Zayas Looking Forward to Busy Kentucky Derby Workweek

‘Bug-less’ Husbands Guides Mrs. Gambolini to Golden Beach Win
Thursday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $250,000
Mandatory Rainbow 6 Payout Set for Next Sunday

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Edgard Zayas has a busy Kentucky Derby workweek ahead of him.

The Royal Palm Meet’s leading rider is slated to ride Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Churchill Downs, including a mount in Friday’s $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) aboard Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Early On.

Zayas has ridden once before at Churchill Downs during Derby Week, winning aboard Sharp Azteca in the 2016 Pat Day Mile (G3) on the Derby undercard.

“It was the first time I rode on Derby Day. It was absolutely amazing but nothing probably like what I’ll experience riding Early On in the Kentucky Oaks,” Zayas said before guiding Solidaria to victory in Sunday’s Race 3. “I’m really excited and looking forward to it.”

Early On, who drew the rail post position for Friday’s 1 1/8-mile Oaks, broke her maiden at Gulfstream Feb. 5 before finishing second in both the Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs and Gazelle (G3) at Aqueduct.

Zayas, who has won numerous riding titles at Gulfstream Park, is coming off a banner Championship Meet, during which he finished fourth behind Irad Ortiz Jr., Tyler Gaffalione and Luis Saez with 68 trips to the winner’s circle.

The 31-year-old Puerto Rico native, who rode his 2500th winner last week at Gulfstream, has one mount Tuesday, two on Thursday, two on Friday and two on Derby Day, including Joseph-trained Mystic Lake in the Derby City Distaff (G1) and Joe Orseno-trained Eamonn in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G2).

There is also a possibility that he could end up riding Joseph-trained Neoequos in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, should Baeza draw into the field from the also-eligible list. Flavien Prat, who is named to ride Neoequos, is committed to ride Baeza should he run.

“I’d be in the mix,” Zayas said.

Zayas will share the Derby Week experience in Louisville with his wife Ashley and daughters Lillian and Lilah.

‘Bug-less’ Husbands Guides Mrs. Gambolini to Golden Beach Win

Riding without his five-pound apprentice weight allowance, up-and-coming Micah Husbands guided Mrs. Gambolini to an impressive 2 ½-length victory in the $70,000 Golden Beach Handicap Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

Mrs. Gambolini ($5.80) broke alertly and quickly assumed a clear lead along the backstretch and was never threatened thereafter, completing the five furlongs on turf in 54.14 seconds with speed to spare.

“I wanted to see who was going to come out running. We were probably going to drop in behind the speed, but nobody went. So, we took advantage of getting an easy lead, and she did it naturally,” said the 21-year-old apprentice after scoring his 15th win of the young Royal Palm Meet.

Great Venezuela, the even-money 122-pound highweight ridden by Leonel Reyes, rallied to finish second, 2 ½ lengths ahead of Sol Hope, a stablemate of Mrs. Gambolini in trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. barn.

Mrs. Gambolini, who carried 118 pounds, captured her third victory in four starts for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds while returning from a layoff of more than five months.

“I haven’t won a stake yet. This is as close as I’ve come,” said Husbands, a native of Barbados who won 13 races during the Championship Meet. “I’ve dreamed of riding here at Gulfstream. Everything is happening for me. It’s a dream come true.”

Husbands is a close relation to journeyman jockey Patrick Husbands, a winner of more than 3600 races.

“He’s my uncle, but he adopted me as his son,” said Husbands, who rode alongside his uncle briefly in Canada before venturing to Gulfstream.

Notes: Paco Lopez rode four winners on Sunday’s card, scoring aboard Dynamic Empire ($5.80) in Race 1 before going back-to-back with Emirates Affair ($3.20) in Race 5 and Mattingly ($7) in Race 6. He came back in Race 9 to win aboard Ship Cadet ($3.60).

White Abarrio, the 2025 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) winner, breezed four furlongs in 50.07 Sunday morning at Gulfstream in a maintenance workout for the June 8 Met Mile (G1) at Saratoga.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $250,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $250,000 when the Royal Palm Meet resumes with a nine-race program Thursday at Gulfstream Park.

First race post time is 12:50 p.m.

The popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for eight consecutive racing days following a mandatory payout April 13.

A mandatory payout is scheduled for Sunday, May 4.

The Rainbow 6 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. On mandatory-payout days, the entire Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is paid out to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the wager’s six-race sequence.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 spans Races 4-9. A claiming event for maidens 3 and up sprinting 5 ½ furlongs on the all-weather Tapeta course kicks things off, where Paez looks to break through after running third in each of his last three tries, two on dirt and a one-length loss on the Gulfstream synthetic last June.

Gatsby, the 2022 Sunshine Sprint winner that has placed in six other stakes and is 19-for-40 in the money with $436,790 in purse earnings looks to snap a nine-race losing streak in Race 7, a six-furlong optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up. The competition includes Hurricane Nelson, a winner of two straight capped by the NYRABETS Sprint March 30 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Xy Speed, a multiple stakes winner with 15 lifetime victories, drew the rail against seven rivals in the Race 8 feature allowance for 4-year-olds and up scheduled for five furlongs on the turf, where the 9-year-old veteran has earned 14 of his wins. The familiar cast includes Reef Runner and Biz Biz Buzz, respectively third and fourth behind runner-up Xy Speed in the April 5 Go Cats Go overnight handicap.

Three first-time starters and Brisa Veloz, a $450,000 daughter of Munnings owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds making her fourth career start, are among eight 3-year-old fillies in the Race 9 maiden special weight finale, a five-furlong dash on the Tapeta.