HorseracingFLA Staff Report
The on and off rain on Saturday at Gulfstream Park resulted in several changes in listed conditions for the dirt track and turf course as the day moved toward conclusion with the Florida Derby (Grade 1).
To help determine “just how fast did they ran” and to help in future handicapping, here are the Equibase Speed figures earned by the winning horses in the day’s seven other stakes races—and other details of those races.
On Tuesday we will have a separate review of the Florida Derby, focusing on how horses coming out of that race might do in the Kentucky Derby on May 7.
Connections are owners, trainers and jockeys.
*$150,000 Skip Away (Grade 3), 1 1/8 miles dirt, 4-YO and up
Valid wins the 2016 Skip Away at Gulfstream Park
Fifth Race – sloppy and sealed
Winner – Valid
Time – 1:48.42
Equibase Speed Figure – 118
Connections – Crossed Sabres Farm, Marcus Vitali, Nik Juarez
Valid (2-5 odds) led gate to wire and beat Team Colors by 1 ¾ lengths. Valid, a 6-year-old, ran in five stakes races at Gulfstream during the championship meet. He had two wins, two seconds and a fourth place finish.
*$250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (Grade 2) – 1 1/16 miles dirt, 3-YO fillies
7th race – sloppy and sealed
Winner – Go Maggie Go (Photo on home page)
Time – 1:43.74
Equibase Speed Figure –95
Connections –Mike Tarp, Dale Romans, Luis Saez
Go Maggie Go (4-1) took the lead coming around the turn and won by 2 ¼ lengths over Paola Queen. The win was the second in two career starts for Go Maggie Go, a daughter of Ghostzapper. Romans said he plans to run her in the 1 1/8 mile Kentucky Oaks (Grade 1) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on May 6.
*$200,000 Appleton (Grade 3) – one mile turf, 4-YO and up
Reporting Star wins the Appleton
8th Race – Good
Winner – Reporting Star (8-1)
Time – 1:35.52
Equibase Speed Figure – 117
Connections – Merriebelle Stable, Brendan Walsh, Luis Saez
Reporting Star (8-1) took the lead in the stretch and held on to win by a half length over Divisidero. This season at Gulfstream, Reporting Star also won the El Prado and finished second in the Sunshine Millions Turf.
*100,000 Sir Shackleton – 7 furlongs dirt, 4-YO and up
10th race – Good
Time – 1:09.59
Equibase Speed Figure – 111
Connections – Jacks or Better Farm, Stan Gold, Edgard Zayas
Grande Shores (7-2 odds) took the lead coming out of the turn and went on to win by 1 ¾ lengths over Squadron A. It was the first stakes win of the year for the 8-year-old Grande Shores—a consistent runner who has five wins and 14 other on-the-board finishes in 26 Gulfstream starts.
*$200,000 Orchid (Grade 3) – 1 3/8 miles turf, F&M 4-YO and up
11th Race — Good
Winner – Photo Call
Time — 2:16.38
Equibase Speed Figure — 121
Connections — Teresa Viola Racing Stables, Todd Pletcher, Javier Castellano
Photo Call (1-1 odds) took the lead after a half mile and went on to beat Songoficeandfire by ¾ of a length. It was her first win at Gulfstream. She also has graded stakes wins at Santa Anita and Monmouth Park.
*$300,000 Honey Fox (Grade 2) – one turf, F&M, 4-YO and up
Celestine wins the 2016 Honey Fox at Gulfstream
12th race – good
Winner – Celestine
Time – 1:36.09
Equibase Speed Figure — 121
Connections – Phaedrus Flights, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado
Celestine (5-1) took the early lead and went on to beat Mississippi Delta by 3 ¼ lengths. Celestine finished second and third in her two previous turf stakes races at Gulfstream this meet.
*$200,000 Pan American (Grade 2) – 1 ½ miles turf, 4-YO and up
13th race — good
Winner – Kaigun
Time – 2:29.20
Equibase Speed Figure –109
Connections – Quintessential Racing Florida, Mark Casse, Joe Bravo
Kaigun (5-2) raced in sixth place most of the race, After making a strong move on the outside, he took the lead in deep stretch and held off Wake Forest’s late bid to win by a head. Kaigun had become known as a horse with “seconditis.” He was the runner-up in his previous four races—all graded stakes including two at Gulfstream.
Photos — Gulfstream Park, by Leslie Martin and Laurin King
