Florida Vacation on Tap for Well-Traveled Reef Runner

Gulfstream Win Machine Rezasrolex Making Graded Debut
Gulfstream Hosting Kentucky Derby Watch Party

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – His nearly two-month residency in the Middle East complete, Alex and JoAnn Lieblong’s multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Reef Runner is back in the U.S. and due a well-deserved break before returning home to Gulfstream Park to resume his 5-year-old campaign.

The plane carrying Reef Runner, fourth by less than two lengths in the $1.5 million Al Quoz Sprint (G1) March 28 at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, touched down in England to refuel Wednesday before continuing on to Kentucky, where the Florida-bred gelding was to quarantine for three days under the watchful eye of Scott Blasi, assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

From there, Reef Runner will head to Sandhurst Thoroughbreds, the Ocala farm of horseman Nick Esler, for a short stay before rejoining trainer David Fawkes’ string at Gulfstream.

“He’ll be there for three weeks and then he’s going to come to Gulfstream and start a new campaign,” Fawkes said. “It usually takes him a week to settle and then a couple weeks in the field. He’s a good turnout horse. He’ll go out in the field and just put his head down and graze. Nick had him before and he takes really good care of him.”

Fawkes was thrilled with Reef Runner’s race in Dubai, which came after rain soaked the city for nearly a week and made the turf course, though labeled firm, softer than Reef Runner prefers.

“He ran a good race. I don’t think he loved that racetrack. Believe it or not we got five days of heavy rain before that. It was a real weird system that went through. The town got flooded. It was crazy,” Fawkes said.

“He kind of wants it like Gulfstream is. Gulfstream is hard and fast, and he likes that,” he added. “It just might have been a little bit squishy on the surface for him, which he didn’t love. I don’t think he every really got his feet under him, the way I would have expected, and he still ran really a good race.”

Reef Runner’s Mideast sojourn began with a victory in the $2 million 1351 Turf Sprint (G2) Feb. 14 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which pushed him over $1 million in career earnings. Like Fawkes, the Lieblongs were on hand for both races.

“Alex and his wife had a really good time,” Fawkes said. “They came in on Wednesday, Thursday morning [jockey William] Buick came and got on him and galloped him. That night there was a party and [Buick] came over to the table and talked to Alex and JoAnn. They’re so accommodating there. They love horse racing.”

Reef Runner earned $1.275 million in his two races this year to boost his bankroll over $1.9 million from 24 starts, 17 of which have come at Gulfstream including stakes wins in the 2024 Bob Umphrey Sprint on Tapeta and 2025 Warrior’s Pride overnight handicap and Janus on turf, the latter Dec. 20 to cap his 4-year-old season.

Fawkes said he did not feel threatened at any time during either of his trips to the Mideast despite the ongoing war with neighboring Iran.

“It was very, very safe. Very clean, very safe, everybody’s nice,” Fawkes said. “You walk down the street five feet and there’s somebody asking if they can help you [with] where to go.”

Gulfstream Win Machine Rezasrolex Making Graded Debut

Robert Cotran’s Gulfstream Park-based gelding Rezasrolex, second in back-to-back stakes following a nine-race win streak, will be up against some familiar rivals when he makes his graded debut in the 5 ½-furlong Shakertown (G2) Saturday on the Keeneland turf.

Trained by Joe Orseno, 5-year-old Florida-bred Rezasrolex tuned up for the Shakertown with a half-mile breeze in 47.36 seconds Sunday over Gulfstream’s all-weather Tapeta course. It was the sixth fastest of 25 horses at the distance.

“Myself and the owner felt like he needed the opportunity to step up and see where he really belongs,” Orseno said. “We know he’s a nice horse. We know what he’s capable of.”

Claimed for $16,000 out of a Dec. 7, 2023 win at Gulfstream after back-to-back races at Belterra Park to open his career, Rezasrolex has 13 wins and four seconds from 19 starts. Starting June 21, 2024 he strung together nine consecutive wins against starter optional and optional claiming allowance company before running second by a neck to My Boy Prince in the Feb. 14. Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs.

In his most recent start, Rezasrolex got within a length of the lead at the top of the stretch and had to settle for second again, beaten 1 ¾ lengths by Litigation in the five-furlong Silks Run March 7 over the Gulfstream turf. Both My Boy Prince and Litigation return in the Shakertown, which drew a field of 14.

“He really ran two incredible races against My Boy Prince and Litigation, so we’ve got to try him. I really thought he was capable of beating both those horses those days with the trip he got,” Orseno said. “If he steps up in here we’re hoping that he can go to the next level. Right now he hasn’t done anything wrong and his numbers are just getting better and better. I really think he’s going to benefit from going 5 ½ [furlongs].”

Nine-time Gulfstream Park leading rider Edgard Zayas, who moved his tack to New York following the Championship Meet, gets the return call for the seventh straight race and 13th overall from Post 10. Orseno continues to marvel at his Rezasrolex’s consistency and success.

“He’s 17 hands and he doesn’t look like anything but a distance horse, which is why when they had them before me he was running long,” he said. “But looking at his pedigree I think he’s a sprinter and that’s what he wants. But [at] five-eighths, to get a 17[-hand] horse to do what he’s doing is just incredible. He’s very athletic.”

Gulfstream Hosting Kentucky Derby Watch Party

Watch Florida Derby (G1) winner Commandment and runner-up The Puma compete in the 152nd Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 2 at Gulfstream Park’s Derby Watch Party.

Admission to the Watch Party will include a complimentary Mint Julep or beer/wine and a commemorative pin. There will also be yard games, a live DJ, and photo opportunities.

Official Kentucky Derby glasses will also be available to purchase along with BBQ fare and a cash bar.

Tickets are $34.88 and can be purchased now: click here to purchase.