Collaborate, Ny Traffic Breeze for G2 Gulfstream Park Mile Dubai Al Quoz Sprint Still in Play for Drain the Clock Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $1.25 Million Hot Peppers Makes it 3 in a Row in Sunday Feature

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Gentry Farms’ A.P.’s Secret breezed five furlongs in 58.43 seconds Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park in preparation for a scheduled start in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) March 5.

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained 3-year-old’s clocking was the fastest of 10 recorded at the distance. It was the second straight ‘bullet’ five-furlong breeze for the son of Cupid, who is coming off an impressive mile optional claiming allowance victory at Gulfstream Jan. 9.

“He had a good strong work, his last strong work of the series,” Joseph said. “He’s in good form. Hopefully, he can stay healthy from now to the race. I think he will run a big race.”

A.P.’s Secret broke his maiden at first asking at Gulfstream in September and came back to finish second in a Dec. 5 optional claiming allowance behind Strike Hard, who went on to finish second in the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man. A.P.’s Secret returned to the winner’s circle following an off-the-pace 1 ¼-length victory Jan. 9.

Joseph-trained Collaborate and Ny Traffic breeze in company in preparation for scheduled starts in the $200,000 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) on the March 5 program.

“It was a huge work for both of them,” Joseph said. Collaborate was clocked in 59.41 seconds, while Ny Traffic was timed in 59.11.

Three Chimneys Farm and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Collaborate is coming off a sharp closing 1 ¾-length victory in a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Jan. 6. Ny Traffic has been idle since capturing the Oct. 30 Hudson Handicap Belmont Park.

Joseph reported that Grade 1 winner Drain the Clock exited his close-up second-place finish behind Miles Ahead in Saturday’s $150,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint in good order.

“He came out of the race well. Obviously, we were disappointed that he got beat, but we always try to take the positive. It was a fast-run race and he got a 102 Beyer [speed figure],” he said. “On the day, he was second-best, but he showed up and ran like we thought he would. He just got beat.”

A trip to Dubai for the $1.5 million Al Quoz Sprint (G1) on the March 26 Dubai World Cup (G1) undercard is still in play.

“There was nothing to deter us from that,” Joseph said. “It’s still in play for sure.”

Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $1.25 Million

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed for $1.25 million Wednesday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for 15 racing days in a row following a mandatory payout on Jan. 30.

Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 3-8, highlighted by a five-furlong optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds on turf in Race 5. Wesley Ward-trained American Starlet, a daughter of Twirling Candy who is coming off an impressive debut victory over males at Gulfstream Jan. 7, is slated to take on nine colts and geldings. Ward is also scheduled to saddle Just Say When, who is unraced since debuting with a victory at Keeneland in October. Rohan Crichton-trained Brit’s Candyman, who rolled to a dominating victory in his turf debut in his second career start, Jose D’Angelo-trained Classicstateofmind, who followed up a strong maiden victory in his turf debut with a solid second-place finish against winners, appear to be among the biggest threats to American Starlet.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is 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.

Who’s Hot: Hot Peppers won her third straight race in Sunday’s featured Race 10 at Gulfstream Park.

Purchased privately by Michael Dubb following a maiden score by 14 ½ lengths and an optional claiming allowance win by 5 ½ lengths against Florida-breds, Hot Peppers had to dig deep to prevail in Sunday’s six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies in open company. The daughter of Khozan showed the way into the stretch before receiving a serious challenge from Mouffy. The Ron Spatz-trained filly responded to jockey Emisael Jaramillo’s urging during a stretch-long battle to claiming victory by a head while completing six furlongs in 1:09.75.

Hot Peppers finished second, beaten by a neck, in her debut on Tapeta before winning her last three starts.

Junior Alvarado doubled aboard Coop Tries Harder ($5) in Race 3 and Lucago ($3.80) in Race 9.