Royal Palm Meet Wraps Up Labor Day Weekend

Joseph, Zayas, Ramsey on Pace to Defend Titles
20-Cent Rainbow 6 Starts Anew Friday
Sunshine Meet Gets Underway Sept. 5

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – With just three racing days remaining in the 2025 Royal Palm Meet at Gulfstream Park, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., jockey Edgard Zayas and owner Ken Ramsey are on pace to defend their respective titles.

Joseph, who is chasing his 13th consecutive Gulfstream title as well as his seventh straight Royal Palm championship, leads Jose D’Angelo, 55-50, heading into Friday’s program. The defending champion has 14 entries for the final three programs of the meet that got underway April 3 and will wrap up on Sunday. D’Angelo has entered 15 horses for weekend action at Gulfstream.

Zayas has a more comfortable lead in his pursuit of his second consecutive Royal Palm Meet title, holding a 92-74 advantage over Emisael Jaramillo. He has been named to ride seven horses on Friday’s 10-race program, while Jaramillo has five mounts. Neither jockey will be at Gulfstream Saturday due to heavy business at Saratoga.

Zayas has been named on 12 horses on Saturday’s card at the Spa, including Be Your Best in the Flower Bowl (G2) and Spirit Doll in the Spinaway (G1) for Joseph. Be Your Best captured the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2) at Gulfstream Jan. 25.

Jaramillo has eight calls for Saturday’s Saratoga card, including Madame Mischief in the Flower Bowl and Mythical in the Spinaway for trainer Jorge Delgado. Jaramillo is 3-for-3 on Mythical, who broke her maiden at Gulfstream in her April 17 debut before beating the boys in the June 5 Tremont and capturing the Aug. 3 Adirondack (G3) at Saratoga.

Weather will probably dictate whether Zayas rides at Gulfstream (six mounts) or Kentucky Downs (five mounts) Sunday. Jaramillo has no Sunday mounts listed on Equibase.

Ken Ramsey, who finished in a three-way title with Vincente Stella Stable LLC and Moshe Mark for the 2024 Royal Meet title, has 13 winners this season. Amaty Racing Stables has 11 winners. Arindel, owner and breeder of Mythical, and JC Racing Stable have 10. Only JC Racing Stable, with eight entries at Gulfstream over the three day weekend, has a chance to catch Ramsey, who has only one entry on Friday.

Starship Stable’s Starship Impulsive was a standout performer during the Royal Palm Meet while winning all four of her starts, including consecutive victories in the Honey Ryder, Martha Washington and Frolic’s Revenge.

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will start anew on Friday’s 10-race program following last Sunday’s mandatory payout.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-10, kicked off by a well-stocked five-furlong maiden special weight event for 2-year-old fillies on turf in Race 5. A field of nine well-connected fillies, all but two first-time starers, has been assembled, including e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Madaket Stable’s Lady Lullaby, who has been installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite. Zayas has been named to ride the Joseph-trained daughter of Silver State, who sports a series of solid workouts at Gulfstream in preparation for her debut. D’Angelo-trained Stella Bionda, a daughter of Authentic who breezed impressively on turf at Palm Meadows, has been rated second at 3-1 for her debut. Apprentice Yolber Torres has the call.

In the Rainbow 6, the 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 usually goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

The 2025 Sunshine Meet will get underway Friday, Sept. 5 and run through Nov. 23, featuring the $200,000 Princess Rooney (G3), a win-and-you’re-in race for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Mar Nov.1, on Sept. 20. Joseph-trained Soul of an Angel won last year’s edition of the seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares before going on to capture the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare sprint at Del Mar.