Mr. Jordan keeps Gulfstream Park West streak alive

MIAMI GARDENS — The Gulfstream Park West meet lasts only 40 days. If it ran any longer, Mr. Jordan might just lead the world in wins.

The 5-year-old gelding ran his record to 4-for-4 on the track with an 11 win in the $75,000 Millions Classic Preview on Saturday. The win was just his second since he captured this race and set the track record last year, and it gave rider Edgard Zayas his third stakes win on the day.

Under Zayas, Mr. Jordan went on the early pace set by Jaiden’s Best. With no other horses up to challenge, Mr. Jordan easily pulled away from the pacesetter in the far turn and coasted home to take the 1

race in a time of 1:45.47. According to trainer Eddie Plesa Jr., Mr. Jordan will not travel far for his next start. The veteran trainer announced earlier that he plans on permanently transferring his stable to Gulfstream Park next year.

As such, he is pointing Mr. Jordan toward the Sunshine Millions Classic on Jan. 20. That race will be run at Gulfstream, a vastly different track than its western sister, where Mr. Jordan first won when it was called Calder.

“I have a lot of good feelings about this race track,” Plesa said. “I hate to see the way it’s going. But Mr. Jordan appreciates it and I wish it would stay open forever.”

The Classic Preview was one of eight stakes on the docket, each of which was restricted to Florida breds and carried a purse of $75,000. In the Millions Distaff, Lirica dueled with April Gaze down the stretch and would go on to prevail in the 7-furlong race by a halflength.

Sent away at 10-1, Lirica sat mid pack down the backstretch and moved to the outside of pacesetter Stormy Embrace in the third turn with April Gaze to her inside.

When the course straightened, Lirica and April Gaze repelled Stormy Embrace, and the two battled to the line with Lirica gaining the win in a time of 1:24.63.

In the Millions Sprint Preview, Quijote pulled away from favorite Splash Rules in the stretch and went on to win the 6 furlong race in a time of 1:11.60. His margin of victory was 1

Favorite Enterprising kept his record over the Gulfstream Park West turf course perfect, backing up his win from in last year’s Millions Turf Preview with a 1 win on Saturday. The son of Elusive Quality circled the field coming out of the far turn to win in a time of 1:47.27 in the 1 race.

The best finish of the day came in the Juvenile Turf as Nauti Buoy and The X dueled to the wire with Nauti Buoy prevailing by a head bob. The finish of the Juvenile Fillies Sprint was also close, as favorite Silver Bay held off Starship Bonita at the wire to win by a neck.

Chalk prevailed in the other two juvenile races on the card. In the Juvenile Sprint, Wildcat’s Legacy overcame a bad break from the gate to pass all five of his rivals. The Juvenile Fillies Turf saw Homemade Salsa prevail in the stretch to win the mile race.