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Junipermarshmallow Gives Pletcher Saturday Stakes Sweep
12/10/2022
Quality Road Filly Rolls to Victory in Wait a While
Gaffalione Enjoys Happy Homecoming at Gulfstream
Dual G1 Pegasus Turf Winner Colonel Liam Entered Thursday
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $300,000
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – St. Elias Stable’s Junipermarshmallow rallied from off the pace to capture the $75,000 Wait a While, giving Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher a sweep of Saturday’s stakes for juveniles on Gulfstream Park’s new turf course.
The daughter of Quality Road followed Pletcher-trained Ari Gold into the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle after winning the 7 ½-furlong stakes for juvenile fillies carded as Race 8. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Ari Gold scored a front-running win in the $75,000 Pulpit, a 7 ½-furlong turf stakes for 2-year-olds programmed as Race 4.
“I always love winning the Wait a While, since we had her. She was a great horse for us. That was kind of cool,” said Pletcher who campaigned the 2006 champion 3-year-old filly for whom Saturday’s stakes was named. “It’s always fun this time of year when you have horses that look like they’re developing and can continue to improve and be nice 3-year-olds.”
Junipermarshmallow, who was coming off a debut victory at Keeneland, was fanned somewhat wide into the first turn while following favored Delight, before settling in mid-pack on the backstretch following a first quarter of a mile in 23.48 seconds. She steadily advanced into the turn for home before Irad Ortiz Jr. asked the homebred filly for her run, and she responded with a strong outside drive to prevail by a length.
“I had a beautiful trip. The filly broke sharp, so I was able to sit right behind the horse to beat, Jonathan Thomas’ filly [Delight],” Ortiz said. “I waited until we got to the quarter pole when I asked her, and she got the job done.”
Junipermarshmallow ($12) ran 7 ½ furlongs on a firm turf in 1:28.83.
“She was a tick wide going into the first turn, but like Irad said, he was following what he thought was the horse to beat, but the rest of it was good. It looked like when Irad asked her into the far turn, she accelerated nicely, very similar to what she did in her debut,” Pletcher said.
Malleymoo, who was making her first U.S. start after capturing her debut in Ireland, rallied from last of 11 to finish second, a half-length ahead of Stephanie’s Charm. Delight, who stalked the pace while racing wide, faded to fifth.
Junipermarshmallow closed from off the pace to win her career debut at Keeneland in a 1 1/16-mile maiden event.
“She’s been a very straightforward filly to get train and get ready. We always thought on the strength of her pedigree she’s going to be a turf filly and kind of focused on that for her debut,” Pletcher said. “Even though I don’t think it was a big-figure maiden, I thought it was a visually impressive debut. That’s why we decided to go ahead and take a chance and go into a stake for her second start.”
Junipermarshmallow will be pointed to Gulfstream Park’s series for 3-year-old fillies on turf during the upcoming Championship Meet – the Jan. 7 Ginger Brew (G3), Feb. 4 Sweetest Chant (G3) and the March 4 Herecomesthebride (G3).
“It’s a good program. There’s a stake every month so you can run in the next one, or if you decide you need a little time, there’s one around the corner,” Pletcher said.
Gaffalione Enjoys Happy Homecoming at Gulfstream
Tyler Gaffalione, who rode his first career race and his first winner at Gulfstream Park, enjoyed a happy homecoming Saturday, guiding Sbagliato to a 1 ½-length debut victory in Race 1, a maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds on turf.
“It’s always nice to start on a good note. It’s nice to be back and enjoying the good weather,” Gaffalione said.
Sbagliato ($13.80), who is owned by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, rated a few lengths off the early pace before kicking in through the stretch to win going away, running the mile over a firm turf in 1:34.98.
“He was very green and going into the gate, but during the race he was very professional and when I called on him, he responded immediately,” said Gaffalione, who closed out the card with a winning ride aboard Cadet Corps ($10.80) in Race 10. “It was a very good performance from him.”
Flay bred the Christophe Clement-trained son of Quality Road.
Gaffalione rode his first career race at Gulfstream September 5, 2014 and rode his first winner (Holdin Bullets) on his third career mount two days later on his way to capturing the 2015 Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey.
Gaffalione was particularly happy while riding his 1978th winner with the condition of Gulfstream’s new turf course.
“It felt great. It’s a lot of fun out there,” Gaffalione said. “There’s very good footing and the grass is healthy.”
Gaffalione is looking forward to the upcoming Championship Meet that gets underway Dec. 26.
The 28-year-old native of Davie, Fla. finished second in races-won behind Luis Saez last season with 94 trips to the Gulfstream winner’s circle.
Dual G1 Pegasus Turf Winner Colonel Liam Entered Thursday
Colonel Liam and Never Surprised, respectively 1-2 in this year’s Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), are entered in a Thursday optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park.
The 7 ½-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up drew an overflow field of 15 with Colonel Liam and Never Surprised the first two of three on the also-eligible list.
Colonel Liam, being pointed for a threepeat attempt in the Pegasus Turf, has not raced since finishing ninth in the Dubai World Cup March 26. Never Surprised’s last start came when fifth in Gulfstream’s Canadian Turf (G3) March 5.
Never Surprised, winner of the 2021 Tropical Park Derby, has been on the work tab since late September at Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher’s South Florida base at Palm Beach Downs, where Colonel Liam shows six timed works since early November.
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $300,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $300,000 for Sunday’s 10-race program at Gulfstream Park.
First race post time is 12:10 p.m.
The popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for 13 consecutive racing days. Multiple tickets with all six winners Saturday each returned $2,475.62.
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.
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 spans Races 5-10 and includes a maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies scheduled for one mile on the grass in Race 7 that drew an overflow field of 13. Don Alberto Stable’s Alpha Bella adds blinkers for her fourth career start and first since arriving in South Florida. Luis Saez rides for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher from Post 2.
The feature comes in Race 9, an optional claiming allowance for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up sprinting 6 ½ furlongs on the main track. Heading a wide-open group of nine is tepid 3-1 program favorite Avant Glory from Sunshine Meet-leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. with Tyler Gaffalione up from Post 8. Avant Glory has one win and two seconds in five starts, returning to the dirt after running fifth in a Nov. 26 sprint on the Tapeta.
A second division of the maiden special weight wraps up the sequence in Race 10. James Spry’s Erna, purchased for $600,000 as a 2-year-old in training in April, makes her second start after coming up a neck short at 11-1 in debut going 1 1/16 miles Oct. 22 at Aqueduct.