Gulfstream Today: Graded-Stakes Trio Top Mr. Prospector (G3) Nominations

By David Joseph —-

Graded-Stakes Trio Top Mr. Prospector (G3) Nominations
Live Racing Returns Wednesday with $408,116 Rainbow 6 Carryover
Trainer Shamir Maragh Saddles First Career Winner

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Graded-stakes winners Coal Front, Conquest Big E and Wild Shot are prominent among 14 horses nominated to the 64th running of the $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) for 3-year-olds and up going seven furlongs Saturday, Dec. 22.

Robert LaPenta and Head of Plains Partners’ Coal Front won four of six starts in 2017 including front-running scores in the 6 ½-furlong Amsterdam (G2) at Saratoga and six-furlong Gallant Bob (G3) at Parx. The 4-year-old Stay Thirsty ridgling went unraced for more than 13 months before returning to be fifth in the seven-furlong Bold Ruler (G3) Nov. 2 at Aqueduct.

Daniel Hurtak’s Conquest Big E notched the biggest win of his career with a 12-1 upset of 2017 Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming in the Gulfstream Park Hardacre Mile (G2) March 31. Also second in the Fred Hooper (G3) last winter, the 5-year-old Tapit gelding returned to the winner’s circle with a gate-to-wire optional claiming allowance triumph going seven furlongs Nov. 7 at Gulfstream Park West.

Calumet Farm’s Wild Shot ran second, third and fourth in graded-stakes at 2 and 3 before breaking through with a four-length victory in the 2017 Pat Day Mile (G3) on the Derby undercard Winless in four starts since, he ended a 15-month break between starts running second to Copper Bullet in a seven-furlong allowance Nov. 23 at Churchill Downs.

Also among the nominees are Sweetontheladies, third this year in the H. Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga and Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) at Laurel Park; and multiple stakes winners Cautious Giant, Kroy, Mo Dont No and Uno Mas Modelo.

Live Racing Returns Wednesday with $408,116 Rainbow 6 Carryover

There will be a jackpot carryover of $408,116.25 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 when live racing returns to Gulfstream Park with a 10-race program Wednesday, Dec. 19.

First race post time is 12:35 p.m.

A total of $163,518 was bet Sunday into the Rainbow 6, which began with a carryover of $368,877 from Saturday’s stakes-filled program. Multiple tickets were sold with all six winners, each worth $1,020.14.

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.

Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 sequence spans Races 5-10, highlighted by a $47,000 optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and older at 1 1/16 miles on the newly refurbished turf course which attracted a field of 11 led by 123-pound topweight She’s Right Again.

Notes: Jacks a Warrior ($4.60) was a front-running four-length winner of Sunday’s third race, a 5 ½-furlong claimer for 3-year-olds and up, to give Shamir Maragh his first win as a trainer. The winning time was 1:06.17 over a fast main track. It was the 15th career starter for Maragh, who had seven seconds and three thirds before his breakthrough victory. Jacks a Warrior was also Maragh’s first starter, finishing fourth on Aug. 25 at Gulfstream.

Rainbow 6 Carryover: $408,11625

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.