Gelfenstein Wires Field in GP Opener

Gelfenstein led at every call and beat Bridles  Holiday by a length in Friday's first race at Gulfstream  Park.

Edgard Zayas rode Gelfenstein in the 1 1/16 mile turf race, a $10,000 claiming race  for 3-year-olds and up.

Gulfstream has a ten-race Friday card. The dirt track is listed as fast and the turf course is listed as firm.

Five of the remaining races are scheduled for turf, with the rail at 108 feet.  Those are races three,  five, seven, nine and ten.

The Weather Channel forecast is for just a 15 percent chance of rain during racing hours in Hallandale Beach, where Gulfstream is located.

There are no stakes races on the Friday card.  But there is  the attraction of a Rainbow 6 carryover that has grown to $165,999. It is on races five through ten.

We will have coverage later in the afternoon on this blog.

Gelfenstein, a 5-year-old gelding, won in 1:29.63--a solid time  for the $10,000 level.

Gelfenstein was 5-1 and Bridles Holiday  was  9-1  in the seven-horse field.  The $2 exacta paid $132.80.

The win was the fourth in 19 career  starts  for Gelfenstein, owned by Gelfenstein Farms of  Ocala and trained by Gilberto Zerpa.

*On Saturday, Gulfstream will have 13 races with first post of 12:00 p.m.

Six of those races are stakes, including the second legs in the three divisions of the Florida Sire Stakes Series. We will have previews later on Friday and on Saturday morning, and race coverage at Gulfstream.

--Jim Freer