Tiffany Gold Defends Title in $70,000 Lady’s Island

Great Venezuela, Le Amazonia Complete Trainer Trifecta
Trainer Victor Barboza Jr. One Win Shy of 700 in U.S.

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Lean Entertainment’s Tiffany Gold led every step of the way to defend her title in Saturday’s $70,000 Lady’s Island overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park, punctuating a three-win afternoon for Victor Barboza Jr. and moving Venezuelan-born trainer within one victory of a career milestone.

The Lady’s Island for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting five furlongs on the grass headlined an 11-race program as the Royal Palm Meet kicked off its second straight Saturday through Monday weekend schedule that runs through Aug. 31.

Sent off as the 3-2 favorite over five rivals including Barboza-trained stablemates Great Venezuela and Le Amazonia, Tiffany Gold ($5) covered a firm turf course in 54.88 seconds under jockey Edwin Gonzalez for her sixth career victory from 14 starts.

Unlike her last race, where she encountered early trouble and faded to be last of seven in the Little Miss Holly overnight handicap sprinting 5 ½ furlongs on the all-weather Tapeta course June 14, Tiffany Gold broke alertly and was immediately in command with Le Amazonia tracking her through an opening quarter-mile in 21.70 seconds.

Tiffany Gold continued to lead her stablemate after a sparkling half in 43.15 but gained some breathing room once straightened for home. Making her first start since mid-April, Le Amazonia continued to give chase through the stretch but was unable to catch the winner, who crossed the wire 1 ½ lengths in front.

A stakes winner on turf and Tapeta, Great Venezuela completed the Barboza-trained trifecta followed by Greenfield Cougar, Coco Abarrio and Tree C’s Kai. Little Miss Holly winner Vindicate Cha Cha and Laila Bella Girl were scratched.

“Today for Tiffany, she was the best mare for the race because there was no fighting to be in front. She was the only one in front; my other two fillies ran good, too but 54 [seconds] is a very good time for Tiffany on the turf,” Barboza said. “She won this race last year. She is special for the five furlongs on turf.

“Great Venezuela is better on the synthetic, but she always tries,” he added. “La Amazonia she had three months since she ran. I think the [rail] position was not the best position, but she ran a very good race.”

Barboza, 48, was a two-time leading trainer in Venezuela where he won 39 Group 1 or 2 races before coming to the U.S. in 2015, winning with his first starter, Dreamingoflawrence, at Gulfstream. His two wins Saturday prior to Tiffany Gold were Mon Coquette ($5.80) in Race 2 and I Wish You Love ($11.40) in Race 3.

“Today three wins, only one more for 700 in the United States. It’s a very important number for me,” he said. “I am very happy today. Not many Venezuelan trainers have won 700 races here. It’s very important for my career.”

Barboza is second at the current Royal Palm Meet with 26 wins, 10 behind Saffie Joseph Jr., who is aiming for his 16th consecutive Gulfstream training title. He has four horses entered Sunday – Majestic Noir in Race 1, Coffee at K J’s in Race 3 and 2-year-old fillies Lia’s Love and Satira in Race 6.

In addition to becoming a year-round in South Florida, Barboza is no stranger to shipping his horses around the country. He owns three graded-stakes wins – the 2017 Sugar Swirl (G3) with Rich Mommy and Inside Information (G2) with Distinta at Gulfstream, and Monmouth Park’s 2023 Salvator Mile (G3) with Petulante.

“At Gulfstream I have 59 horses and at Monmouth Park I have nine now. Three of my good horses are there – Majestic Lucia, Grand Mo the First and Captain Danny, he runs tomorrow,” Barboza said. “It’s a small barn but it’s what I need. It’s a good place for the move to Saratoga, Laurel Park, other tracks.”

Group 1-placed in his native Chile, Captain Danny is the narrow 5-2 program favorite in Sunday’s Race 7 at Monmouth, an optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles. The 3-year-old filly Majestic Lucia, fourth in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) and Delaware Oaks (G3) in her last two starts, will run next in the July 25 Monmouth Oaks (G3).

Grand Mo the First gave Barboza his first Kentucky Derby (G1) starter in 2025, running off the board after qualifying with third-place finishes in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and Florida Derby (G1).

“Thank God all the time the summer is good for me. For 10 years we’ve had a good season. We look forward to it all the time,” Barboza said. “It’s good for the whole team. It’s important to have good people helping you. I have the best.”

The Lady’s Island honors the Florida-bred mare that won 18 of 35 starts and $665,575 in purses from 2017-21. Among her victories were seven stakes including back-to-back editions of the Sugar Swirl (G3) and Musical Romance in 2019 and 2020.