Gulfstream Park news: Mexican star Jala Jala takes on graded company

Jala Jala has dominated the boys in her only two races at Gulfstream Park, but six other fillies and mares figure to give the Mexican star the sternest test of her career in Saturday’s $150,000 Royal Delta (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Jala Jala ventured from Mexico to Gulfstream Park to capture the $300,000 Clasico del Caribe Dec. 9, 2017, when she defeated the 3-year-old males by nine lengths in the highlight of the first Clasico Internacional del Caribe to be hosted outside the Caribbean and Latin America. She returned a year later to overwhelm older males by 4 ¾ lengths in the $100,000 Copa Confraternidad del Caribe Dec. 8.

“She’s the first filly to win both races in the 50 years of the Clasico,” trainer Fausto Gutierrez said. “Now she faces very nice fillies here. It’s a tough race for her, but I think she has the quality to be there.”

Gutierrez also trains Kukulkan, the Mexican Triple Crown winner who followed in his stablemate’s hoofprints to win the Clasico del Caribe at Gulfstream Dec. 8. The son of Point Determined and Jala Jala returned to Mexico, only to come back to Gulfstream Park in early January. Kukulkan brought an undefeated record in to the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 26 but was never a factor while finishing 11th.

Jala Jala produced a ‘bullet’ three-furlong workout in 35.57 seconds Jan. 29 before turning in a relaxed five-furlong breeze in 1:02.15 a week ago.

“She’s training very good. Like Kukulkan, she’s trying to come back. The difference is she’s had a month more to train on the track. We’re here to win. This is a different level,” Gutierrez said. “She’s one of the best horses in the Caribbean. This is a tough race. I have plenty of confidence that she’ll make a good race.”

Emisael Jaramillo will ride Jala Jala for the first time Saturday.

In the mile Royal Delta, Jala Jala will clash with Tequilita, a multiple graded-stakes winner who won the Rampart (G3) by 2 ½ lengths at Gulfstream Dec. 15, and Blamed, who captured the Comely (G3) at Aqueduct in her 2018 finale before faltering on a sloppy track in the Hurricane Bertie (G3) Jan. 26 at Gulfstream.

Rainbow 6 Hit for $227,505 Jackpot Payoff

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 was solved at Gulfstream Park Friday, yielding a jackpot payoff of $227,505.88 to the only ticketholder with all six winners.

The winning ticket was purchased through Xpressbet.

The popular multi-race wager had gone unsolved for three straight racing days since a mandatory Rainbow 6 payout yielded multiple payoffs of $100,919.88 last Saturday.

The carryover jackpot is only 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.

The Rainbow 6 will begin anew Saturday with a six-race sequence that will span Races 7-12, including the Royal Delta (G3) in Race 11.

There will be a Super Hi-5 carryover of $2,254.54 heading into Saturday’s card.. First-race post time is set for noon.

Uno Mas Modelo Featured on Monday’s Presidents Day Card

Uno Mas Modelo, who captured the $110,000 Claiming Crown Rapid Transit on opening day of the 2018-2019 Championship Meet, will be the featured performer on Monday’s 12-race Presidents Day program at Gulfstream Park.

Owned by Ron Paolucci Racing LLC, Uno Mas Modelo will seek his fourth stakes victory from his last five starts in the $50,000 Rough and Ready – one of 11 starters stakes slated for Monday’s card.  The 6-year-old son of Macho Uno has won six of his last eight starts, including victories in the Bet On Sunshine at Churchill Downs Nov. 1 and the Perseus on the Pegasus World Cup undercard Jan. 26. His two most recent losses came in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) and Mr. Prospector (G3).

Anthony Quartarolo-trained Uno Mas Modelo will be ridden by Javier Castellano in Monday’s mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up that is carded as Race 3. 

The 11 starter stakes – six on the main track and five on the turf course – are restricted to horses that have started at least once in a claiming race. The Presidential-themed stakes will offer purses of $50,000-$60,000 and will be run at distances from six furlongs on dirt and turf to 1 1/16 miles on both turf and dirt.