Okiro, Garafolo Team Up for Thirsty Fish Handicap Win

Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $50,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Trainer George Weaver, who saddled the winners of both the $125,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies and the $125,000 Royal Palm Juvenile last year, has entered horses in both five-furlong turf stakes to be run Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Both Royal Palm stakes will offer their winners automatic entry into one of six stakes at Great Britain’s prestigious Royal Ascot and a $25,000 travel stipend.

Weaver saddled Crimson Advocate for a victory in last year’s Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, which the daughter of Nyquist used as a launching pad for a victory in the Queen Mary (G2) at the Royal Ascot. He also won the 2025 Royal Palm Juvenile with Sandal’s Song, who went on to finish third in the Norfolk (G3) at Royal Ascot.

Weaver, who saddled No Nay Mets for a triumph in the inaugural running of the Royal Palm Juvenile in 2023, will be represented by Easy Life, an unraced daughter of Life Is Good, in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, which drew nine entries. He entered Automatic Press, a son of Vekoma who finished off the board in his recent debut at Keeneland on turf, in the Royal Palm Juvenile, which also drew a field of nine.

Three other trainers – Wesley Ward, Hall of Famer Mark Casse and Carlos David – have entered horses in both stakes.

Ward, who sports a reputation for early season success with 2-year-olds, has entered Skara Brae, a 4 ½-length debut winner on dirt at Keeneland, in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, as well as entering Joker’s Chic, a beaten favorite in his recent Keeneland debut, in the Royal Palm Juvenile.

Ward has named Joao Moreira, an international star who has been a dominant jockey in Brazil, Singapore and Hong Kong, to ride both 2-year-olds Saturday.

Casse will be represented by Pros and Cons, an unraced daughter of Triple Crown champion Justify, and Sass Sass, an unraced daughter of War of Will, in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, and Braums Run, an unraced son of Golden Pal, in the Royal Palm Juvenile.

David is scheduled to saddle Boots, a 3 ½-length debut winner on dirt at Gulfstream, for the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, and Blackjack, a debuting son of American Freedom, for the Royal Plam Juvenile.

Phillip Antonucci-trained Pot’s Right, a rallying debut winner in his debut at Keeneland and Doug O’Neill-trained Dee Snook, an unraced Irish-bred filly who has been training at Keeneland, are also entered in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies

Patrick Biancone-trained Celtic Dispute, who finished second behind Boots in her debut, is scheduled to face the boys in the Royal Palm Juvenile.

Okiro, Garoffalo Team Up for Thirsty Fish Handicap Win

Yutaka Enterprises Corp.’s Okiro ($10.80) rallied from off the pace with an extended wide drive to capture Sunday’s $75,000 Thirsty Fish Handicap at Gulfstream Park, scoring his third straight victory since returning to trainer Jose Garoffalo.

The 5-year-old son of Yoshida, who began his career with Garafolo, rated well off the pace set by Esperon and pressed by Extendo before swinging to the far outside entering the stretch. Responding to the urging of jockey Jose Morelos, Okiro steadily advanced through the stretch run to nip Extendo at the finish of the five-furlong overnight handicap for older horses that was moved from turf to Tapeta.

“I had this horse before when he was 3-years old. We had some pretty good races,” Garoffalo said. “When I got him back, we changed all the patterns of his training. I know this horse very well. He doesn’t need too much training. He’s a strong horse, but he’s delicate. You have to be conservative with him. Now, you can see the results.”

Okiro carried 123 pounds, three fewer than favored fourth-place finisher Governor Sam the 126-pound highweight, on his way to a final clocking of 55.70 seconds. Esperon held on for third.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $50,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $50,000 when live racing resumes Friday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager went unsolved Sunday for the second racing day following a jackpot hit.

The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 3-8, featuring a five-furlong first-level allowance for state-bred fillies and mares in Race 5. Ocala Gala, who graduated by 4 ¾ lengths in her first start for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, is prominent in a field of 11 assembled for the five-furlong test on turf.

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. On mandatory payout days, the entire pool is disbursed to the bettor or bettors holding tickets with the most winners in the six-race sequence.