Junior Alvarado Celebrates a Winning Return

Luis Saez Makes Championship Meet Return Friday
Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $350,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Jockey Junior Alvarado celebrated his return to Gulfstream Park for the 2024-2025 Championship Meet with a rallying victory Thursday aboard David Romanik’s River of Time.

Trained by Ron Spatz, the New York-bred Fog of War gelding River ($15.80) ran a mile and 70 yards in 1:42.85 to win the claiming event for 2-year-old maidens by 3 ¼ lengths in his career debut.

“There’s no better feeling than coming back and getting a win right away, so that people know that you’re 100 percent and ready,” Alvarado said. “I’m ready for the meet and I’m very happy to be here.”

Alvarado, 38, returned to Gulfstream having won 96 of 647 starts and more than $11.4 million in purse earnings this year. Nine of his wins have come in graded stakes highlighted by the Whitney (G1) with Arthur’s Ride, who is among the leading contenders for next month’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1). Alvarado won the 2023 Pegasus with Art Collector, also trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

At the 2023-2024 Championship Meet Alvarado ranked seventh with 35 wins and eighth with $2.29 million in purses earned. He won four stakes, three with Florida-bred turf sprinter Stone Silent and the Mr. Prospector (G3) with Group 1 winner Sibelius.

Since returning to spend the winter full-time at Gulfstream in 2020-2021, Alvarado has averaged 42 wins and $2.75 million in purse earnings, ranking in the top eight each year. He was the regular rider for 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish and this year won the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) with Pegasus runner-up Senor Buscador.

“I’ve had a great year,” Alvarado said. “The last four years that I’ve been coming here to Gulfstream have been the best four years of my career, so I wasn’t going to change anything. I’m lucky to come here with some momentum and have some good horses for Mr. Mott, so hopefully it keeps moving us forward.”

John Velazquez also made his 2024-2025 Championship Meet debut Thursday without finding the winner’s circle. The 53-year-old Hall of Famer has three scheduled mounts on Friday’s 10-race program.

Luis Saez, a three-time Championship Meet titlist, is scheduled to make his first appearance of the 2024-2025 season Friday, when he is named to ride in seven races.

The 32-year-old Panama native is coming off a banner fall meet at Churchill Downs, where he rode 42 winners to win the title by a margin of 20 wins.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $350,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool is expected to grow to an estimated $350,000 Friday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager went unsolved Thursday for the ninth racing day following a Nov. 24 mandatory payout.

The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-10, kicked off by a well-stocked five-furlong maiden special weight turf dash for 3-year-olds and up. Rebel With a Clue, an Irish-bred 3-year-old owned and trained by Wesley Ward, has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite. Hall of Famer John Velazquez up.

A mile maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds follows in Race 6. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will send out first-time starter Into Royalty, a son of Into Mischief who brought $350,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September sale. Into Royalty is rated as the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

The Rainbow sequence will be headlined by a well-balanced mile optional claiming allowance for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up. Nolan Ramsey-trained Raging Fury, who finished second at seven-furlongs first off the claim, is rated as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a field of eight.

The Rainbow 6 carryover 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.

Who’s Hot: Jockey Leonel Reyes rode both halves of the Early Daily Double, scoring aboard Cerchi ($5.40) in Race 1 and Defended ($7.60) in Race 2. Irad Ortiz Jr. doubled aboard Treasure King ($9.40) in Race 5 Designer Bag ($3.40) in Race 9.