BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL—Orlyana Farm homebred Great Venezuela, a turf and synthetic specialist that has been third or better in all 10 of her starts, chases her eighth career victory when she returns to Gulfstream Park for Sunday’s $70,000 Golden Beach overnight handicap.
The Golden Beach, for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older, is scheduled to go five furlongs on the grass.
A 4-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic, Great Venezuela made the first road trip of her career a winning one when she rallied for a popular two-length triumph in the $125,000 Lightning City going five furlongs on the grass at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 22.
It was the first stakes victory for Great Venezuela in her third try, having run third by a length in the $100,000 Wait a While won by Ozara (Ire) going seven-and-a-half furlongs on turf in December of 2023 and second, less than a length behind Ashima in the $75,000 Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf on Jan. 11, both on the grass at Gulfstream.
“She ran a very good race the last time,” trainer Victor Barboza Jr. said. “She is a very good filly for the five furlongs, five-and-a-half furlongs. She got beat the first time she ran but her other races at those distances she has won seven times. She’s a very, very good filly to run those short distances on the turf or the synthetic track.”
Great Venezuela has a record of two wins with a second and a third in four tries on grass and is undefeated in two starts sprinting five furlongs on the turf, also taking an optional claiming allowance last October at Gulfstream. She had a four-race win streak snapped in the Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf and now has won five of her last six and banked $270,400.
“The owner is very proud of her,” Barboza said. “The only bad news for me now is the post position, but she’s very good every time from the gate. I think it’s possibly no problem, but always from position one [is tough]. Hopefully it will be okay.”
Regular rider Leonel Reyes will be aboard for the tenth consecutive race. They will break from the rail at topweight of 122 pounds.
“Leonel always has great confidence in the filly, which is very important for me. He has done a great job,” Barboza said. “She has a very good physical for running the short distance. She is a very smart filly. She is a professional on the track every time.”
Barboza also entered Lean Entertainment’s Tiffany Gold, a 4-year-old daughter of Grade 3-winner Speightster that has shown similar consistency to her stablemate having been worse than third just three times in nine starts. She owns three wins, exiting a front-running three-quarter-length optional claiming allowance triumph over the course and distance March 2.
Emisael Jaramillo, up for the last race, returns to ride from post two.
“Tiffany is doing very good right now,” Barboza said. “I think she is the fastest filly in the race. She ran a very good race last time. It’s possible the pace is 21 and 43 or 44 [seconds]. She’s very fast. She will be right there.”
Three other horses – Florida-breds Sol Hope (sixth) and Musical Design (eighth) and Drum Roll (12th) – also come out of the Lightning City. C2 Racing Stable’s Sol Hope, third in the five-furlong Captiva Island last winter on the Gulfstream turf, has made the last three of her 20 starts since joining leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., winning first time Oct. 27 and running third to multiple stakes winner Epona’s Hope Jan. 12, less than a length behind Tiffany Gold.
Joseph also entered e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Mrs. Gambolini, a 4-year-old filly signed on to make just her fourth career start and first since a nearly five-length optional claiming allowance victory over her elders Nov. 1 at five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf.
The Lightning City was the 6-year-old debut for Etarip Stables, Ltd.’s Musical Design, who had a two-race win streak snapped. She won a five-furlong optional claimer for Florida-breds on the Gulfstream turf in May 2023. In Front Racing Stables’ Drum Roll came back to run fifth March 22 at the course and distance and was claimed out of the race for $25,000 by trainer Sam Wilensky.
“They’ve been trying her against stakes company,” Wilensky said. “She hasn’t broke well of late. I don’t know if she’s quite a stake horse, but I do think she’s a solid allowance filly. I think if we can improve a little bit, especially coming out of gate, she should naturally be right there. She’s beaten some good horses. Talking Tipsy is a good filly. She lost to Sol Hope by a length, I know she’s going to run against her Sunday. There’s a lot of positives.”
Edwin Gonzalez will be up for the first time on Drum Roll for her 18th start. The 5-year-old mare will be among the horses Gulfstream-based Wilensky will have in the shedrow for his summer trip to Del Mar, which races July 18 to Sept. 7.
“I’m thrilled with how she’s doing [and] super excited about her. In my eyes she’s a horse that we’re going to bring to Del Mar with us, so I look forward to seeing kind of where she stands against these horses. I know a few of them may be a little too tough for her at this moment, but it’ll be a good gauge,” he said. “We don’t leave until the first week of July. Hopefully we can see what she’s got. She couldn’t be training any better, so I look forward to it.
Heaven Rules and Oh Darlin complete the field.
Return to the April 25 issue of Wire to Wire
