Gulfstream Today 2 2 24: Irad Ortiz Jr. Seeks First G3 Holy Bull Victory

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream Today

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Irad Ortiz Jr. has notched multiple victories in both the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) and $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) on Gulfstream Park’s Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1), but the two-time defending Championship Meet titlist will seek a breakthrough win in Saturday’s $250,000 Holy Bull (G3).

Ortiz has the return mount aboard Inveigled in Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds that will headline a program with five stakes, including four graded stakes for 3-year-olds.

Jane Cibelli-trained Inveigled is rated at 12-1 on the morning-line for his meeting with Fierceness, the 3-5 morning-line-favorite who is coming off dominating victory in the Nov.4 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita, and six other 3-year-olds. Inveigled is coming off a troubled fourth-place finish in the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man, the one-turn mile Curlin Florida Derby prep.

“I had a little trouble going from the three-eighths pole to the quarter pole. He’s a big horse with a long stride and I had to take a hold and wait and wait too long for his style of racing. He finished good,” Ortiz said. “I think he’ll like two turns.”

The son of Enticed, who finished 1 ½ lengths behind victorious Otello, entered the Mucho Macho Man off an impressive 4 ¾ lengths victory under Ortiz in a one-turn mile optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream.

“He ran beautiful. He won for fun. He’s still learning. He got the lead that day and the thought the race was over. He was a little green, but he has the talent,” said Ortiz, who won last season’s Fountain of Youth and Curlin Florida Derby aboard Forte.

In addition to his successes aboard Forte, Ortiz also captured the Florida Derby aboard Known Agenda in 2021 and the Fountain of Youth on Promises Fulfilled in 2016.

Jose D’Angelo Saddles Four Winners Friday

Trainer Jose D’Angelo saddled four winners on Friday’s Gulfstream program. D’Angelo teamed with Irad Ortiz Jr. for victories with Breezer ($4.40) in Race 1 and Ashima ($6.20) in Race 3. D’Angelo returned to the Gulfstream winner’s circle after Race 5 with It’s Goodtobe Jose ($9.60) and after Race 8 with Admissible ($8.80).

“I’m very happy, very proud of my team and my horses,” D’Angelo said. “It’s a tough meet. We had a lot of seconds, almost 20, but today was a good day. We wanted to win the last race, too, but we lost by less than a nose. We have one more to come tonight at Turfway, so hopefully we get five.

“Every day we come here, I say, ‘Let us have a good day. Let us have a good day.’ And today was a good day.”

Rainbow 6 Hit, Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Sequence Includes Five Stakes

The Rainbow 6 was hit Friday for $103,388.60.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is estimated at $75,000, where the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) will be featured in a sequence with five stakes, four graded, for 3-year-olds. The five stakes will also make up the Late Pick 5 sequence.

The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 7-12, headlined by the 3-year-old debut of Fierceness in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull in Race 12. Todd Pletcher-trained Fierceness, who was named 2023 champion 3-year-old at last week’s Eclipse Awards banquet, has been installed as the 3-5 morning-line favorite and will surely be the bettors’ most popular ‘single.’ Fierceness is coming off a 6 ¼-lengths romp in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita.

The Rainbow 6 will be kicked off in Race 7 by a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds on Tapeta. Pletcher-trained El Megeeth returns from a highly promising third-place finish in his recent debut. Trainer Christophe Clement is represented by two first-time starters, Jitterbug, a son of Justify, and Mizoula, a son of Zoustar. Victor Barboza Jr. will send out Majestic Venezuela for a bid to break a streak of three straight second-place finishes.

Pletcher-trained Life’s an Audible, who followed up an off-the-board finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) with a runner-up finish in the Jan. 6 Ginger Brew, and Jack Sisterson-trained Milliat, who lost a photo to next-out winner Ozara while finishing second in her U.S. debut in the Dec. 9 Wait A While, are prominent in a field of eight fillies assembled for 1 1/16-mile $175,000 Sweetest Chant (G3) on turf in Race 8.

Cherie DeVaux-trained Legalize, who captured the Sugar Bowl last time out, and Steve Asmussen-trained Risk It, a Grade 3-placed son of Gun Runner, ventured from Fair Grounds for the seven-furlong $125,000 Swale in Race 9.

Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained R Harper Rose will seek to return to winning form in the seven-furlong $125,000 Forward Gal (G3) in Race 10 following a second-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Florida Sire Stakes My Dear Girl Dec. 2. The daughter of Khozan won the first three races of her career at sprint distances, including the $200,000 FSS Susan’s Girl. Pletcher-trained Scalable, a Grade 2-placed daughter of Speightstown returns from a dominating maiden victory at Gulfstream that followed a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Pletcher-trained Noted, a Grade 2-placed son of Cairo Prince who captured the Pulpit at Gulfstream last time out, and Agate Road, who finished second as the odds-on favorite in the Dania Beach following a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) are prominent among nine entered in the $175,000 Kitten’s Joy (G3) in Race 11.

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.

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