BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE (Edited)

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Adam Parker, Suzette Parker and trainer Joe Orseno’s lightly raced Florida-bred And Uwish realized his potential in Sunday’s $70,000 Successful Native overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park, easing Orseno’s disappointment in favored stablemate Extendo’s fifth place finish.

While Extendo, the Florida-bred even-money favorite who finished sixth in the Grade 1 Jaipur won by Ag Bullet at Saratoga last out, brought an extensive resume into Sunday’s five-and-a-half-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and older on the synthetic course, And Uwish blossomed in only his sixth career start, prevailing by a neck over Sosua Summer.

“I always knew he could run,” Orseno said. “This horse, we’ve always been excited about him.”

And Uwish recovered from an early bobble to stalk Florida-bred Biz Biz Buzz and Extendo as they vied for pacesetting honors during a lively :21.79 first quarter of a mile on their way to completing a half mile in :44.46. Jockey Edgard Zayas asked And Uwish for his run and the 4-year-old gelding responded to pass the tiring pacesetters and withstand an inside challenge by Sosua Summer.

And Uwish won his 2025 debut on May 16 against first condition, $25,000 optional claimers off a 13-month layoff before finishing off-the-board in his last start in an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming on June 8, both at Gulfstream.

It was the third victory in a feature race during the Holiday weekend for Zayas.

“He kind of stumbled a bit out of the gate but he recovered very quick and got in a good position. I think the post position really helped him today. He was much calmer,” Zayas said. “Last race, I was expecting him to run better, but he was a little cranked up and he broke through the gate. He was so nervous, he didn’t fire like we expected. Today he was much calmer, got a good setup and he finished up really nice.”

The Florida-bred son of Mshawish, who had won one of his first three starts before going on an extended hiatus, ran five-and-a-half-furlongs in 1:02.46. Sosua Summer, who cut the corner into the stretch under Jose Morelos, finished a quarter of a length ahead of late closing Florida-bred Louie The Sun King. Florida-bred Asher’s Edge was fourth followed by Extendo, Biz Biz Buzz, Abrir Caminos (Chi) and Florida-bred Rouki. Private Thoughts was scratched.

And Uwish carried 117 pounds, receiving seven pounds from top weight Extendo. He returned $12.20 to win.

 

“Extendo, we brought him back from Monmouth to run here. We got him here and I missed some training with him,” Orseno said. “This horse came out of that last race with a little tiny hit mark on the splint bone. We fixed it and I think that was all that was holding him back. There’s nowhere to go but up from here.”

And Uwish has now won three of six career starts with one second and earnings of $129,190. The 4-year-old gelding is out of unraced Grand Slam mare Elective and was bred in Florida by Adam Parker and Suzette Parker.

Return to the July 8 issue of Wire to Wire