Sand and Sea in Key West, Lopez Wins Four
Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Monday $50,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Monday’s $150,000 Mucho Macho Man officially kicks off the Road to the Florida Derby and a rare Monday program at Gulfstream Park.

The mile event, for just-turned 3-year-olds, is the highlight of a special New Year’s Day program with a first race post of approximately 12:10 p.m.

The Mucho Macho Man is followed on Gulfstream’s Championship Meet calendar by the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) Feb. 3 and the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) March 2 before culminating March 30 with the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby.

Mark Grier’s Inveigled is the 9-5 favorite. Trained by Jane Cibelli, the son of Enticed finished second in the six-furlong James F. Lewis at Laurel Park Nov. 11 before finishing second at Gulfstream Dec. 9 in an allowance optional claimer at a mile. Irad Ortiz Jr. is named to ride. Holly Crest Farm’s Sea Streak debuted when finishing second in the Smoke Glacken at Monmouth in September before winning his second start Oct. 1 at Aqueduct. The son of Sea Wizard returned at Gulfstream when finishing second to Inveigled.

Brendan Walsh will saddle First World War. The son of War Front won his debut on turf at Kentucky Downs and finished fourth on the turf in the Bourbon (G2) at Keeneland. His debut on dirt resulted in a second-place finish against allowance optional claimers Nov. 9 at Churchill Downs. Tyler Gaffalione rides.

Sand and Sea in Key West, Lopez Wins Four

James Karp’s Sand and Sea went to the front under jockey Paco Lopez and never looked back Sunday when winning the $100,000 Key West, covering the mile & 70-yard Tapeta course in 1:48.40 for her third consecutive victory.

It was one of four winners on the day for Lopez.

A 5-year-old Indiana-bred mare trained by Riley Mott, Sand and Sea has now won four of her last six starts. She entered the Key West off a victory in Gulfstream’s Dec. 3 Orange Blossom.

Breaking cleanly in the eight-horse field, Lopez took Sand and Sea to the front and set fractions of :25.05, :49.54, 1:13.28 and 1:36.90 before coming home 1 ½ lengths in front of Jan’s Girl, last of five in August in the Beverly D (G1). Lady Arsinoe was third.

Sand and Sea is now undefeated in three starts on Tapeta.

Lopez also won aboard Peja Du ($17) in the fourth, Marceau in the fifth ($5.40) and Hades ($14.60) in the ninth.

NOTES:
On the day after his birthday, trainer Barclay Tagg saddled Carrington Holdings’ Marceau to victory in Sunday’s fifth race, a maiden special weight event for 2-year-olds on the turf…Racing resumes Thursday. The nine-race program includes two maiden special weight events, one at a mile for 3-year-old fillies that drew a field of seven including Whocouldaskformo, a $450,000 daughter of Uncle Mo, and Curlin’s Girl, a $360,000 daughter of Curlin out of the graded stakes winner Quality Rocks.

Beginning January 10 live racing will be conducted Wednesday through Sunday.

The Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be $50,000 Monday. The sequence begins with Race 5, a 1 ½ mile turf event with a $91,000 purse.