BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE (Edit)

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – It was not a problem for BC Racing LLC’s Prevent when the $70,000 Mambo Meister overnight handicap was taken off the turf Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park. Moved to the synthetic course due to overnight rain, the 4-year-old son of Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic took the lead around the first turn under a confident ride by Emisael Jaramillo to win the mile-and-70-yard event by a length-and-a-half. 

Trained by Carlos David, Prevent, who covered the distance in 1:39.46, has won five of 12 starts across the all-weather course. Once they took the lead entering the backstretch, Prevent and Jaramillo led the way past fractions of :24.35, :47.76 and 1:11.38.

“We wanted to be on the lead, but we also knew there was other speed inside,” Jaramillo said. “I broke close to the lead, and after the first turn I sensed the opening fraction wasn’t fast, so I let him take the lead. Then I rationed his speed.”

After returning from a four-month break to win the Soldier’s Dancer at Gulfstream, Prevent finished fifth, beaten eight lengths, in a turf allowance event at Saratoga Aug. 1.

“We took him up north after he won here. We took a chance in a Saratoga allowance,” David said. “Those races come up tough, like stakes. He didn’t have a great start. We had him in a stakes at Monmouth Park but we decided to bring him back home. He loves the Tapeta, and we felt this was an easier spot. He handles grass well, but he’s very competitive on Tapeta.

Prevent returned $7.20. Goes the Clown was second and Stroke of Midnight third.

The Mambo Meister is named after a son of King Cugat trained by Phil Gleaves and co-owned by breeder and owner Chris Pallas. Mambo Meister won 11 of 42 races including the Miami Mile (G3), Memorial Day Handicap (G3) and Spend a Buck (G3) and was second in the Fourstardave (G2) at Saratoga.

Return to the September 6 issue of Wire to Wire