Gulfstream: Joseph Jr., Barboza Jr. Dead-Heat for Sunshine Meet Training Title

By David Joseph —-

Joseph Jr., Barboza Jr. Dead-Heat for Sunshine Meet Training Title

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Saffie Joseph Jr. and Victor Barboza Jr. finished in a dead-heat for the training title for the Sunshine Meet that came to a close Saturday at Gulfstream Park with 33 winners each.

Joseph saddled Mojave Desert ($9.20) for a victory in Race 1, to pull even with Victor Barboza Jr., who entered Saturday’s card with a 32-31 edge. Barboza countered in Race 2 with Grand Daniel ($7). Joseph came back to tie it up in Race 6 with Breezero ($2.60).

Joseph has won eight consecutive training titles at Gulfstream Park, including the last two Championship Meet crowns.

Jose D’Angelo, who had been in the thick of a three-way battle for the training title, finished third with 30 winners.

Unlike Joseph and Barboza, Zayas held a commanding lead throughout the Sunshine Meet that started Sept. 9. The 30-year-old Puerto Rico native, who rides first-call for Joseph, finished the meet with 59 wins, 21 more than runner-up Miguel Vasquez.

“It’s been great. I’ve been getting support from all the owners and trainers,” Zayas said after riding Breezero to a six-length maiden victory in Race 6. “I’m so happy to be healthy.”

Zayas is looking forward to the Championship Meet that gets underway next Friday and runs through March 31.

“My agent (Tito Fuentes) always told me this is the most important meet of the whole [offseason], because you’ve got to go into the Championship on a roll,” said Zayas, who rode a pair of winners on the closing day program, “This is an important meet going into the Championship Meet.”

Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $125,000 Friday

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $125,000 Friday. The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Saturday for the sixth program following a $136,285.46 jackpot hit.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, headlined by a $72,000 five-furlong optional claiming allowance over the newly renovated turf course. Laura Cazares-trained Yes I Am Free, a multiple graded-stakes winner who has dominated his competition at Gulfstream in turf sprints the past few years, returns from a three-month freshening in the deep field of 12. Championship Meet newcomer Brittany Vanden Berg is scheduled to saddle multiple graded stakes-placed Bad Beat Brian. Joseph-trained Axthelm, a graded stakes-placed son of Into Mischief, returns to Gulfstream off a third-place allowance finish at Keeneland.

A mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool will be held on Saturday’s program.

Unbeaten Bentornato Breezes for $300,000 In Reality

Leon King Stable Corp.’s Bentornato will put an undefeated record on the line next Saturday at Gulfstream Park in a quest to sweep the 2023 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-old colts and geldings sired by accredited Florida stallions.

The Jose D’Angelo-trained son of Valiant Minister breezed five furlongs in 1:04.80 Saturday morning at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training center in Palm Beach County.

“Bentornato worked so good. Last week was his hard workout. This week, he went good. He started slow and finished the way I wanted,” D’Angelo said. “He’s ready to go.”

Bentornato has three stakes victories on his unblemished four-race resume, including commanding triumphs in the $100,000 Dr. Fager and the $200,000 Affirmed in the Florida Sire Stakes series.

Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC and Harlow Stables LLC’s Mattingly, who finished a troubled second in the Affirmed, breezed five furlongs in 1:02.69 at Gulfstream Saturday morning.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information, please email david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com, visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.