Dalila Rivera. (Ryan Thompson)
Apprentice Dalila Rivera Rides First Gulfstream Winner
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $125,000
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Seven-pound apprentice rider Dalila Rivera, a 27-year-old former tattoo artist in her native Puerto Rico, picked up her first Gulfstream Park victory Saturday aboard 4-year-old gelding Prince David for Thimbiyola Racing and trainer Fred Labo.
Prince David ($14.80) came with a steady drive down the center of the track to nail favored Grand Joker by a head on the wire in the five-furlong claiming event for 3-year-olds and up. The winning time was 57.84 seconds over the all-weather Tapeta course.
“I was comfortable at the beginning of the race because the horse was in his own rhythm,” Rivera said. “I felt the horse was doing well, so in the final stretch I asked the horse, and he responded very well to win the race.”
Since moving her tack to South Florida last month, Rivera had three seconds and a third in 15 previous mounts during the Sunshine Meet, which began Sept. 5. She rode once at the preceding Royal Palm Meet, finishing sixth on Reign in My Heart Aug. 29 in her Gulfstream debut.
“I’m blessed and extremely emotional to get my first win here,” Rivera said. “This is my favorite track, so I feel extremely good about this victory.”
Rivera graduated from Puerto Rico’s famed Escuela Vocacional Hipica jockey school in 2024 and began riding professionally Jan. 1 at Camarero Racetrack, winning with her first ever mount, Lady Frida. She won four more races before coming to North America to ride Nice Baby in the Longrun Thoroughbred Aftercare Stakes June 15 at Fort Erie.
Bennys Jets gave Rivera her first North American win July 19 at Woodbine, and three days later she picked up her first U.S. victory aboard La Tourista at Presque Isle Downs. Overall, she has a record of 7-13-10 from 97 mounts, including a runner-up finish on Major King in Race 10 Saturday at Gulfstream.
“My previous job was doing tattoos in Puerto Rico,” Rivera said. “I was invited to go to Camarero and I really liked it. I have the weight and the height to be a jockey, so I tried the jockey school and it went well. I fell in love with it.”
Rivera plans to ride at Gulfstream through the Sunshine Meet, which ends Nov. 23. The 2025-2026 Championship Meet opens Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27.
“I am going to ride here until the Championship Meet starts and then I will move temporarily to other tracks,” she said. “After the Championship Meet I will come back to Gulfstream.”
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $125,000
Unsolved for a fifth consecutive racing day Saturday, the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is expected to reach an estimated $125,000 for Sunday’s 10-race program at Gulfstream Park.
First race post time is 12:50 p.m.
The popular multi-race wager, which spans Races 5-10 Sunday, last returned multiple $8,569.28 mandatory payouts Sept. 14.
In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is paid out only 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.
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 opens with an open one-mile allowance for 3-year-olds scheduled at one mile on the grass, marking the return of new gelding Classic of Course, winner of Gulfstream’s March 29 Cutler Bay sprinting 7 ½ furlongs on the turf who is unraced since June 7. Among his challengers is Bakers Street, who finished ahead of Classic of Course when second in the 1 1/16-mile Not Surprising.
The feature comes in Race 7, a $70,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds also scheduled for a mile on turf that drew a full field of 12 led by 5-2 program favorite Uncle Aldo, a More Than Ready colt that has been third and second in two prior starts, one each on turf and Tapeta. Hall of Fame trainer will unveil $250,000 yearling Brentwood, a first-time starter by two-time champion and 2021 Belmont (G1) winner Essential Quality.
Race 9 is a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance scheduled on the grass boasting a wide open group of 11 fillies and mares 3 and up including Super Freaky Girl, Breezey Z and Royally Blue all coming off victories, with seven-time winner and six-figure earner Royally Blue seeking a third straight triumph. Impressive June 28 maiden winner Love Actually looks to bounce back after running sixth in her first try against winners Aug. 3.
The Sunset Six wager linking Gulfstream’s final three races and the last three races at Santa Anita Park continues Sunday. The $1 wager with a 15 percent takeout covers Races 8-10 at both tracks.
Notes … … ….. …..
Jockey Jonathan Ocasio and trainer Patrick Biancone teamed up for a pair of 2-year-old filly winners Saturday with Haute Diva ($3.60) in Race 4 and Lennilu ($5.80) in the $75,000 Hollywood Beach …
Five horses that ran at Gulfstream Park during the 2024-2025 Championship Meet had graded-stakes success around the country Saturday. At Aqueduct, Locked won the Woodward (G2), R Disaster took the Gallant Bloom (G2) and Patriot Spirit was first in the Vosburgh (G3). At Churchill Downs, Mystik Dan captured the Lukas Classic (G2) and Tumbarumba won the Ack Ack (G3) …
Another Gulfstream runner, Gun Song, won Friday’s Beldame (G2) at Aqueduct.
