Gulfstream: Eleven Races Today, Following Big Saturday for 3-YOs and Rosario

 

HorseracingFLA Staff Report

Gulfstream Park will wrap up its New Year’s weekend today with eleven races and first post of 12:05 p.m.

All of the races are claiming, including three on turf.

The Sunday card will follow a Saturday on which Gulfstream had five stakes races for newly turned 3-year-olds.

Also on Saturday, Joel Rosario rode the winners of five of the eleven races. Two of his wins were in stakes.

Results of the Saturday stakes, all with $100,000 purses:

* Awesome Speed (photo on home page) won the Mucho Macho Man at one mile on dirt for males.

* Awesome Banner won the Hutcheson (Grade 3) at six furlongs on dirt for males.

* Lucy N Ethel won the Old Hat (Grade 3) at six furlongs on dirt for fillies.

* Lira won the Ginger Brew at 7 ½ furlongs on turf for fillies.

* Life Imitates Art won the Dania Beach (Grade 3) at 7 ½ furlongs on turf for male

Rosario Wins Five

Rosario’s stakes winners were Awesome Speed and Life Imitates Art.

Prior to Saturday, he had two wins from 31 starts through the first 18 days of the championship.

Rosario, who turns 31 Jan. 14, opened the card with a victory aboard Hold Harmless ($20.40). He won back-to-back races in the seventh and eighth, capturing the $100,000 Dania Beach (G3) with Life Imitates Art and Two Step Time ($37.20) in a one-mile starter optional claimer.

A native of the Dominican Republic who also had a five-win day in September at Belmont Park, Rosario ended the day by sweeping the late daily double. He won the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man aboard favored Awesome Speed ($3.20) and rallied up the rail to score with Bar None ($7.60) in the finale.

“My agent told me we had a good chance today, but I can’t believe we were going to win five,” Rosario said. “I’m really happy and we’ll just go forward from this. It’s a great way to start the new year. It helps to motivate me to keep working hard and go from there.”

Rosario rode 35 winners in Gulfstream’s 2014-2015 meet, placing him seventh in the standings.

Gulfstream: Eleven Races Today, Following Big Saturday for 3-YOs and Rosario