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FTBOA FSS Prospect R Harper Rose Sizzles on Debut
8/5/2023
Jockey Edgard Zayas Making Most of Opportunities
Big and Classy Back to Winning Ways in Saturday Feature
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $350,000
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Averill Racing LLC and Two Eight Racing LLC’s R Harper Rose stamped herself as a hot prospect for the upcoming FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series with a sizzling front-running debut victory Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
R Harper Rose, who sported an eye-catching worktab heading into the 5 ½-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies, set fractions of 21.84 and 44.57 for the first half-mile over a sealed muddy track on her way to a final clocking in 1:04.11. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained daughter of Khozan finished 6 ¼ lengths clear of Haunted under jockey Edgard Zayas.
“I worked her last week out of the gate, and she was fast,” Zayas said. “I wasn’t expecting anything less than that. I was hoping she would win like that – pulling away – and she did. She’s Florida-bred by a Florida stallion, so hopefully we have a good one for those races.”
The 2023 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series kicks off at Gulfstream Sept. 9 with the $100,000 Desert Vixen (fillies) and $100,000 Dr. Fager (open), a pair of six-furlong sprints for 2-year-olds sired by a nominated stallion standing in Florida. The series continues Oct. 21 with the $200,000 Susan’ Girl (Fillies) and $200,000 Affirmed (open), both at seven furlongs) and Dec. 2 with the $300,000 My Dear Girl (fillies) and $300,000 In Reality (open), both at 1 1/16 miles.
BC Racing LLC’s Haunted, a FSS-eligible daughter of Khozan, rallied to finish second over Corinne and William Heiligbrodt’s Etrurian, a daughter of Bucchero who is also eligible for the FSS series.
Zayas returned in Race 6 to guide Laurie Plesa and Donald Mensh’s Raging Fury to a debut victory in a 5 ½ furlong maiden special weight race for Florida-bred 2-year-olds. The Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained son of Ami’s Flatter rallied from several lengths back to catch Love Unlimited Thoroughbreds Ltd.’s Arrogancy by a neck. Raging Fury is not eligible for the FSS series.
Raging Fury, the 4-5 favorite, was the seventh of eight winners in the last two days for Zayas, who won four races each day. In addition to his successes aboard R Harper Rose and Raging Fury, he also visited the winner’s circle Saturday with the Joseph-trained Preemption in Race 3 and Plesa-trained Rockin Roller in Race 7.
“Thankfully, I’ve been doing good. I’ve been getting a lot of good opportunities,” said Zayas, who has a 26-percent strike rate during the Royal Palm Meet. “I haven’t been traveling much lately. I’ll be around for the next several weeks, so hopefully we can keep rolling.”
In Saturday’s Race 9 feature, a stakes-quality optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up, Keith Johnston’s Big and Classy captured his seventh victory in his last eight starts.
Big and Classy, who had finished second in the Smile Sprint (G3) in his most recent start, rated behind the pace before slipping through an opening along the inside in mid-stretch and drawing clear.under leading rider Leonel Reyes. The 4-5 favorite had won six races in a row before checking in second behind Dean Delivers in the six-furlong Smile Sprint.
Big and Classy ran seven furlongs in 1:22.22.
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $350,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool will be guaranteed at $350,000 Sunday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager went unsolved Saturday for the 15th racing day following a mandatory payout.
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, kicked off by a well-stocked maiden special weight event for Florida-bred 2-year-old fillies in Race 4. David Braddy-trained Laila Bella Girl, a daughter of Girvin who was purchased for $500,000 at the OBS March sale, is s scheduled to make her debut in the 5 ½-furlong sprint. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Mystic Lake, a daughter of Mo Town who brought $130,000 at the OBS March sale, is also set for her debut. Jose D’Angelo-trained Ale’s Gift is slated to race with blinkers for the first time after finishing second and third in her first two starts. Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained Next On Stage will seek to improve on an even third in her recent debut.
In Sunday’s Race 6, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight test on Tapeta for 3-year-olds and up, Jena Antonucci-trained High Stakes will seek to improve on a third-place finish in his recent all-weather track debut. The Belmont Stakes-winning trainer will also be represented in the seven-horse field by Gustav, who finished a tired fourth in his recent return from a 15-month layoff.
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.