Sr. Quisqueyano Good, Happy After SM Classic

Sr. Quisqueyano has been the focus of attention at trainer Peter Walder’s barn on the Gulfstream Park backstretch since his 20-1 upset in Saturday’s $250,000 Sunshine Millions Classic.

“He’s good; he’s happy; he knows he did something,” Walder said. “He’s been getting really spoiled. We were at the barn last night until 11 o’clock.”

Sr. Quisqueyano is most welcome newcomer to the Walder barn, which he joined less than a month ago after being claimed for $62,500 by Ron Paolucci’s Loooch Racing Stables on Dec. 21.

The 5-year-old son of Exclusive Quality, who was a multiple-stakes winner of more than $550,000 in purses when he was claimed out of a second-place finish in an optional claiming allowance, won at first asking for his new connections, sitting off a torrid early pace before surging to the lead on the turn into the stretch and carrying on to a half-length victory over Indiana Derby winner East Hall. A horse who had achieved the majority of his success as a frontrunner, Sr. Quisqueyano left a positive impression with his connections with the manner in which he rated for jockey Edgard Zayas.

“He showed a different dimension, a new dimension that pleasantly surprised us,” Walder said. “We knew we couldn’t win on the front end with those horses, and he won exactly the way he drew it up. The jock was confident that he would rate. Now that he can rate and pass horses, it opens up new opportunities. It makes him more dangerous.”

Walder said he had no specific goal for Sr. Quisqueyano’s next start.

Source: Gulfstream Park Communications