Impressive Debut Winner Sorcerer’s Silver Back Thursday

Ortiz Wins Four Wednesday Ahead of Record-Setting Meet Title
Canadian Champion Jockey Vives Wins in Gulfstream Debut
Jockey Tyler Gaffalione Hurt, Replaced on Wednesday Mounts
Thursday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $200,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – West Point Thoroughbreds and Domeyko Taylor’s promising 3-year-old colt Sorcerer’s Silver will make his highly anticipated return to Gulfstream Park in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance for Florida-breds Thursday.

The Triple Crown-nominated son of champion Good Magic and grandson of Hall of Famer Curlin drew Post 2 in a field of six and was installed as the 3-5 program favorite with Championship Meet leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard.

Unraced at 2 after being purchased for $130,000 last spring at the Timonium sale, Dale Romans-trained Sorcerer’s Silver debuted with an 8 ¼-length maiden special weight triumph against state-breds Feb. 1, going seven furlongs over a fast main track in 1:23.26 under Ortiz. He had nine works for his unveiling, the last five at Gulfstream.

“He had a little issue coming out of the sale and we bought him knowing that, so we knew he was going to need a little time,” West Point executive vice president Tom Bellhouse said. “Since day one, he’s really shown a lot of promise. Dale’s been super high on him.

“As soon as he got to Dale’s barn and started moving forward, he’s got a real presence. When you pull him out of the stall and look at him you go, ‘Wow, that’s a real racehorse’,” he added. “Coming into the maiden race, Dale had kind of had us a little scared [because] he was talking so big about the horse. But the horse was very impressive.”

The win by Sorcerer’s Silver came on the undercard of the Holy Bull (G3), and he was subsequently nominated to but withheld from the $400,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) March 1, both races going 1 1/16 miles. He was not among the nominees for Saturday’s $1 million, 1 1/8-mile Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

While his maiden win confirmed what the connections thought of Sorcerer’s Silver, it also made for some interesting conversations about where to run the horse back.

“You’re up against it. Now you start dreaming the 3-year-old dream, but the opportunity to run in the Florida-bred a-other-than is a chance to run a second time and give a very lightly raced horse, a late-developing horse, to hopefully get his legs under him before he has to go on to the deeper waters. There was a lot of talk. People were like, ‘Why not go to the Fountain of Youth?’

“Dale has just been amazing with this horse. He has had probably one of the best Gulfstream meets he’s ever had, and I think he’s been pressing every right button,” he added. “It looks like a field that on paper we should be extremely tough in. I think it’s a great opportunity for this horse to take another step forward, get another race under his belt, another trip over there considering we knew he was going to be a late developer, before we have to make a decision to go to an open allowance or a stake race.”

The last chance to get qualifying points for the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) is the April 12 Lexington (G3) at Keeneland, which offers a maximum of 20 points to the winner. The Preakness (G1), a race Romans won in 2011 with Shackleford, will celebrate its 150th running May 17 at Pimlico. The Belmont (G1) is June 7 at Saratoga.

“I think if we have a really good race here it’s going to be hard not to look at something a little deeper as we get into the Triple Crown season,” Bellhouse said. “The conservative approach would be to go to an [open] a-other-than, but there are some nice stakes races that’ll come in preps for the races in May and June that you’d have to take a look at.”

Ortiz Wins Four Wednesday Ahead of Record-Setting Meet Title

Four days away from clinching his record sixth Championship Meet riding title at Gulfstream Park, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. began closing week by reaching the 100-win mark for the eighth time in nine years with four victories Wednesday.

Ortiz visited the winner’s circle on four consecutive mounts with War Officer ($7.60) in Race 2, Wiggle An’ Wine ($4.80) in Race 3, Sorority Bid ($9.40) in Race 4 and Freedom Road ($3.20) in Race 5. He did not ride in the opener or the Race 9 finale, was beaten a neck in Race 6 and a late scratch from Race 7, and ran second in Race 8.

His 101 wins are 28 more than runner-up Tyler Gaffalione. Ortiz also ranks first with $6.2 million in purse earnings, largely thanks to White Abarrio’s victory in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1).

“It’s been very competitive. There’s so many great jockeys here, it’s a great colony right now. It’s not easy. I’m happy to hit that number, to be honest,” Ortiz said. “If we’re out there, we’ve got a good chance. That’s what I always say. As long as we’re on the track we’ve got a chance to win. My agent does a great job and we were able to win some races today.”

Represented by Steve Rushing, Ortiz came into the winter averaging 117 wins during the Championship Meet. Except for 2021-2022, when he missed time with injury and suspension, Ortiz has won at least 101 races every winter at Gulfstream topped by a track-record 140 in 2020-2021. He has 984 career Gulfstream wins.

