Gulfstream Park

Desormeaux Rides Gulfstream Winner

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux rode for the first time in a decade at Gulfstream Park on Friday, and made the trip worth his while when piloting Lady Cha Cha (Vino Rosso) to a victory for trainer Laura Cazares in the afternoon's featured seventh race. "All credit to the horse. What a nice filly," the three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey told the Gulfstream notes team. "Thank you to Laura. I've never met her, but she put me on her horses today. I appreciate the opportunity." The 54-year-old rode two horses...

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Dornoch To Shoot For GI Belmont S.

Dual graded stakes-winner Dornoch (Good Magic) is preparing at Saratoga Race Course for a potential start in the June 8 running of the GI Belmont S. "He loves it here," said trainer Danny Gargan. "He'll probably work Friday--we'll get a solid work in him over the Oklahoma." Dornoch was last seen finishing a troubled 10th in the GI Kentucky Derby where he drew the rail and was shuffled back at the half-mile call. He checked again at the quarter pole before running evenly down the lane. The bay colt posted...

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Mila's Wish Comes True at Gulfstream

When Mila's Wish (Cajun Breeze) just held on for a debut victory--and then survived a claim of foul--at Gulfstream Park Friday, track announcer Pete Aiello clued the crowd into what a special moment it was when he said, "You've heard of Cody's Wish. Here's the Florida version. Here's Mila's Wish." Much like the 2023 Horse of the Year who was named after the late Cody Dorman, the 2-year-old colt was making the wish of another youngster come true. Mila Spillone is a 4-year-old battling Aicardi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder...

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Saturday Insights: Son Of MGISW Stellar Wind Makes First Start At Santa Anita

8th-SA, $54K, Msw, 3-5yo, 1m, 8:09 p.m. ET. MAGNIFY (Justify), a 3-year-old colt, makes his debut for the Bob Baffert barn on Saturday. Out of champion 3-year-old filly and MGISW Stellar Wind (Curlin), the Magnier homebred is her second to make the races, but she has since produced a filly named In the Stars (Into Mischief), who was a $300,000 buy for G. Watts Humphrey Jr. at last year's Keeneland September Sale. The 2017 Keeneland November sales topper when she was taken home by M.V. Magnier for the lofty sum...

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Nolan Ramsey Saddles First Winner Friday at Gulfstream Park

Nolan Ramsey, the longtime assistant to Mike Maker who went out on his own in April, saddled his first winner as a trainer Friday at Gulfstream Park when the 3-year-old Marshamarshamarsha (Demarchelier {GB}) won a $16,000 claimer by 1 3/4 lengths. Owned by his grandfather Ken Ramsey, the filly picked up her second career win with the effort after coming three-wide into the lane. The trainer has assembled a 30-strong stable in Hallandale, and has plans to train a small string in the mid-Atlantic. "It's special. It's the first one....

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Weekly Rulings: Apr. 24-30

Every week, the TDN posts a round-up of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. Among this week's rulings, trainer Efren Loza, Jr. has been banned 18-months and fined $12,500 after his trainee, Mexicoffee, tested positive post-race for clenbuterol after finishing second at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 14. Loza's suspension began Apr. 17 and lasts until Oct. 16, 2025. Clenbuterol, a banned substance under HISA, is a bronchodilator with a checkered history in both human and equine sports due to its anabolic properties--in...

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'TDN Rising Star' Sweet Rebecca Ultra Smooth In Memories of Silver At Big A

Sweet Rebecca, dubbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off her Gulfstream debut March 10, made her first start for John Stewart's Resolute Racing Sunday in the Memories of Silver S. at Aqueduct. Moved from Brendan Walsh to Chad Brown following her private sale, the full-sister to Sweet Melania stepped into stakes company and was well-backed, jumping at odds of 1-2 with Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle as he was on her debut. Kept in mid-pack fourth while clearly eager to be closer to the front, Sweet Rebecca stayed covered up behind...

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The Week in Review: At Hawthorne, They Try Harder

A casino is supposed to be on the way, but in the meantime these are tough times for racing in Chicago and its only remaining racetrack, Hawthorne. They still don't have any outside revenue from a casino, their purses are meager and their simulcast signal gets lost on days like Saturday, when they went up against the likes of Aqueduct, Gulfstream, Keeneland, Oaklawn and Santa Anita. The handle Saturday was $1,019,178. It should have been three times that. We've seen a lot of tracks experiment with lower takeouts. The latest...

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Kingsbarns Gets Up And Down To Take GIII Ben Ali S. At Keeneland

by J. N. Campbell Looking strong as an oak in the GIII Ben Ali S. at Keeneland, Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) cleared professionally down the lane to take home his second graded stakes trophy for Spendthrift's case on Saturday afternoon. The 2023 GII Louisiana Derby winner finished 14th behind Mage (Good Magic) in the GI Kentucky Derby before completing his 3-year-old year when he was beaten only a neck as the heavy favorite in the Pegasus S. at Monmouth June 17. After a nine-month hiatus, Kingsbarns returned to Gulfstream Park Mar....

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Regally Bred Quester Graduates First Time Long at Gulfstream

6th-Gulfstream, $43,650, Moc ($50,000), 3yo, 1m 70y (AWT), 1:40.94, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. QUESTER (c, 3, Into Mischief--Osare {SW, $234,605}, by Medaglia d'Oro), a $775,000 Keeneland September graduate, finished off well to be a debut third sprinting over this surface and was the even-money selection while stretching out to a distance of ground here. One of two in this field not entered for the tag, the immaculately bred bay showed good speed from the inside gate, but was nevertheless outfooted to the front by Dunes of Gold (Midshipman). Content to...

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Florida Derby Champ Fierceness With 'Super' Work; West Saratoga Breezes At Keeneland

GI Florida Derby champ Fierceness (City of Light) breezed at Palm Beach Downs on Friday morning in preparation for the GI Kentucky Derby. The Eclipse Award winner covered five furlongs in 1:00.35 under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, while working in company with fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road). "I thought he worked super--a solid five-eighths with a good gallop-out, exactly what we were targeting," Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. "I think he is doing every bit as good, if not better, than he was...

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Sunday Insights: Whisper Hill Looking To Strike Twice With Sibling To 'Trice'

3rd-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, post time: 2:14 p.m. ET In the name of her Whisper Hill Farm, Mandy Pope went to $1.3 million for a son of Tapit out of MSW & GSP Danzatrice (Dunkirk) at the 2021 Keeneland September, and that looked like money well spent when Tapit Trice went on to a victory in the 2023 GI Toyota Blue Grass S. while placing in the GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. Pope was so enamored of her purchase that she went back to the well...

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