Joseph saddles two winners

HALLANDALE BEACH, Florida – Barbadian trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. continued to make waves at the renowned Gulfstream Park by recording two wins on Saturday’s 12-race card, to grab a share of the lead in the standings.

The 33-year-old opened his account in race six when 5-2 favourite Loriloupies beat the three-year-old fillies, and he followed up in race eight as 3-1 choice Overdeliver got the better of the four-year-olds and upward.

Joseph has nine wins for the season, alongside the experienced Todd Pletcher, with Juan Alvarado one back in third on eight wins.

With a disappointing second-last finish in his only previous race in the day’s curtain-raiser, Joseph reached the winners’ enclosure when jockey Emisael Jaramillo carried roan filly Loriloupies to a smashing nine-length victory.

Going six furlongs in the US$33 000 claiming, 4-1 bet Sweetheart Deal and 13-1 both broke quickly to pull the field through a sharp 22.61 seconds for the quarter, with Jaramillo bringing Loriloupies up to join the leaders approaching the turn.

The Joseph-trained filly snatched the lead passing the five-sixteenth pole and then dominated the stretch run to reach the wire without a challenger, in a time of one minute, 11.01 seconds.

Joseph returned to the winners’ circle courtesy of four-year-old chestnut gelding Overdeliver who brushed aside his rivals by 2-¼ lengths in a mile trip.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, the multiple-time Breeders Cup winner, raced Overdeliver off the pace early as Gump and Just For One Day disputed the lead in splits of 23.17 seconds for the quarter and 45.76 for the half.

Beau Luminarie tracked from third with Cool Bobby chasing from fourth, and Overdeliver nicely placed along the rails.

Beau Luminarie came away from the backstretch with a two-length lead into the lane as the early leaders faded but Ortiz produced a driving finish with Overdeliver in the middle of the track to reach the wire first in a time of 1:35.28.