HALLANDALE BEACH, Florida, CMC – Saffie Joseph Jr’s romp through the Gulfstream Park summer campaign showed little signs of wane as he notched two more wins on Sunday’s 10-race card at the South Florida oval.
The championship leader tasted success in race six with favorite She’s So Sexy before returning in the day’s finale to score with another favorite, Musical Romance.
Joseph, the reigning champion, leads the standings with 64 wins—a whopping 34 ahead of Jose Francisco D’Angelo, with Carlos David three back on 27.
Last year, Joseph won the title with 66 wins, 11 ahead of D’Angelo.
On Sunday, he had to wait until deep into the program before opening his account when go-to rider Edgard Zayas paired with a three-year-old filly. She’s So Sexy to beat the three-year-old and upward maiden fillies and mares by four lengths in a five-furlong sprint.
She’s So Sexy was forced to duel early on as 17-1 chance Barbaresco Bay and 4-1 bet White Claw Woman provided stiff opposition.
However, Zayas got the filly to pull away on the turn before dominating the stretch run.
The 37-year-old Joseph logged his second win when Drayden van Dyke carried five-year-old bay mare Musical Romance to a narrow victory over the three or four-year-old and upward fillies and mares.
Going a mile, van Dyke saved ground with Musical Romance through the half run in 47.54 seconds, as 24-1 longshot Lucky Girl Coco produced the early splits.
Nearing the quarter pole, Van Dyke switched Musical Romance wide and then closed steadily in the lane to get up by a neck in the closing strides.
and then 