Luvumorgan. (Ryan Thompson)
Lets Go Koko Starts Fast, Holds on to Win Powder Break
Rainbow 6 Solved Saturday for $143,445 Jackpot Payoff
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Steven Friedfertig and Shining Stables LLC’s Luvumorgan did her namesake proud Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained daughter of Union Rags rallied through the stretch to capture the $75,000 Game Face.
But which one?
“My brother-in-law’s name is Morgan, and he had a horse called Morganmorganmorgan who won the (1983) Tampa Bay Derby,” Friedfertig said in the winner’s circle following Luvumorgan’s 2 ¾-length victory in the 6 ½-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies. “And Saffie’s wife’s name is Morgan. Saffie and I bred the horse, so…Both.”
Luvumorgan, who was coming off a maiden victory at 1 1/16 miles in her second career start, conceded experience to her six rivals but would employ a perfect trip under Edgard Zayas to establish herself as a stakes winner. Zayas positioned his lightly raced filly behind Joseph-trained stablemate Andrea, who disputed the pace set by Unchained Elaine, before swinging four wide on the turn into the homestretch and drawing clear through the lane.
“It set up perfectly following Andrea. I was surprised at the speed [Luvumorgan] showed. Last time, she ran a mile and a sixteenth,” Zayas said. “She’s had a little bit of a layoff, so she was pretty sharp.”
Luvumorgan ($22) ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:18.85. Andrea held second, three-quarters of a length ahead of 3-2 favorite Win N Your In.
In the co-featured $75,000 Powder Break for fillies and mares, Flying Finish Farm Inc.’s Lets Go Koko ($16.80) was fast to start and never looked back on her way to a front-running victory under Edwin Gonzalez.
“I told Edwin, ‘If you’re going to break on the lead, break on the lead, back her up a little and then let her roll,’” trainer Rory Miller said. “I felt very confident about that. At the three-eighths pole, I said, ‘They’re not going to catch this filly.’ She really game, easy to train.”
Bred by Miller’s Flying Finish Farm, the 4-year-old daughter of Adios Charlie ran 1 1/16-miles over a firm turf course in 1:33.51 to prevail over a late-rushing Dancing N Dixie. Starship Agenda finished third.
Lets Go Koko collected her eighth victory and first stakes triumph from 22 career starts.
Rainbow 6 Solved Saturday for $143,445 Jackpot Payoff
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 was solved Saturday at Gulfstream Park, good for a $143,445.12 jackpot payoff.
The winning combination was: 6-5-7-8-8-4.
The popular multi-race wager will start anew Sunday. The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, featuring a 1 1/16-mile starter allowance on Tapeta in Race 7 that pits Bobby DiBona-trained Nate the Great, a winner at Sunday’s level last time out, against Carlos Perez-trained Navy Cross, and impressive winner of his two starts off the claim.
In the Rainbow 6, the carryover pool is only 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 usually goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
