Contact: Travis Stone
(954) 457-6331
travis.stone@gulfstreampark.com
Lopez & Pletcher Lead Gulfstream Standings into Final Days
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL (Sat., April, 10 2010) – Jockey Paco Lopez has missed the last three days of riding at Gulfstream Park to attend to business in his native Mexico, and will not ride here Saturday; but the 24-year-old, 2008 Eclipse champion apprentice continues to hold a commanding lead in the standings with just nine races days to go before closing on Sat., Apr. 24. Lopez is expected back in time for Sunday’s program.
Lopez goes into Saturday’s card with 60 wins, 10 more than closest rival Javier Castellano second at 50, who has finished his South Florida winter campaign, and is now riding at Keeneland before moving on to New York for the summer. The only rider with a chance of catching Lopez would appear to be Elvis Trujillo now third with 48 wins, who will ride out the meet.
On the trainers’ leader board, Todd Pletcher has pretty much wrapped up a seventh consecutive Gulfstream championship with 33 victories, 15 more than closest rival Bill Mott second with 18 and Nick Zito one more back in third with 17, including Robert LaPenta’s Ice Box in the $750,000 Florida Derby (G1) in a 20-to-1 upset.
Seven of Nine in Blue Grass Competed at Gulfstream
Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Pleasant Prince lost a nose decision finishing second to Ice Box in the $750,000 Florida Derby (G1) last out at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 20 for trainer Wesley Ward, and the son of Inca King bids to solidify his Kentucky Derby (G1) credentials as the 3-to-1 morning line favorite in today’s $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.
Pleasant Prince is among seven 3-year-olds in the field of nine entered in the Blue Grass that raced at Gulfstream at least once earlier this year – Padua Stable’s Odysseus, Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite, Wertheimer et Frere’s Interactif, Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prado, Donald Dizney’s First Dude and Thomas and Jack Conway’s Stately Victor.
In the race before the Blue Grass on Keeneland’s biggest day of the spring meet, the $200,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares will serve as a rematch for Bart Evans’ 5-year-old homebred mare Wasted Tears and Stuart Janney III’s 5-year-old homebred Quiet Harbor, who finished one-two, separated by a nose last out in the $100,000 Honey Fox Stakes (G3) over the Gulfstream course on Feb. 20.
The 2010
Leading the lucrative card will be the $100,000 Island Whirl Florida Thoroughbred Charities Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on turf and the $100,000 Capital Request Thoroughbred Charities Stakes, a companion event over the course and distance for fillies and mares.
The other four races worth $50,000 each will be run under starter/allowance conditions, two going a mile on turf and two at seven furlongs on the main track, one each restricted to fillies and mares.
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Travis Stone
Media Manager,
Phone: (954) 457-6331
E-Mail: travis.stone@gulfstreampark.com
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