Ortiz will become the first jockey in history to win six Championship Meet titles, surpassing Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who captured five straight from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016.

“It’s a great accomplishment,” Ortiz said. “There have been so many great riders here and we have a lot of respect for everybody. I’m so happy with all the support everyone gives me here in Florida. It’s amazing. I have to thank everyone.”

Ortiz is lined up for a big day Saturday with rides in all 14 races at Gulfstream including third-time starter and March 1 maiden winner Disruptor for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

“He’s a nice horse. We’ve liked him since day one and been very high on him. He got beat first time out. He got the inside post and he was dueling the whole way going seven-eighths going quick. It’s not like he was out in front by himself, he was head-to-head with another horse and he still fight to the end,” Ortiz said. “After that he came back and won the right way. He did what we expected him to do. First time going two turns, I think he can get the distance, for sure. He’s bred for it. He’s a nice horse, so we’ll see. We’re going to face some nice horses.”

Canadian Champion Jockey Vives Wins in Gulfstream Debut

Sofia Vives, Canada’s champion apprentice jockey of 2023 that calls central Florida home, made her Gulfstream Park debut a winning one Wednesday.

The 22-year-old Vives powered 6-year-old mare Galley Head ($14) to a hard-fought neck victory over Lady Emily Kathryn – the even-money favorite ridden by five-time Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr. – in Race 6, a starter optional claimer for older fillies and mares. The winning time was 1:42.96 over the all-weather Tapeta course.

“It feels pretty good. It’s a track you always dream about winning at, especially coming from Ocala and growing up there,” Vives said. “It’s pretty cool to come in and win with the first one.”

Born in South Carolina but raised in Ocala since the age of six months, Vives first got on horses when she was 10, tutored by her father, ex-jockey Lorenzo Vives, who worked 20 years for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse at his Ocala training center.

Since her first in 2022, Sofia Vives owns 219 career wins including 122 during her championship season. She had 87 wins and topped $3 million in purse earnings for the second straight year in 2024, and is again a Sovereign Award finalist for top apprentice. Winners will be named April 24, two days before Woodbine opens for the season.

Vives ranked fourth in wins (66) and purses earned ($2.98 million) in 2024 at Woodbine, where the meet begins in late April and runs through mid-December. She was fourth with 88 wins and sixth with $2.82 million in purse earnings in 2023.

“It’s exciting,” Vives said. “I want to be in the room just like all the guys and I want to win just as bad as them. It’s pretty cool to come here and say we beat them today.”

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione Hurt, Replaced on Wednesday Mounts

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione was transported to the hospital for further evaluation after complaining of ankle pain prior to Wednesday’s fourth race at Gulfstream Park.

Gaffalione was shaken up during the post parade of the claiming event for 3-year-old fillies when his mount, China Blue, acted up and pinned his leg against the rail. Gaffalione was a replacement rider for Junior Alvarado, who suffered a shoulder injury in Sunday’s finale.

Jose D’Angelo-trained China Blue was unhurt and finished third under jockey Emisael Jaramillo.

Gaffalione was replaced on his remaining two mounts Thursday. He is named in all 14 races Saturday at Gulfstream, 10 of them stakes including California shipper Madaket Road in the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

His agent, Matt Muzikar, said following Wednesday’s races that Gaffalione was awaiting test results.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $200,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated jackpot pool of $200,000 when live racing resumes Thursday at Gulfstream Park.

Post time for the first of nine races is 12:50 p.m.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 sequence spans Races 4-9. Race 5 is an entry-level optional claiming allowance for Florida-bred 3-year-olds sprinting six furlongs led by 3-5 program favorite Sorcerer’s Silver. The Triple Crown-nominated son of Good Magic was an 8 ¼-length debut winner Feb. 1 at Gulfstream.

The feature comes in Race 8, an optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs. Into Pleasure drew the rail in a field of seven going for his third win of the Championship Meet. Among the competition are Mish, winner of a Florida-bred sprint stakes last winter at Tampa Bay Downs, and Air Combat, chasing a fourth straight win.

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.

The Rainbow 6 has been solved 10 times during the 2024-2025 Championship Meet, eight times in the new year and five of those mandatory payouts. It was most recently hit for a $121,198.50 payout March 21, and has a final mandatory payout scheduled for closing day Sunday.

Who’s Hot: Jockey Jose Morelos rode two winners Wednesday, Senorita Nomas ($56.40) in Race 1 and Mayheminthepalace ($17.40) in Race 7 … Owner-trainer Jose Pinchin also doubled with Wiggle An’ Wine ($4.80) in Race 3 and Sorority Bid ($9.40) in Race 4.