Gulfstream: Morelos Longshot Players’ Favorite during Championship Meet

By David Joseph —-

Morelos Longshot Players’ Favorite during Championship Meet

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – With the likes of Irad Ortiz Jr., Luis Saez, Tyler Gaffalione John Velazquez, Junior Alvarado, Dylan Davis and Edgard Zayas commanding the highest-quality mounts, a young jockey like Jose Morelos could have been expected to go virtually unnoticed during the recently concluded Championship Meet.

The 24-year-old jockey scratched and clawed for 19 hard-earned victories, a rather respectable total for the meet that spanned Thanksgiving Day to Sunday, March 30, considering his limited opportunities and the lofty level of competition. Yet, he went on to attract a whole lot more attention expected of a 9-percent jockey by riding favorites and longshots with equal gusto.

Morelos, who has ridden year-round at Gulfstream Park since arriving from Panama in 2021, turned out to be a longshot player’s dream during the Championship Meet. His 19 winners returned an average win payoff a bit over $29.

“I like to win races. I don’t care what horse I ride. I ride every horse the same way,” Morelos said through an interpreter.

Among Morelos’ most lucrative winners were Skinny Cosmo ($106.40) Nov. 29, Dixie Escape ($95.80) Jan. 24, Nerazurri ($59.80) Feb. 12, Westhampton ($101.60) March 13 and Senorita Nomas ($56.40) March 26.

“I’m thankful for the opportunities,” said Morelos, whose mounts are booked by agent Jose Sanchez. “I thank the trainers and my agent.”

Morelos began his riding career in Panama when he was 16 years old, although his goal had been to begin his apprenticeship in the U.S.

“Since I was an apprentice, I wanted to ride in the United States, but I had to wait for a visa,” said Morelos, who was born in Colombia before moving to Panama at the age of 9. “I had to wait five years.”

After winning 503 races in Panama, Morelos finally made it to the U.S. in 2001 and has steadily established himself at Gulfstream. While riding against the best jockeys in the country during the Championship Meet is a daunting challenge, Morelos has kept a close eye on the top jockeys, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in particular, to learn from the best in the business.”

“I try to learn. I watch how he rides, I watch his style,” he said. “I like riding against the best jockeys. I think it helps me get better and better.”

Morelos, who closed out opening weekend of the Royal Palm Meet with a victory in
Sunday’s finale aboard favored Dimanche Gras.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $625,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $625,000 Friday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager went unsolved Thursday for the ninth consecutive racing day.

Post time Friday for the first of nine races is 12:50 p.m.

Friday’s sequence spans Races 4-9, kicked off by a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Sneak Preview stretches out to two turns after running third in a similar spot sprinting seven furlongs March 19. Triple Crown-nominated Only in America, a $700,000 son of Constitution, has run second and third in two prior starts, both at 1 1/16 miles, the latter Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds.

Race 7 is a starter optional claimer for older fillies and mares at one mile and 70 yards on the all-weather Tapeta course. Ashima, the 4-year-old last out winner of the one-mile Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf Jan. 11 at Gulfstream, looks to extend her win streak to five races in a return to the synthetic where she is 5-for-8 lifetime.

The feature comes in Race 8, an open allowance for 3-year-olds going one mile and 70 yards on the Tapeta. A last-out sixth on the turf, Captain Junuh is back on the synthetic for just the second time having broken his maiden at the course and distance Nov. 24. Iron Hand stretches out following a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight triumph on Tapeta Jan. 19. Hands of Time cuts back after graduating going 1 1/16 miles on the Aqueduct turf Oct. 26 in his most recent start.

In the Rainbow 6, the carryover 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 usually goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool. On mandatory-payout days, the entire Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is paid out to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the wager’s six-race sequence.

A mandatory Rainbow 6 payout is scheduled for Sunday. If not hit before then, the total jackpot pool is estimated to reach $4.5 million.

Notes: Jockey Jorge Ruiz registered back-to-back wins Thursday with Heaven’s Promise ($26.60) in Race 2 and Lookin At Roses ($8.40) in Race 3 … Edgard Zayas bookended the card with victories on Cat Chat ($7.20) in Race 1 and Obeissante ($9.20) in Race 9 … Lady Patrick’s ($23.20), a 4-year-old daughter of St. Patrick’s Day, pulled away late to graduate in a Race 4 maiden claimer and give trainer Victor Barboza Jr. his 600th win in North America.

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