Basking Back in Winner’s Circle off 14-Month Layoff
Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $550,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Grand Ave Girl returned running from a three-month freshening, scoring a front-running victory in Sunday’s Race 3 feature at Gulfstream Park.

The David Fawkes-trained 4-year-old daughter of Runhappy won for the fifth time at Gulfstream since being transferred from trainer Chad Brown a year ago while prevailing by three-quarters of a length in the mile-and-70-yard optional claiming allowance on Tapeta.

“The filly was named after my wife, who grew up on Grand Ave. in Saratoga,” said e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Bob Edwards, who was accompanied by his wife, Kristine, in the winner’s circle. “Dave has done a phenomenal job tuning her up and letting her win here on multiple surfaces.”

Grand Ave Girl, who won the Monroe Stakes on Tapeta two starts prior to her hiatus, set comfortable fractions under Emisael Jaramillo before holding off a late bid by Kahiko in the stretch. The Kentucky-bred filly ran a mile and 70 yards in 1:41.27 to win her third race on the all-weather surface to go along with two victories on turf. Tik Tok Famous finished another 2 ¼ lengths behind Grand Ave Girl.

“She ran huge today. He got her to really come off the bridle on the backside. I was really happy with the way he rode her,” Fawkes said. “She relaxed really well today – because she can get a little keen on you.”

Fawkes said he was looking forward to running Grand Ave Girl on grass when the new turf course is open for racing in December.

Peter Brant’s Basking, idle for 14 months following a 10 ½-length debut victory at Gulfstream, overcame a slow start to capture the co-featured optional claiming allowance in Race 8 on Sunday’s card.

“We tried to get her back in the winter at Payson, and we kept running into silly things,” said trainer Lisa Lewis, noting that foot issues have compromised the Kentucky-bred filly’s training.

The 3-year-old daughter of Lord Nelson got away last in a field of eight fillies and mares before sweeping into contention on the turn into the homestretch and kicking through the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length under Luca Panici.

“Luca said she was a little anxious behind the gate and he said, in the gate, she got a little anxious that made her break a step slow. Then, he said she got bumped and jumped back into the bridle and still gave him a good kick home,” Lewis said.

Basking, who won her debut over a sloppy main track at Gulfstream in July 2021, ran 5 ½ furlongs on Tapeta in 1:03.57 to wear down Trevess, who finished four lengths clear of Choose to Be Happy.

“I’ve always kind of that about turf for her. She won on a sloppy track in her first race, so it’s hard to say. She always trained well on dirt. But I just kind of thought in the back of my head that she’d like turf,” Lewis said. “That was kind of the idea about running her on Tapeta at 5 ½ [furlongs] today.”

Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $550,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $550,000 Friday at Gulfstream Park.

First-race post time is set for 12:25 p.m.

The popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for the 19 racing days following an Aug. 13 mandatory payout.

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.