She Has Class pulls off the upset in Gulfstream’s first 2YO race of the season (Ryan Thompson)
Friday’s Rainbow 6 Carryover at $121,000
Gulfstream Park Press Release
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.— She Has Class came through as advertised Thursday while capturing the first race for 2-year-olds of the season at Gulfstream Park.
The aptly named daughter of Khozan turned in a classy debut performance to pull off a 15-1 upset victory in Race 1, a 4 ½-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies.
“She has always been professional,” said Javier Gonzalez, who trains the Florida-bred filly for owner Christian Cruz. “I had good expectations for her today and she did well.”
She Has Class broke cleanly from the starting gate to settle several lengths off a hotly contested pace battle between Sun Azteca, the even-money favorite, on the inside and Cherokee, the 2-1 second choice, on the outside. She Has Class began to advance approaching the far turn under Jesus Rios as the pacesetters continued to duel on the turn into the stretch past fractions of 22.04 and 46.60 seconds. Cherokee edged away from Sun Azteca in the upper stretch but was no match for the surging She Has Class, who went on to prevail in the field of six fillies by three-quarters of a length.
“She is a very relaxed filly. She’s done whatever I’ve asked her to do,” Gonzalez said. “Thank God I have some more babies. I have been able to work them together. She learned that way.”
She Has Class ran 4 ½- furlongs in 53.10 seconds. Cherokee held second under Angel Morales by three-quarters of a length over Mist and jockey Emisael Jaramillo. Sun Azteca tired to fourth.
She Has Class, a $13,000 purchase at the 2022 OBS October sale, is eligible for the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series scheduled for the summer and fall at Gulfstream.
She Has Class is the first foal of Shezaprado, a Mike Maker-trained daughter of Paddy O’Prado who won five of 24 starts.
Juveniles will kick off Friday’s program as well. Six males and two fillies have been entered to contest the 4 ½-furlong maiden race that carries a $65,000 purse. Wesley Ward-trained Quiver of Fear, a daughter of Tale of the Cat, is rated as the 2-1 morning-line favorite. Her full brother won at first asking last summer at Monmouth Park.
Arindel homebred Reaper, a son of a most productive Florida stallion Brethren, is rated second at 3-1. Out of Horah for Bailey, the Juan Alvarado trainee is a half brother to Bernie the Maestro, a multiple stakes winner with earnings just shy of $700,000; Richard the Great, a graded stakes-placed stakes winner; and Unicorn Girl, the winner of 19 races and $483,000 in purses.
Friday’s Rainbow 6 Carryover at $121,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have a carryover Friday of $121,871.07 at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for seven racing days following a jackpot hit for $42.893.
Friday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-10, including a five-furlong maiden special weight race on turf for 3-year-olds and up. Kathleen O’Connell-trained Screw Loose is scheduled to make his debut. The son of Sky Mesa is a full brother to Eyeinthesky, a multiple stakes winner on turf at sprint distances. Joe Orseno-trained Yeager, who demonstrated early speed before fading in his debut last year on the main track at Monmouth, is slated to debut on turf while equipped with blinkers for the first time. Melanie Giddings-trained Fight, who lost his turf debut by just a neck last time out; and Ralph Nicks-trained Awesome Crusade, who has finished in the money in 12 of 19 starts; bring experience into the race.
Antonio Sano-trained Vai Via, a stakes-placed daughter of Liam’s Map, is set to make her turf and 2023 debuts in the Race 9 feature, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Vai Via raced three times on Tapeta last year with two victories and a third-place finish in the Our Dear Peggy.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
