BROCK SHERIDAN
Soldi Stable and Qatar Racing’s stakes-winning Florida-bred Gabaldon returns off a five-month respite for a second condition, $100,000 optional claiming in Del Mar’s sixth race Friday. Trained by Jose D’Angelo, the 4-year-old gelding has post four in the eight-horse field of 3-year-olds and older who will race five furlongs on the turf for an $82,000 purse.
An out-of-state victory at this level by Gabaldon would earn a $3,000 Export Incentive for breeders Carol Ann Reitman and Warren Miller, both of Lowell, Florida; and Susan Gannon of Danville, Kentucky.
Gabaldon won the $110,000 Royal Palm Juvenile sprinting five furlongs on the Gulfstream Park turf in his first career start in May of 2024 then finished a good second to Ain’t Nobody (Ire) in the US$139,800 Windsor Castle at the same distance at Ascot in Great Britian a month later.
Last year, he had a win, two seconds and a third in five starts. The victory came in December on the Gulfstream synthetic where he won by a length-and-a-half against Florida-breds in a first condition, $20,000 optional claiming.
By Gone Astray out of the Value Plus mare Valuable Miss, Gabaldon has one start this year when fifth in a second tier, $32,000 optional claiming going five furlongs on the Guflstream turf on January 11.
For his career, Gabaldon has two wins, three seconds and a third in eight starts with earnings of $150,550.
Emisael Jaramillo, who rode him to a third-place finish in last year’s $102,000 Texas Glitter in March and a runner-up to Florida-bred Itza Boss in a first condition, $20,000 optional claiming in October, both at Gulfstream, will have the riding assignment Friday.
The Old Nine (Ire), winner of three of his last four optional claiming races sprinting on the Santa Anita turf; Irish Royalty, who took two straight optional claiming races at Santa Ania before finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Daytona last out on June 13, appear to be his main foes.
The Old Nine will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado from post two and Irish Royalty will be guided by Kazushi Kimura from post seven.
Others include Virat with jockey Hector Berrios, Incanto (Ire) with Juan Hernandez up, Arrakis and pilot Joel Rosario, Bad Uncle Barry will have Umberto Rispoli in the irons and Antonio Fresu rides Lonesome Stew.
Return to the July 21 issue of Wire to Wire
