Maragh Brothers face-off Sunday at Gulfstream: Christian (right) and Rajiv. (Ryan Thompson)
G1 Winners Mixto, Stronghold Breeze for $3 Million Pegasus (G1)
Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $200,000
Gulfstream Today
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Christian Maragh was in diapers the first time he joined his brother Rajiv at the racetrack. The siblings were together again Sunday at Gulfstream Park under much different circumstances.
Separated by 18 years, Rajiv and Christian Maragh lined up against each other for the first time as jockeys in Race 7, a claiming event for older horses sprinting 5 ½ furlongs on the all-weather Tapeta course.
Rajiv Maragh, 39, ran fifth on 5-year-old gelding Gabagool, trained by their father, Collin Maragh. Christian Maragh, 21, wound up trailing the field after losing his irons when 6-year-old gelding Jet Wings had the saddle slip stumbling from the gate.
“It was the craziest experience of my entire life,” Christian Maragh said. “It was something I always pictured since I was little, actually happening for the first time. It’s crazy. It’s literally a dream come true.”
Christian Maragh made his professional debut Nov. 8 at Gulfstream, finishing eighth on Prized Katz. He picked up his first win Dec. 27 at Tampa Bay Downs aboard Dundie, trained by his father.
Ironically, Dundie also gave Rajiv Maragh the first win of his comeback after nearly two years away from the sport, Dec. 5 at Gulfstream. The Jamaica native owns 1,942 career wins with purse earnings of more than $102 million.
“I’m glad I came back to ride,” he said. “It was very good, a bit surreal being in the gate next to him.”
The brothers broke side-by-side in Post 5 and 6. Christian Maragh attempted a little pre-race gamesmanship to gain an advantage.
“I looked over and made a face at him to try to make him laugh and catch him off guard,” he said, “but it didn’t work.”
Christian Maragh, who stands 5-foot-8, tipped the scales at 170 pounds before getting himself down to riding weight in order to realize his boyhood passion and follow his older brother into racing. He has a record of 3-2-2 from 20 starts, riding primarily at Tampa.
“I had to really dedicate myself and commit myself to what I wanted to do. It’s not like I just randomly jumped up. I’ve wanted to be a jockey since when I was little kid,” he said. “I kind of knew the day would always come when I would have to just bite the bullet and take my life seriously and dedicate myself to the lifestyle.”
Rajiv Maragh, whose Grade 1 wins include the Breeders’ Cup Mile and Filly & Mare Sprint, Wood Memorial, Whitney and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, is his brother’s biggest supporter.
“The first time I took him to a racetrack I was an apprentice at Gulfstream in 2004. He was a newborn in my mom’s hands. I won my fifth race, and the security guard said, ‘Let in his wife and his child,’” Maragh said. “I’m like, ‘That’s my mom and my brother.’
“To see him come from that, every day riding the exerciser. He used to run home from school and go straight to the garage and get on the exerciser,” he added. “To be here today is a special moment.”
G1 Winners Mixto, Stronghold Breeze for $3M Pegasus (G1)
Grade 1 winners Mixto and Stronghold each put in five-furlong works Sunday at Santa Anita ahead of a scheduled start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.
Stronghold, winner of the 2024 Santa Anita Derby (G1) for trainer Phil D’Amato, breezed over the main track in 1:01.40 while Doug O’Neill-trained 2024 Pacific Classic (G1) winner Mixto went the distance in 1:02.60.
Pegasus alternate Steal Sunshine, winner of the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) during last winter’s Championship Meet, worked five furlongs over Gulfstream’s main track in 1:01.52 Sunday.
Santa Anita also saw three horses breeze for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) led by D’Amato-trained millionaire Balnikhov, who went five furlongs in 59.60 seconds over the all-weather surface. Reserves Astronomer was timed in 47.60 on the Tapeta, and Atitlan worked five furlongs in 1:01 on the main track.
BALNIKHOV continues to work well ahead of his next target, the $1M Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (1 1/8 miles on grass) to be run at @GulfstreamPark on Saturday, January 25
— Little Red Feather Racing (@lrfracing) January 6, 2025
See you in Florida, partners! pic.twitter.com/DoRqMpRZmG
Another Turf alternate, Siege of Boston, worked a half-mile in 47.95 seconds Sunday on the grass at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.
Also at Palm Meadows, Infinite Diamond turned in a five-furlong breeze in 1:01.65 on the main track for the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2).
Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 Pool Estimated at $200,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated pool of $200,000 when Championship Meet racing resumes Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.
Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 sequence begins in Race 4, a one-mile claiming event on the main track for older horses which have never won three races. Sixteen Cigarettes comes in off a four-length upset at odds of 8-1 sprinting seven furlongs Dec. 12 at Gulfstream.
Race 6 is a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight for Florida-bred 3-year-old fillies on the all-weather Tapeta featuring a pair of first-time starters – Win After Win, a homebred son of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Street Sense, and Brittany’s Way, by Irish Group 3-placed St Patrick’s Day. Tag Stables’ homebred Spirited Boss was beaten 1 ½ lengths as the favorite sprinting five furlongs over the course.
The feature comes in Race 8, a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance for Florida-bred 4-year-olds and up. Improptude, beaten a nose at 26-1 in the 2024 Hutcheson, races for the first time since last June. W W Candy chases an 11th career win and first in four starts since being claimed for $80,000 by trainer Mike Maker. Belts ‘n Brooks, scratched from the $75,000 Sunshine Classic Jan. 11, has been second or third in each of his last three races.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot 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 goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
Who’s Hot ~ ~ ~
Jockey Dylan Davis visited the winner’s circle twice Sunday, with Invisible String ($7.60) in Race 3 and Pure Beauty ($31.20) in Race 6 …
Meet leader Irad Ortiz Jr. swept the late daily double with Concrete Glory ($4.40) in Race 9 and Corruption ($11.60) in Race 10.
