Great Venezuela, Reyes Reunited for Saturday’s Golden Beach

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Orlyana Farm’s Great Venezuela and jockey Leonel Reyes will be reunited for Saturday’s $75,000 Golden Beach Handicap at Gulfstream Park, where they have enjoyed enviable success together in the past.

Dating back to Oct. 7, 2023, when Great Venezuela graduated under Reyes in her second career start, horse and jockey have teamed for eight victories and have never finished off the board in 13 consecutive races, all on turf or Tapeta.

Reyes, who was sidelined after sustaining an open left ankle fracture in a racing mishap Nov. 2, is scheduled to return to action at Gulfstream Thursday in pursuit of his 1000th North American victory. The two-time Venezuelan national champion is just three wins away from the milestone.

“He’s a very good jockey,” trainer Victor Barboza Jr. said. “I’m glad he will ride my filly in this race.”

Barboza, a two-time training champion in Venezuela before venturing to the U.S. in 2015, is scheduled to saddle Great Venezuela, as well as Vicente Stella Stables LLC’s Le Amazonia, for the Golden Beach, a five-furlong overnight handicap on turf that drew a field of eight older fillies and mares.

Great Venezuela won once in three starts since Reyes last rode her for a second-place finish in the Aug. 3 Incredible Revenge Stakes at Monmouth Park. The 5-year-old daughter of Neolithic finished fourth in traffic in the $200,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes Oct. 31 at Del Mar before capturing the Nov. 30 Islamorada Handicap at Gulfstream by 2 ½ lengths. Coming off a 3 ½-month layoff, she was slow to break in the March 14 Captiva Island at Gulfstream, finishing fifth, three-lengths off the winner.

“She’s in 100 percent condition for this race,” Barboza said. “The last race she was not in a good position from the start.”

Le Amazonia, first or second in nine of 12 career starts, is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Captiva Island, a quarter of a length behind Great Venezuela. The 4-year-old daughter of Practical Joke finished second behind Great Venezuela in the Islamorada Handicap before capturing an optional claiming allowance and finishing second in the Feb. 7 Ladies’ Turf Sprint at Gulfstream.

“I like her post position on the outside,” said Barboza, expressing his approval of Le Amazona’s Post 8. “She is a good filly. She finished second to Great Venezuela [in the Islamorada Handicap].

Samy Camacho, who was aboard Le Amazonia’s runner-up finish in the Islamorada Handicap, returns for the Golden Beach Handicap.

Great Venezuela (7-2) and Le Amazonia (5-2) are rated third and second, respectively, on the morning line behind favored Creed’s Gold (9-5).

Kristin Meldahl’s Creed’s Gold, who came off a layoff of nearly eight months to capture the five-furlong Lightning City Stakes Feb. 14 over Tampa Bay Downs’ turf course, has been assigned highweight of 124 pounds, three more than Great Venezuela. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the 5-year-old daughter of Jimmy Creed had captured the 6 ½-furlongs Hendrie Stakes (G3) on Tapeta at Woodbine before going on her extended break.

Sonny Leon, who rode Rich Strike to an 80-1 upset victory in the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1), has the return call on Creed’s Gold.

Ralph Murray and Calstar Farm Inc.’s Miss Vyvyanne will seek her fourth victory in a row in the Golden Beach Handicap while carrying 121 pounds. The 6-year-old daughter of Rainbow Heir, who was claimed for $32,000 at Woodbine last June, finished fifth in her debut for trainer Gail Cox before concluding her 2025 campaign with back-to-back optional claiming allowance scores at five furlongs on turf. Following a five-month break, Miss Vyvyanne rolled to a front-running 2 ¾-length victory in a five-furlong optional claiming allowance on Tapeta March 14 at Gulfstream.

Pietro Moran, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice for 2025 who has been aboard for all three of Miss Vyvyanne’s victories, returns to Gulfstream for the Golden Beach Handicap.

JC Racing Stable’s Demar’s Legacy, who set the pace before finishing third behind Creed’s Gold at Tampa Bay Downs; trainer Rohan Crichton, Dennis Smith and Daniel Walters’ Cart Girl Sam and Bruno Schickedanz’s Breezero, who finished second and third, respectively, behind Miss Vyvyanne March 14; and Melondee Bryn McInnish’s Tree C’s Kai, sixth behind Miss Vyvyanne in her last start; round out the field.