Zayas Reacquaints Himself with Gulfstream Winner’s Circle

Guides Million-Dollar Vanderbilt to Victory in Maiden Feature
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $250,000
Mandatory 20-Cent Rainbow 6 Payout Slated for Sunday

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Jockey Edgard Zayas accepted mounts at Gulfstream Park Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the New York Racing Association’s pre-Saratoga break. Anyone watching the eighth race at Aqueduct last Monday must have had serious doubts that he would actually be able to honor those commitments at his former home track.

Zayas, a year-round force in Gulfstream Park’s jockey colony for more than a decade before switching his tack to New York in April, was catapulted high into the air from his mount, Glint, shortly after the start of the one-turn mile claiming race. Zayas miraculously escaped serious injury despite hitting the racetrack hard.

“I really got lucky and avoided any serious injuries. I landed good. I landed right. A horse kind of passed over me, but he just scraped me on the face,” Zayas said at Gulfstream Friday. “I was a little sore the next day, but thankfully we’re here and we’re good.”

Zayas reacquainted himself with the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle after guiding Brad Cox-trained Vanderbilt ($2.80) to a popular victory in Race 8, a six-furlong maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up.

Vanderbilt, a $1.1 million yearling purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September sale, was coming off a 16-month layoff. The 4-year-old Into Mischief gelding, who has been training

forwardly at Payson Park, pressed the pace set by Pic Three into the stretch before spurting to a clear lead and comfortably holding off late-running State Conceal.

Vanderbilt, who ran six furlongs in 1:10.42, made a most promising debut at Gulfstream Jan. 11, 2025 before going to the sidelines. He recovered from early bumping to set a pressured pace before finishing second in a six-furlong sprint won by River Thames. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, River Thames went on to win an allowance in his next start before finishing second in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) behind Sovereignty, the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and Horse of the Year.

Zayas, who has seven mounts Saturday and four mounts Sunday, is down to ride in four races on Saratoga’s opening day card Wednesday.

“I’m working hard. I know it’s going to be a slow process, but we’ll make it. We’ll get there,” he said. “Eventually, little by little we’re picking up business.”

Mentored by Hall of Famer Angel Cordero during his apprentice season at Gulfstream, Zayas has gone on to win nearly 7000 races and amass more than $87 million in purses-won.

Saturday’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 Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager went unsolved Friday for the seventh racing day following a mandatory payout.

A mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be offered Sunday. If the Rainbow 6 continues to go unsolved Saturday, Sunday’s jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $1.25 million.

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.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-11, featuring a five-furlong allowance for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up on Tapeta in Race 8 and a five-furlong turf allowance on Tapeta for 3-year-olds and up in Race 10.

Joe Orseno-trained Sticky McShnickens, a consistent son of Bucchero whose lone victory came on the all-weather surface, is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in Race 8. Edgard Zayas has the call.

Orseno is well-represented by two contenders in Race 10.  And Uwish, who has a pair of wins and two runner-up finishes from five starts on Tapeta, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite ridden by Zayas. Extendo, who has won half of his 12 starts on Tapeta, is rated second at 3-1 on the morning line.