GULFSTREAM TODAY: Quip, Vino Rosso Top Noms for Feb. 23 Hal’s Hope (G3)

By David Joseph —-

GULFSTREAM TODAY
2.14.19

Quip, Vino Rosso Top Noms for Feb. 23 Hal’s Hope (G3)
Saturday’s Royal Delta Honors Hall of Fame Finalist
Video Link: Friday’s Stronach 5 All Star Ticket
Friday’s Rainbow 6 Carryover Jackpot Grows to $88,083
Irad Ortiz Jr. Stays Hot with Three More Winners

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Quip and Vino Rosso, prominent names on the 2018 Road to the Triple Crown, are prominent among 25 nominees for the $100,000 Hal’s Hope (G3) at Gulfstream Park Feb. 23.

Trainer Rodolphe Brisset is targeting the mile stakes for 4-year-olds for Quip’s return from a nine-month layoff after scratching the son of Distorted Humor from Saturday’s Mineshaft Handicap (G3) at Fair Grounds due to a ‘bad draw’ (Post No. 13).

Owned by WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club International Ltd. and SF Racing LLC, Quip captured last year’s Tampa Bay Derby (G2) prior to finishing second in the Arkansas Derby (G1). Quip skipped the Kentucky Derby (G1) and finished off the board in the Preakness Stakes (G1) after a troubled start. The WinStar homebred has been working sharply at Payson Park in Indiantown, FL.

St. Elias Stable and Repole Stable’s Vino Rosso captured the Wood Memorial (G2) prior to an off-the-board finish in the Kentucky Derby. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Curlin went on to finish fourth in the Belmont Stakes (G1), third in the Jim Dandy (G2) and fifth in the Travers (G1) before going to the sideline.

Robert LaPenta and Head of Plains Partners LLC’s Coal Front and Richard Otto Stables Inc.’s Sir Anthony were nominated to the Hal’s Hope off graded-stakes victories during the Championship Meet.

Pletcher-trained Coal Front, a Grade 2 winner in 2017, drew off to an impressive 3 ¾-length triumph in the Dec. 22 Mr. Prospector (G3) in his second start off a 13-month layoff.

Anthony Mitchell-trained Sir Anthony rallied from off the pace to upset heavily favored Audible by a half-length in the Dec.15 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream.

Graded stakes winners Imperative, Mr. Freeze, Mr Jordan, Noble Indy and Wild Shot have also been nominated to the Hal’s Hope, which will headline a program that will also offer the $75,000 Melody of Colors, a five-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-old fillies, and $75,000 Texas Glitter, a five-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds.

Saturday’s Royal Delta a Tribute to Hall of Fame Finalist

Saturday’s $150,000 Royal Delta (G3) at Gulfstream Park will pay tribute to the three-time Eclipse Award champion who was announced Thursday as a finalist for the Thoroughbred Hall of Fame.

Royal Delta was named champion 3-year-old filly champion in 2011 and champion older female in 2012 and 2013. She won back-to-back editions of the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (G1) in 2011 and 2012. Trained by Bill Mott, the daughter of Empire Maker kicked off her 2013 campaign at Gulfstream with a five-length romp in the Sabin (G2), which was subsequently renamed to honor her accomplishments.

Dorothy Alexander Matz’s Tequilita, an impressive 2 ½-length winner of the Dec. 12 Rampart (G3) at Gulfstream, has been installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s mile stakes for older fillies and mares.
Video Link: Friday’s Stronach 5 All Star Ticket

Friday’s Stronach 5, a multi-race, multi-track wager with an industry-low 12-percent takeout and a $100,000 pool guarantee, will kick off at 4:10 p.m. with Race 8 at Gulfstream Park, followed by Race 9 at Laurel Park, Race 4 at Santa Anita, Race 11 at Gulfstream and Race 5 at Golden Gate Fields.

All Star Ticket Video Link: https://youtu.be/zVLRZL_Ra4w
Free Past Performances: http://www.laurelpark.com/handicapping/stronach-pick-5

The Stronach 5 is a $1 minimum wager that is hosted by the Maryland Jockey Club. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to next Friday.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 Carryover Jackpot Grows to $88,083

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot for Friday’s program at Gulfstream Park grew to $88,083.69 Thursday, when the popular multi-race wager went unsolved for the third racing day in a row since a mandatory payout yielded multiple payoffs of $100,919.88 last Saturday.

Multiple tickets with all six winners Thursday were each worth $428.30.

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.

Who’s Hot: Irad Ortiz Jr., fresh off his four-win day Wednesday, won more races Thursday aboard Winning Drive ($4) in Race 5, Diva’s Revenge ($2.40) in Race 8 and A Bit of Both ($3.40) in Race 10.
Ortiz now trails two-time defending titlist Luis Saez, 84-78.

Jason Servis trains Winning Drive, Diva’s Revenge, and a Bit of Both.

Rainbow 6 Carryover Jackpot: $88,083

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. For more information contact David Joseph at david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com or call 954.457.6451.