HALLANDALE BEACH, Florida – Barbadian trainer Saffie Joseph Jr stretched his lead even further at Gulfstream Park when he recorded another three winners on Monday, as he continued his domination of the summer meet at the south Florida oval.
The 34-year-old opened his account in the US$52 000 race four when Emisael Jaramillo combined with 3-1 choice Tik Tok Famous to beat the three-year-old and upward maiden fillies and mares by 4-¼ lengths over 7-½ furlongs.
Joseph doubled his tally in the $39 000 race five with Chao, jockey Edgard Zayas taking the 6-1 chance to a 2-¾ length score over the three-year-olds going a mile.
And he completed his triple of wins with favourite Malibu Max in the $28 000 race six, Zayas again having the leg up in the mile trip for the three-year-olds and upward.
Joseph has stormed to 35 wins for the season which got underway April 1, and is already 22 clear of second placed Mark Casse.
He tops the earnings charts with $947 860, nearly triple that of Casse’s numbers.
Without an entrant in the opening three races, Joseph made his mark with his first outing, the three-year-old bay filly Tik Tok Famous making all the running to get home in a time of one minute, 27.24 seconds.
Fractions of 23.06 seconds and 46.38 ensured a three-length lead for the pace-setter in the stretch and she never relinquished her advantage.
Zayas then produced a stalking ride aboard the bay colt Chao to get the better of the field in a time of 1:34.63.
He kept tabs on leader The Best Distance and Straight Up Guy from the outside before snatching the lead passing the five-sixteenth.
Zayas delivered Joseph his third win when he pressed the pace with eight-year-old chestnut horse Malibu Max, as Resident and Nacho Papa disputed the lead through the half run in 47.20.
Resident faded nearing the eighth pole leaving Nacho Papa to carry the challenge but was no match for Malibu Max who reached the wire three-quarters of a length clear in 1:37.38. (CMC)
