Gulfstream Today 2.15.23: Late John Veitch Saddled Three Florida Derby Champions

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream Today

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Hall of Famer John Veitch, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 77, will be remembered at Gulfstream Park as the winning trainer of three Florida Derby (G1) champions.

Veitch, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Sylvester Veitch, will always be best remembered as the trainer of Calumet’s Alydar, who captured the 1978 Florida Derby (G1) before finishing second behind Affirmed in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) in a most unforgettable Triple Crown rivalry.

Veitch saddled Darby Dan Farm’s Proud Truth for a victory in the 1985 Florida Derby following a victorious prep in the Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream. Proud Truth went on to win the 1985 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Aqueduct.

James W. Phillips’ Brian’s Time provided Veitch with his third Florida Derby victory in 1988.

Veitch also trained Eclipse Award-winning and Hall of Famer Davona Dale, a multiple Grade 1 winner who captured the Bonnie Miss at Gulfstream in 1979, among so many other graded-stakes winners during a career that spanned 1974-2003.

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

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $600,000 Thursday at Gulfstream Park.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Wednesday for the 11th racing day following a mandatory payout.

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.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 sequence (Races 4-11) will be closed out by a mile-and-70-yard maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds on Tapeta, for which Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and trainer Chad Brown are each slated to saddle a pair of well-bred runners.

Trainer Anthony Dutrow, who is two wins away from the 2000-win milestone, has two horses scheduled for action Thursday, both entered in a pair of maiden special weight races for 3-year-old fillies on turf at Gulfstream. Dutrow will be represented by La Mazel, who will make her 2023 debut after finishing fourth twice at Saratoga last summer, in Race 1 and Galileo’s Jewel, who finished third at Aqueduct in her debut Nov. 4 in Race 5. Both races are scheduled to be run at 7 ½ furlongs on turf for a purse of $84,000.

There will also be a Super Hi-5 Carryover of $2,283.

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