Gulfstream Today: Junior Alvarado Reaches 2000-Win Milestone at Gulfstream

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream Today

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Jockey Junior Alvarado rode Broadway Force ($7.80) to victory in Saturday’s Race 5 at Gulfstream Park to reach the 2000-win career milestone.

“It hasn’t come easy for me – I’ve had a lot of injuries – but that’s what makes every win worth it,” Alvarado said following a winner’s circle celebration for his career riding feat. “A Grade 1 or a claiming race, I’m grateful for each win. I don’t take anything for granted.”

Alvarado’s achievement followed Tyler Gaffalione’s 2000th career victory on Friday afternoon at Gulfstream.

“It seems like a whole year since winning a race. I wanted it so bad. It seems like I was riding against 10 horses for each horse I was riding,” said Alvarado, who had gone winless in his 10 starts since winning his 1999th race Jan. 18. “Maybe I was over-trying. Today, I had a mindset to take it race by race, take it easy and not overdo anything.”

The 36-year-old journeyman is scheduled to ride Art Collector in next Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) presented by Baccarat at Gulfstream for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who has been one of his most loyal supporters for many years.

Alvarado won No. 2001 for Mott in Saturday’s Race 9 aboard Candy Man Rocket ($4.80), who was coming off an 11-month layoff since winning a Feb. 22 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream.

Alvarado is coming off a memorable and successful 2022 racing season, during which he rode Mott-trained Olympiad to four graded-stakes victories, including a win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). He finished second on Olympiad in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) behind Flightline but found the Keeneland winner’s circle aboard Mott-trained Cody’s Wish, who scored a feel-good triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

Alvarado, who rode his first career winner at La Rinconada in 2005, rode his first U.S. winner [Rodolfo Garcia-trained Satira] at Gulfstream Feb. 17, 2007, 15 days after making his U.S. debut at the Hallandale Beach track.

Alvarado has notched 17 Grade 1 victories while riding the winners off nearly $119 million in purses.

Alvarado moved on to the Chicago circuit in 2008 and steadily established himself as a force at both Arlington Park and Hawthorne. He began riding at Aqueduct during the winter months in 2012 and moved to ride fulltime on the New York circuit in 2012. For the past several winters, Alvarado has been riding at Gulfstream during the Championship Meet.

Roaring Forties Rolls to Sunshine Turf Victory

Borders Racing Stable Ltd.’s Roaring Forties ($17) rolled to a front-running victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Pegasus Turf at Gulfstream Park while making his first start against fellow Florida-breds.

The 7-year-old gelding, who had raced exclusively at Woodbine in his previous 23 career starts, had run against graded-stakes company in his two most recent starts.

Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan. Roaring Forties broke alertly to show the way around the first turn and along the backstretch while setting fractions of 23.10 and 47.69 seconds for the first half-mile of the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes. Challenged by Max K.O. on the turn into the homestretch, the son of Stormy Atlantic kicked away at the top of the stretch and held off a late-charging Hot Blooded by a half-length. Me and Mr. C closed steadily to finish third, another three-quarters of a length back.

Trained by Katerina Vassilieva, Roaring Forties ran 1 1/16 miles over a firm turf course in 1:40.57 to record his first stakes success.

In the Race 10, an optional claiming allowance for older horses, Barry Croft-trained Hope In Him ($4) rolled to his fourth-straight victory, setting a Tapeta course record while running five furlongs in 55.05 seconds under Jose Ortiz.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $600,000

The Rainbow 6 went unsolved at Gulfstream Park Saturday for the 12th racing day in a row following a single-ticket jackpot hit for $533,783.63.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $600,000.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is 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.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-10, featuring back-to-back optional claiming allowance events in Races 8 and 9.

In Race 8, a $86,000 race at five furlongs on turf for older horses, Todd Pletcher-trained Meetmeinkingston will seek to improve on a second-place finish under the same conditions Dec. 22.

Patrick Biancone-trained Diamond Wow is scheduled to make her first start on dirt since finishing fourth in last season’s Forward Gal (G3). Grade 2 stakes-placed on turf, the daughter of Lookin At Lucky won the Our Dear Peggy over Gulfstream Park’s main track as a 2-year-old.

Who’s Hot: Junior Alvarado took little time notching win No. 2001 aboard Candy Man Rocket ($4.80) in Race 9 after reaching the 2000-win milestone aboard Broadway Force ($7.80) in Race 5.

Jose Ortiz doubled, scoring aboard Danville ($7) in Race 2 and Hope In Him ($4) in Race 10.

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