The buzz for this is no different from being in the Breeders’ Cup a month ago,” Summers said. “It really is cool to see how excited everyone is from these countries. It’s a big festival day and it would mean a lot to the country of Ecuador to bring El Kurdo home a winner.

“I’ve been fortunate to go to the Breeders’ Cup, to go to Dubai, to be a part of the Triple Crown races and stuff like that, and from an energy and excitement level I would put this right up there with all of them,” he added. “The will to win and desire to win from all the connections is very, very strong and it’s something where there’s a lot on the line more than money.”

El Kurdo drew the far outside post in a field of seven for the Copa Invitacional that includes defending champion Coltimus Prime, Group 1 winner California Music and Group 2 winner Trincheto from Panama; Going Strong and Group 1 winner Mishegas from Puerto Rico; and multiple stakes winner Wildcat Wish from Mexico.

“I have a lot of respect for the Panamanian horses, and California Music is a really good horse. Obviously we know how good Mishegas is, and Coltimus Prime won it last year,” Summers said. “It’s a salty field. All four of those horses are quality horses that can compete here in America. We’re going face each other here and see how it shakes out.”

Handicapping the Clasico

Gulfstream’s Spanish hosts and handicappers Alfredo Alfonzo, Pedro Casella, Caribe Palma, Claudia Spadaro and guest Joe Bruno have made their selections for Saturday’s Clasico Internacional del Caribe.

Saturday’s program will be broadcast in English and Spanish at GulfstreamPark.com. The Clasico will also be shown live between 4-5 p.m. on ESPN Deportes, hosted by Alfonzo, Casella, Palma and Spadaro.

Invitational
Alfonzo: Mishegas
Casella: Mishegas
Palma: Mishegas
Spadaro: El Kurdo
Bruno: Mishegas

Lady Caribbean
Alfonzo: Kutzamala
Casella: Kutzamala
Palma: Kutzamala
Spadaro: Regalada
Bruno: Regalada

Caribbean Cup Speed
Alfonzo: Tati
Casella: Hierro Colado
Palma: Tati
Spadaro: Hierro Colado
Bruno: Tati

Confraternidad
Alfonzo: Jala Jala
Casella: Exclusivo
Palma: Jala Jala
Spadaro: Jala Jala
Bruno: Exclusivo

Clasico
Alfonzo: Kukulkan
Casella: Kukulkan
Palma: Kukulkan
Spadaro: Kukulkan
Bruno: Kukulkan

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.