Newgrange winning the San Antonio at Santa Anita Dec. 26. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
• Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $300,000
• Sunshine Sprint, Sunshine Turf Headline Saturday Card
Gulfstream Today
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla – Millionaires Newgrange and Skippylongstocking each put in their final works Friday ahead of a scheduled start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.
David Bernsen and Rockingham Ranch’s Newgrange breezed five furlongs in 1:01 over a fast main track at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. The 6-year-old multiple Grade 2 winner will be racing first time for trainer Jose D’Angelo after being based on the West Coast.
Newgrange had his first local work Jan. 8, also at Palm Meadows, going a half-mile in 47 seconds, fastest of 36 horses. He has not raced since finishing fifth in the 1 1/16-mile San Diego Handicap (G2) last July at Del Mar for previous trainer Phil D’Amato.
“He arrived to the barn in December,” D’Angelo said. “He got a little sick so that’s why I had to wait a little bit to work the first time for us. The [last] workout was in company and was pretty good [with a] nice gallop out, so that’s why today we worked him five furlongs just trying to get a little air for the race. He worked good. He started strong and closed, so that’s what we were looking for today.”
Daniel Alonso’s Skippylongstocking breezed four furlongs in 49.35 seconds at Palm Meadows as he aims for his third straight start in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup. Trained by Championship Meet leader Saffie Joseph Jr., he exits a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 2.
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse sent out three of his Pegasus Day contenders for half-mile works on the turf Friday at Palm Meadows – Grade 1 winner Win for the Money (49.45 seconds), Grade 3 winner Pounce (49.80) and Grade 2 winner Papilio (49.90).
Win for the Money is being pointed to the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) presented by Qatar Racing, while Papilio and Pounce are aimed at the $500,000 TAA Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2) presented by SirDavis American Whiskey.
In Our Time, an alternate for the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf, worked four furlongs in 50.90 seconds Friday on the main track at Palm Meadows.
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $300,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated pool of $300,000 when racing resumes Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
Saturday’s sequence kicks off in Race 6, the $75,000 Sunshine Turf for Florida-bred 4-year-olds and up scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the grass. Victory Achieved makes his season and stakes debut chasing a fourth straight victory for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. Stablemate Boppy O won the 2023 Jersey Derby on dirt, was fifth in last year’s Sunshine Turf, and exits three straight runner-up finishes at Gulfstream, the last two on the all-weather Tapeta course.
Race 7 is a maiden special weight for 4-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs on the main track. Wistucky drew the rail, having run second or third four times in seven starts with the most recent coming in a 6 ½-furlong dash against elders Dec. 21 at Gulfstream. From outermost Post 7 comes Sneak Preview, a $350,000 son of Arrogate racing for the third time and first as a gelding.
An overflow field of 16 was entered for Race 8, a one-mile optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 4 and up scheduled for the turf. Among the group are 2024 Sweetest Chant (G3) winner Life’s an Audible and Windy Walk, who extended her win streak to four with an upset victory over Soul of an Angel in the Dec. 26 Rampart.
Saturday’s co-feature comes in Race 9, the $75,000 Sunshine Sprint for Florida-bred 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will send out the trio of multiple stakes winner Comedy Town and last-out winners Classify and Mish. Two-time Grade 2 winner Damon’s Mound is entered to make his first start since December 2023, facing state-breds for the first time.
Race 10 is an optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 4 and up sprinting six furlongs led by narrow 7-2 program favorite R Disaster, who has run first or second in five prior starts including a runner-up finish in the FSS City of Ocala Dec. 14. Cruise to Catalina has won two straight and three of four heading into her 4-year-old debut.
The Race 11 finale is a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the grass that drew an overflow field of 16 topped by Constitution Road, a $300,000 son of 2014 Florida Derby (G1) winner Constitution that was second at the surface and distance in his only prior start Nov. 10 at Aqueduct. King of Ashes tries turf for the first time after debuting on dirt and running second on Tapeta Nov. 24 at Gulfstream.
In the Rainbow 6, the 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.
There will also be a carryover of $16,707.36 in the $1 Super Hi-5 (Race 11).
Who’s Hot ~ ~ ~
Jockey doubled Friday aboard Royally Blue ($5.20) in Race 2 and Hollywood Mayhem ($3.40) in Race 6.
Hollywood Mayhem • Dylan Davis • José Francisco D’Angelo #GulfstreamPark #ChampionshipMeet @JFDAngelo pic.twitter.com/bsKg0UlrBx
— Pascual Artiles (@artilespascualf) January 17, 2025
