Triple Crown Prospect Gunnevera Gearing Up for G2 Holy Bull Impressive Edge a 3-Year-Old of Interest after Maiden Win
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Triple Crown prospect Gunnevera continues to impress trainer Antonio Sano as the son of Dialed In prepares for his scheduled 3-year-old debut in the $350,000 Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream Park Feb. 4.
The multiple graded-stakes winner, who concluded his juvenile campaign with a last-to-first 5 ¾-length victory in the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot (G3) Nov. 19, has looked sharp while training at Gulfstream Park West, where he breezed five furlongs in 1:01 under Jesus Rios Saturday morning.
“He did it very easy. The gallop-out was in 12 (seconds),” Sano said after saddling the first of two winners on Sunday’s program. “Each day he’s getting better.”
Gunnevera, whose breeze was the fifth fastest of 30 recorded at the five-furlong distance, had previously produced a pair of ‘bullet’ five-furlong workouts upon returning to the worktab in December.
“He’ll gallop until one week before the Holy Bull. He’ll breeze with (Javier) Castellano,” said Sano, noting the five-time defending Championship Meet riding champ will have the return mount aboard Gunnevera for the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull.
Gunnevera broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park in his third career start July 16 before capturing the Saratoga Special (G2) Aug. 14.
Sano purchased Gunnevera for Peacock Racing Stables at the 2015 Keeneland September Sale for $16,000. The Kentucky-bred colt has earned $771,000 thus far in his most promising career.
Impressive Edge a 3-Year-Old of Interest after Maiden Win
Impressive Edge ($16.20) established himself as a late-developing 3-year-old of interest with a commanding 4 ¾-length maiden score in Sunday’s eighth race at Gulfstream Park.
The son of Harlan’s Holiday, who was purchased for $400,000 as a 2-year-old in training last March, ran twice previously without success for trainer Steve Asmussen in Kentucky and New York. Coming off a 5 ½-month layoff and making his first start for trainer Dale Romans, Impressive Edge saved ground under Luis Saez before angling to the outside heading into the stretch and drawing off with authority.
“Steve had him and they just wanted to freshen him up and see if he just needed to mature. I think that’s all it was,” Romans said. “He came to us in great shape; we just had to keep him in great shape.”
Impressive Edge, owned by Nancy Favreau Kathy Psoinos LLC, ran six furlongs in 1:11.01 in his first start on a fast track.
“He trained like a really good horse. They must have thought a lot of him when they bought him last year. I don’t know why his form wasn’t that good. I just think he’s one of those horses that took a little while to come around,” Romans said. “
Rainbow 6 Carryover Jackpot $16,790 for Monday’s Holiday Program
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 went unsolved Sunday, producing a carryover jackpot of $16,790 for Monday’s special Martin Luther King Jr. program at Gulfstream. There will also be a Super Hi-5 carryover of $8,506.34.
Multiple tickets with five of six winners were each worth $2,176.54.
The Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool. However, on days when a mandatory payout is scheduled, the entire pool is shared by those holding tickets with the most winners.
The popular multi-race wager was solved Saturday, yielding a $165,000 jackpot payoff.
Post time for the first race on Monday’s 11-race program is set for Noon.
Who’s Hot: Leading jockey Luis Saez rode four winners on Sunday’s program, scoring aboard Barry Karafin Bets ($3) in the second, Tranquilo ($4.60) in the third, Mr. Magic ($4.60) in the fifth and Impressive Edge in the eighth.
Antonio Sano doubled with Papa Pig ($14.80) in the first and Tranquilo in the third.
