BY GULSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE (Edited)
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL—Qatar Racing and Soldi Stable’s Florida-bred Gabaldon returned to the winner’s circle with a popular front-running triumph Thursday at Gulfstream Park, ending a winless streak that dated back to his debut last May.
Ridden by five-pound apprentice Yolber Torres for trainer Jose D’Angelo, Gabaldon outclassed his four rivals in the optional claiming allowance for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up. The winning time was :56.40 over the all-weather course.
Gabaldon paid $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favorite.
Outrun for the early lead, Gabaldon quickly assumed the top spot and was in front through splits of :21.36 and :44.17 with plenty left to turn back late-running Sticky McShnickens by a length-and-a-half for his first win since capturing Gulfstream’s $110,000 Royal Palm Juvenile sprinting on the turf.
“He hadn’t won since the first time out, but he always ran huge. I think the only time he wasn’t in the money was at Saratoga when he chased some fast factions,” D’Angelo said. “Today it was fast, too. He’s way better on the grass, but he was the best horse of the race today. I’m very happy to have him back in the winner’s circle.”
Gabaldon made one more start as a 2-year-old, finishing second in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot last June before going to the sidelines. This year he was third in Gulfstream’s $102,000 Texas Glitter won by Incanto (Ire) on Mar. 22, fifth in the Mahony (G3) won by Spiced up at Saratoga on Aug. 10, and second in a pair of first condition, $20,000 optional claiming races this fall at Gulfstream, both against older state-breds.
“We were looking for the Florida condition to give him the confidence to go forward because now he has to go against open company and older horses, and it’s going to be tougher,” D’Angelo said. “We’ll go easy with him. He’s going to decide where we are going. We’ll see how he does and we’ll make plans later.”
Gabaldon has now won two of seven career starts with three seconds and a third with earnings of $165,615. He is by Gone Astray out of Valuable Miss, by Value Plus and was bred in Florida by Carol Ann Reitman, Susan Gannon and Warren Miller.
Soldi Stables purchased Gabaldon for $9,000 at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale where he was consigned by Get Away Farm. Qatar Racing purchased a portion of Gabaldon through agent Ferus Galvin when Gabaldon dropped the hammer at $300,000 at the 2024 Inglis Digital USA Sale following his race at Royal Ascot.
Return to the December 11 issue of Wire to Wire
