Swirvin holds sway in Saturday’s feature race, maintaining his perfect record (Lauren King)
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $150,000
Gulfstream Park Press Release
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.— Bassett Stables’ Swirvin remained undefeated with a gutsy triumph in Saturday’s feature race at Gulfstream Park, providing trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. with yet another highly promising 3-year-old.
His winning effort in the six-furlong optional claiming allowance in Race 10 was pretty much a carbon copy of his winning Dec. 3 debut, in which he set the pace before being challenged to his outside on the turn into the homestretch, where he appeared to be a beaten colt before fighting back and drawing away under Edgard Zayas.
“The first time he looked beaten and won. Today was the same thing. At the top of the stretch, he re-rallied again. That’s a good characteristic to have,” said Joseph, who also trains Lord Miles, who pulled off a huge upset in last Saturday’s Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct to earn a berth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) field. “He’s a horse that has potential.”
Sent to post as the 5-2 third choice, Swirvin showed the way along the backstretch during a 22.39-second first quarter of a mile. The son of Girvin was met met with a serious challenge by 8-5 favorite Father Delay on the turn into the homestretch before completing the half-mile in 48.82 seconds as he fought back and edged away through the stretch to prevail by 2 ¼ lengths.
Swirvin completed the six furlongs in 1:11.04.
“There’s a race on Preakness Day at Pimlico for 3-year-olds – the Chick Lang – that could be a possibility,” Joseph said. “I’ll keep him sprinting for now.”
Swirvin was sidelined after his debut victory with a fever. His return was further delayed when he was scratched last month at Turfway Park when he ran off in the post parade.
Quincy Café closed from fifth to finish a non-threatening second. Owner/trainer Paul Valery saddled the 3-year son of Mendelsohn. Valery had saddled only one prior starter in the U.S. — The Brother Slew, a Venezuelan invader who captured the 2019 Classico Internacional del Caribe at Gulfstream.
Great Navigator, who encountered a rough trip, finished third another 2 ½ lengths back and a length ahead of Father Daley, who tired to fourth.
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $150,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $150,000 Sunday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for four racing days following a jackpot hit for $42.893.
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, kicked of a 6 ½-furlong maiden optional claimer for 3-year-olds headed by Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Powertrain. The son of Race Day, the 8-5 morning-line favorite, coming off a photo-finish second-place finish. Armand De La Cerda, David Fawkes, Kathleen O’Connell, and Gerald James will send out first-time starters.
A field of 11 3-year-old fillies has been assembled for Race 6, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight event that will be moved from turf to Tapeta due to the heavy rains this week. Lendhercredit, a former Todd Pletcher trainee who finished second in her first start for trainer Jose DeAngelo last time out. Trainer Jonathan Thomas is represented in the field by Schumer, a debuting daughter of Violence.
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.
Notes: In Sunday’s opener, a mile-and-70-yard maiden optional claiming race, Unstoppable Appeal, who has been registered as a white Thoroughbred, is scheduled to make is debut. The Javier Negrete-trained colt is by Pure White Gold, a white unraced stallion.
