Gulfstream Park and Horse Race Betting

Such was the depth of quality among the 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park this past winter that Jazil’s authoritative victory in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes stamped a sweep of the Triple Crown events for horses who ran here. America’s horse, Lael Stable’s Barbaro, won the Kentucky Derby after a brief rest from victories in Gulfstream’s Holy Bull Stakes Feb. 4 and the Florida Derby April 1. Darley Stable’s Bernardini won the Preakness Stakes after two races at Gulfstream, the second of which produced his first career victory.Shadwell Stable’s Jazil finished second in an entry-level allowance before running seventh in the March 4 Fountain of Youth.
 
The Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes are Grade 1 events worth $1 million each.Michael Matz trained Barbaro before that colt suffered his career-ending injury in the Preakness; Tom Albertrani trains Bernardini and Kiaran McLaughlin trains Jazil. Barbaro and Jazil were stabled at Palm Meadows, Magna Entertainment Corp.’s state-of-the-art training facility about 50 miles north of Gulfstream Park in Boynton Beach.

There was also an in-the-money Belmont Stakes sweep for Palm Meadows: Bluegrass Cat and Sunriver – the second-and third-place finishers – were stabled there this winter with trainer Todd Pletcher. Sunriver ran at Gulfstream Park four times, winning his entry-level allowance before running third in Barbaro’s Florida Derby. Pletcher has been Gulfstream’s leading trainer the last three years and the nation’s Eclipse Award-winning trainer the last two years.