Gulfstream: Edgard Zayas Back Better than Ever at Gulfstream Park

By David Joseph —-

September 29, 2019

Edgard Zayas Back Better than Ever at Gulfstream Park

Comes Back from Fractured Femur to Win Summer Meet

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Fresh off his victory aboard Mark Casse-trained Two Sixty in Saturday’s $400,000 My Dear Girl Division of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes, Edgard Zayas was honored as the Summer Meet’s champion jockey on closing day Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

The featured guest in a winner’s circle ceremony following Sunday’s eighth race rode 66 winners to add the Summer Meet title to his several other South Florida meet championships, including this year’s Spring Meet title.

Zayas’ successes during the Spring and Summer Meets are all the more impressive when taking into account that the popular jockey missed the last three months of the 2018-2019 Championship Meet with a fractured femur in his right leg sustained in a spill Dec. 30.

“It’s been a very special year after the injury I had and the recovery, and coming back. I’ve been trying to come back as hard as I can, getting stronger than ever and working harder than ever,” Zayas said. “Hard work has paid off. Thankfully, a lot of owners and trainers have been supporting me. My family supported me through all that recovery and it was awesome. We’ll just try to keep it up.”

The 26-year-old native of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico won aboard his very first mount back, Front Loaded, on April 4 and has never looked back while piling up the victories, pushing his career total to 1,436. Zayas, who launched his career in South Florida in 2012 after attending the jockey school in Puerto Rico, won his first race at Calder [Gulfstream Park West] Nov. 12, 2012. He went on to become a finalist for the 2013 Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice after winning 203 races that year.

Live racing in South Florida will resume Wednesday at Gulfstream Park West, where Zayas captured last year’s title with 47 victories. Zayas is viewing the Gulfstream Park West meet as a springboard for success at the 2019-2020 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park that will get under way Nov. 29.

“I’m going into this next meet and work even harder,” said Zayas, who also guided the Todd Pletcher-trained Extraordinary Jerry to a victory in Saturday’s $150,000 FSS Wildcat Heir Stakes. “I’m going to try to have a better meet because it’s going to affect how we do this winter.”

Apprentice Cristian Torres finished in a tie with Miguel Vasquez for second with 53 victories each, one ahead of Emisael Jaramillo.

Victor Barboza Jr. captured the Summer Meet trainer’s title with 28 wins, while Arindel captured a third straight Summer Meet title with 19 winners.

Gulfstream had a mandatory payout of its Rainbow 6 Sunday. Multiple tickets with six winners returned $24,221.40.

Saffie Joseph Jr. Sets Focus on Breeders’ Cup with Chance It, Math Wizard

After saddling Chance It to a dazzling victory in Saturday’s $400,000 In Reality Division of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park merely a week after sending out Math Wizard for an upset score in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx, up-and-coming trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.’s future would seem very bright.

The 32-year-old Gulfstream Park-based trainer certainly has a lot to look forward to in attaining his long-range goal of reaching the top of his profession, but the Barbados native’s sights are currently set on the short term, specifically Nov. 1 and 2 at Santa Anita.

Chance It became a candidate for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 1 with his thoroughly dominating triumph in his first trip around two turns in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality.

“It’s definitely a possibility. If he’s doing well, we’ll consider it,” said Joseph, who trains the son of Currency Swap for Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC. “He earned his chance to go, but we’re going to see how he is and decide in a couple weeks.”

The $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) Nov.2 is “on the radar” for Math Wizard, a $25,000 claim in January who went on to become multiple graded stakes-placed before breaking through with his 31-1 upset at Parx.

“We’re going to train towards it and then decide whether to go,” said Joseph, noting that Math Wizard and/or Chance It would likely ship to Santa Anita after breezing at Gulfstream a week before the Breeders’ Cup.

Chance It passed the two-turn test with flying colors in the In Reality, pressing the pace set by Smash Factor into the far turn before taking over and pulling away to a 6 ¼-length victory under wraps. It proved a happy homecoming for jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who traveled from Kentucky to ride Chance It for the first time.

Chance It, who finished second to Smash Factor in his June 1 debut, broke his maiden by 9 ¼ lengths, captured the $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager by 3 ¼ lengths at six furlongs, and fell a head short of holding off Liam’s Lucky Charm in the $200,000 FSS Affirmed at seven furlongs.

“There was pressure because he got beat last time and I know how good he is. You want to prove it. It was special to see him win. There was a lot of pressure and he delivered,” Joseph said. “Visually, he did it the way you’d want him to do it. He was near the lead and on the bridle and when he asked him to go, he ran away. He put his ears up, like there’s more there.”

Math Wizard shipped back to Gulfstream Park last Wednesday and has resumed training.

“He’s been to the track twice and galloped a mile and an eighth,” Joseph said. “He came out of the race good.”

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.