Jockey, Trainer, Owner Races Heats Up

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Her three-race win streak halted abruptly last time out, Madame Uno will seek to rebound in Saturday’s $100,000 Ginger Punch at Gulfstream Park.

The 4-year-old daughter of First Dude is scheduled to face 6 rivals in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for Florida-bred fillies and mares that also drew two main-track only entrants.

In the $75,000 Powder Break, Madame Uno lacked the punch that had powered her three-race winning streak, finishing sixth, beaten by three lengths, in open company.

“We pulled blood after the race and her blood was a little off. I’m going to use that as an excuse,” trainer David Fawkes said. “She’s been training great, working good, doing everything right.”

Madame Uno debuted at Gulfstream Park in March 2017 with a late-rallying 26-1 victory by a head in a $50,000 maiden claiming race, after which Fawkes and co-breeder Melissa Anthony privately sold her to Jeff Sisken, Arnold Levy and William Fuchs. She subsequently raced six times in New York, finishing in the money three times while going winless, before being sent back to Fawkes late last year.

Madame Uno responded to the return to familiar surroundings, scoring by 2 ¼ lengths over a next-out winner in a starter allowance Jan. 28. She came right back to score an optional claiming allowance against Florida-breds a month later before defeating state-breds in the $100,000 Distaff Turf at Tampa Bay Downs March 25.

“She’s always kind of surprised me from the very beginning. She’s not a filly you’d pick out of a crowd, necessarily,” Fawkes said. “She’s just a plain brown wrapper, but she’s done everything right. She’s done everything right when she came back to me. The only glitch I’ve had with her is her last race. Put a line through that and move on.”

Edgard Zayas is slated to ride Madame Uno for the first time Saturday.

Warranty is scheduled to debut for owners AI Racing Stable and trainer Lisa Lewis, after winning her last three starts for trainer Chad Brown. The 6-year-old daughter of Artie Schiller captured a starter allowance at Belmont Park in September before winning back-to-back optional claiming allowance races during the Championship Meet at Gulfstream.

Warranty is set to come off a five-month layoff for the Ginger Punch with Luca Panici named to ride.

Bitacora, who finished second in the 2017 Ginger Punch, enters this year’s race in sharp form for new connections. Since being claimed by Paradise Farms Corp., Walder Racing and Marshall Mack, the 4-year-old daughter of Dominus finished fifth in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf and finished second in consecutive optional claiming allowances before breaking through with a victory in a May 12 optional claiming allowance.

Trainer Peter Walder awarded the mount to Tyler Gaffalione.

Magalie and Admiral’s Win, both two-time winners during the Championship Meet, are among the leading contenders in the Ginger Punch.

Unbridled Courage and Princess Victoria round out the field. Amaluna and Untrue are main-track-only entrants.

Jockey, Trainer, Owner Races Heats Up

Going into Thursday’s nine-race program, there were five jockeys within 10 victories vying for the spring riding title.

Tyler Gaffalione went into the day atop the standings with 54 victories, four more than Edgard Zayas. Right behind the two leaders are Emisael Jaramillo (49), Nik Juarez (48) and Miguel Vasquez (44).

Ralph Nicks leads all trainers with 15 wins, two more than Todd Pletcher, Oscar Gonzalez, Victor Barboza Jr., and Ralph Ziadie. Owners Arindel and Bruno Schickedanz are on top with eight each.