Gulfstream: Loco Abarrio Brings Tough-Guy Attitude into Big Drama; Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $275,000

By David Joseph —-

Loco Abarrio Brings Tough-Guy Attitude into Big Drama

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Mad Dog Racing Stable and Joseph Parker’s Loco Abarrio has been such a model of consistency during his racing career, one might assume that the son of Valiant Minister has been an easy horse to train.

“There’s nothing easy about him. He’s not an easy horse to be around. He’s a tough guy. He always wants to train hard in the morning,” trainer Ron Spatz said. “I don’t care about that stuff. As long as he brings his game in the afternoon, we’re fine.”

Loco Abarrio’s tough-guy attitude has served him well in the afternoon. The Florida-bred 4-year-old gelding enters Saturday’s $100,000 Big Drama Handicap at Gulfstream Park having finished in the money in 13 of 16 career starts, including five victories and six runner-up finishes. The Spatz trainee may be a challenge in the morning, but he certainly brings it in the afternoon.

“Most times. He didn’t like the Tapeta two starts back, but he came right back and ran good, so we’re good,” Spatz said. “We’re going into the race in good faith. We kind of went on pause with him for a minute waiting to see what we were going to do with him. We decided to carry on and stay here and wait for this race.”

The Big Drama, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, will co-headline Saturday’s 11-race program at Gulfstream with the $95,000 Mr. Steele, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up.

Loco Abarrio is coming into the Big Drama off a third-place finish in the Feb. 24 Gulfstream Park Sprint, a six-furlong dash in which he encountered bumping and a wide trip. Saturday, he will break from Post 2 while taking on six rivals.

“I like him at the distance. I’m not crazy about his post position. It’s something we have to overcome. Most of his best races haven’t come with him pinned down inside, but I think he has a good chance with a good break,” Spatz said. “The horse to beat is Octane, with the company he’s kept.”

Edwin Gonzalez has the return mount aboard Loco Abarrio, who is rated second at 5-2 on the morning line behind Arindel’s Octane, the 7-5 favorite who captured the 1 1/16-mile Razorback Handicap (G3) Feb. 24 at Oaklawn Park. Octane has been assigned 124 pounds, four more than Loco Abarrio.

Juan Alvarado-trained Octane, a 5-year-old gelding, has earned more than $1 million while winning eight of 19 career starts. Although he excels around two turns, the son of Brethren has won two of five starts at seven furlongs.

Emisael Jaramillo, who was victorious aboard Octane the last time he rode him last year, has the call on Octane, who will seek to rebound from a seventh-place finish in the April 20 Oaklawn Park Handicap (G2).

Chester Bishop, Anthony Hinkson, Alvin Rampaul, Patrick Biggs, and Donovan Stanford’s Shaq Diesel has performed at his best at seven furlongs, having won four of nine starts at the distance, including a win in the FTBOA Marion Country Florida Sire Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Dec.9 and a last-out optional claiming allowance score at Gulfstream.

Miguel Vasquez has the return mount on the 4-year-old son of Khozan, who finished off the board in the 2023 Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

Trainer Amador Sanchez will be represented in the Big Drama by Paola Stable and Vendaval Inc.’s Mbagnick and Viejo Perro Stable Corp.’s Vivir Con Alegria. Mbagnick, a Group 1 winner in Chile, will cut back to one turn after finishing seventh in the March 30 Ghostzapper (G3) at Gulfstream and third in the March 9 Challenger (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs at 1 1/16 miles. Vivir Con Alegria will enter the Big Drama in search of his first victory in nine starts in the U.S. A four-time winner in Chile, the 6-year-old son of Scat Daddy sired Flyer is likely to be a strong pace factor. In the U.S., the Amador Sanchez trainee has finished second four times and finished a close fourth in the seven-furlong Sir Shackleton March 30.

Marcos Meneses is named on Mbagnick and Edgar Perez has the call on Vivir Con Alegria.

Leon Ellman, Glassman Racing LLC, and Laurie Plesa’s Ticking and Mark Kornegay’s Collaborate, round out the field.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $275,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $275,000 Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-11, co-headlined by the $100,000 Big Drama Handicap in Race 7 and the $95,000 Mr. Steele in Race 9.

Octane, a 5-year-old Arindel homebred who captured the 1 1/16-mile Razorback Handicap (G3) Feb. 24 at Oaklawn Park, is scheduled to cut back to seven-furlongs for the Big Drama Handicap, in which he will concede between four and six pounds to his six rivals while carrying 124 pounds.

Harrell Ventures LLC’s Main Event, who captured the Fort Lauderdale (G2) during the Championship Meet, has been installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite for the Mr. Steele, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up. The son of Bernardini, who most recently finished fifth in the March 2 Mac Diarmida (G2), will make his first start for trainer Fernando Abreu.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot pool 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.

Earlier on Saturday’s program, Clear Stars Stable’s XY Speed will seek his third-straight victory as the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the $75,000 Pay Any Price overnight handicap, a five-furlong turf dash, in Race 5. The Michael Lerman-trained 8-year-old gelding enters the Pay Any Price off late-rallying victories in an optional claiming allowance and an overnight handicap at five furlongs on turf.

NOTE: Urban Legend, who sold for $1.3 million as a 2-year-old, broke his maiden while making his 3-year-old debut Friday by winning a five-furlong event over the Tapeta in :56.57. Winless in three starts in California for trainer Bob Baffert, the son of Into Mischief was saddled by Jose D’Angelo and ridden by Emisael Jarmillo.

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