Gulfstream Today 2 28 24: Alvarado Still ‘On Cloud 9’ Back in Action at Gulfstream

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream Today

02.28.24

Junior Alvarado; Photo provided by Gulfstream Park
Alvarado Still ‘On Cloud 9’ Back in Action at Gulfstream

Mandatory Rainbow 6 Payout Scheduled for Sunday

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Jockey Junior Alvarado was still ‘on Cloud 9’ while returning to action Wednesday at Gulfstream Park, where he rode for the first time since capturing last Saturday’s $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) aboard Senor Buscador.

“I’m still on Cloud 9, reliving the moment, reliving the race,” Alvarado said. “I’m trying to put that into words, to be honest.”

Senor Buscador had to come from the clouds to secure victory by a head over Japanese star Ushba Tesoro with a relentless stretch run under Alvarado.

“I knew it was a long stretch run and he was coming, but it wasn’t like he was coming with the strongest finish. He just kept grinding like he does. At the 3/16ths pole, I was hoping for a third or fourth, just a good paycheck,” Alvarado said. “There was a point that it looked like we could finish third. At the sixteenth pole, I had to turn it on. I was riding hard. From the sixteenth pole to the wire, I had to go all out. I couldn’t save anything for another day. I had to go all out because I thought I had a really good chance to win the race.”

Alvarado had become acquainted with Senor Buscador during a second-place finish in the Dec. 2 Cigar Mile (G2) at Aqueduct before coming within a neck of catching National Treasure while finishing second in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 27 at Gulfstream.

“I rode him in the Cigar Mile and I got the chance to work with him here at Gulfstream every time he worked. I tried to understand what he really wants and when he wants+-. When you get to know things about a horse and what they want, you make them comfortable and get the best out of them,” Alvarado said. “It helped me have two races under my belt.”

Alvarado, who fell a nose short of winning Wednesday’s Race 7 feature following a late rally aboard 16-1 Meyer, will ride Senor Buscador with added confidence in the $12 Dubai World Cup (G1) March 30.

“Going into the Saudi Cup, he wasn’t the favorite, but I was very confident. I knew he was going to be coming to the wire. I’m not saying I knew he was going to win the race, but I knew he was going to show up,” Alvarado said. “He’s just a hard-knocking horse. He’s a horse that shows heart that always shows up.”

Alvarado ventured from Venezuela in 2007, riding his first U.S. winner at Gulfstream Feb. 17 that year. The 36-year-old veteran, who rode 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish for a repeat victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita in November, has ridden the winners of 2110 races and nearly $134 million in purses in North America.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $750,000

Thursday’s 20-cent Rainbow 6 pool is expected to grow to an estimated $750,000 at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager when unsolved for the 14th racing day following a Feb. 8 jackpot hit.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, featuring a strong maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds going 7 ½ furlongs on turf. Coinvest, a $1.1 million purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September sale, is scheduled to make his second career start following a promising debut Jan. 20. The son of City of Light, who is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, set a pressured pace along the rail before yielding begrudgingly to finish a neck behind rallying favorite Royal Majesty.

A mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 pool has been scheduled for Sunday’s card at Gulfstream.

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. The carryover jackpot is usually 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 winner, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

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.