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Amstrong Returns to Dominance on Tapeta in Saturday’s Bear’s Den
9/16/2023
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $100,000
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Soldi Stable LLC and Ohana Racing LLC’s Amstrong made a victorious return to Gulfstream Park’s Tapeta course Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the 7-5 favorite remained undefeated and virtually unchallenged on the all-weather surface in the $75,000 Bear’s Den.
Amstrong, who had produced back-to-back scores in his first two starts on Tapeta while breaking his maiden and winning the Not Surprising Stakes, entered the Bear’s Den, a mile-and-70-yard stakes for 3-year-olds, off an off-the-board finish in the Manila (G3) on turf at Belmont Park and a third-place allowance finish on dirt at Laurel Park.
The Jose D’Angelo-trained son of Tapwrit regained his footing on the all-weather surface Saturday while registering a 2 ¼-length triumph and reuniting with Miguel Vasquez, who was aboard for his back-to-back Tapeta scores.
“He loves the Tapeta. He was ready and he was much the best in the race,” said D’Angelo, who watched the Bear’s Den from Keeneland, where he is attending the Keeneland September sale.
Love Me Not, who was making his first start at Gulfstream and first appearance on Tapeta after being claimed out of a 4 ¼-length victory on turf at Monmouth Park, shot to the lead under Jose Morelos to show the way around the first turn and along the backstretch. Amstrong stalked the pace in third under a strong hold nearing the far turn before making his bid and moving alongside Love Me Not on the turn into the homestretch. The pacesetter continued on gamely through the stretch but had no serious answer to Amstrong’s strong stretch drive.
Amstrong ran the mile-and-70-yard distance in 1:40.89.
“The only two times he ran on the Tapeta he won. His last two races were against tougher company at Belmont and Laurel Park,” D’Angelo said.
Love Me Not, who set fractions of 24.83 and 48.99 seconds in the first half-mile, held second, a length ahead of Smart Striker.
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $100,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $100,000 Sunday at Gulfstream Park.
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, headlined by a mile-and-70-yard optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up in Race 8. Several stakes veterans are entered in the field of eight, including Mark Casse-trained Volcanic, a graded stakes-placed son of Violence who has won three of his last four starts since being switched to Tapeta.
The Rainbow 6 has gone unsolved for five racing days following back-to-back jackpot hits.
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.