Gulfstream Friday Feature Has Stakes-Like Field

The ninth and feature race at Gulfstream Park on Friday has the look of a stakes race and should have the excitement of one,

The one-mile dirt allowance/optional claimer will be the first race in six months for the colt Saraguaro.  Last fall as a three-year-old he won two 1 1/16 mile dirt stakes—one at Gulfstream and the other in the Gulfstream Park West meet at Calder.

Friday's feature will be a rubber match for the four-year-old colt Yourdreamsormine, trained by Milt Wolfson, and the five-year-old gelding We’re All Set, trained by Peter  Walder.

On May 13 at Gulfstream, Yourdreamsormine won the seven-furlong Bull Gator Stakes by three lengths  over We’re All Set.

On May 26 at Gulfstream, We’re All Set reversed that one-two order when he beat Yourdreamsormine by a  half length in the 6 ½ furlong Sea of Grass Stakes.

The seven-horse field also has stakes winners Twotwentyfive A, Rich Daddy and Johnny Handsome.

Joshua's Comprise is the race’s only entrant without a stakes win. He has finished second or third in multiple stakes races at Gulfstream and at Calder.

Scheduled post is 5:17 p.m. for the stakes-caliber race.

It is part of a ten-race card that has first post of 1:00 p.m.

There is a carryover of $298,059 on the Rainbow 6, on races five through ten.

The carryover continues to grow because Thursday was the 19^th straight race day without the carryover/jackpot payoff requirement of just one ticket with the winners of all six Rainbow 6 races.

In the feature, We’re All Set is the only horse with a history of early speed.

He has post one, and will be ridden by Edgard Zayas. He likely will be at short odds along with Yourdreamsormine who is in post four and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.

Rich Daddy and  Johnny Handsome both have two-race win streaks and are serious candidates for the exacta.

But Saraguaro appears to have the best potential, in the long term and perhaps for Friday’s race.

On  Sunday at Gulfstream he worked four furlongs in 45 3/5 seconds—the day’s fastest of 47 works at that distance.

Miguel Vasquez will ride Saraguaro for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

Last Oct. 3 at Gulfstream, Saraguaro won the 1 1/16 mile Foolish Pleasure Stakes. 

On Nov. 7 he won the 1 1/16 mile Millions Classic Preview at Calder.  He  earned a career-high 103 Brisnet  figure in that race, matching Yourdreamsormine for that career high.

But against tougher competition Saraguaro  finished eighth in the 1 1/8 mile Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream on Jan. 16  and eighth in the one-mile Fred W, Hooper (Grade 3) at Gulfstream on Feb. 6.

Joseph recently told us that Saraguaro was not injured during or after either race. 

He added that the horse had previously been a slow developer and might benefit from a break until the summer.

 --Jim Freer