HALLANDALE BEACH, Florida, CMC – Champion trainer Saffie Joseph Jr and fellow Barbadian jockey Elijah Greenidge both tasted success on Sunday’s nine-race card at Gulfstream Park.
Joseph, who leads the standings at the South Florida oval, won the US$41 000 race four over a mile with favorite Blast Radius before returning to take the $33 000 race six over a mile and 70 yards with another hot favorite Shankar.
Greenidge, still a freshman on the North American circuit after arriving a year ago, paired with 25-1 outsider Follow the Fed to win the $25 000 race one over 5-½ furlongs.
Joseph leads the championship with 48 wins, 20 clear of Jose Francisco D’Angelo, and is the firm favorite to take another title when the campaign winds up on September 29.
Greenidge, meanwhile, has won six times in 72 outings.
Joseph was first to the winners’ circle when he guided the four-year-old filly Follow the Fed to a narrow victory by a neck over the three-year-old and upward maiden fillies and mares.
Four-to-one choice Zoya’s Faith stormed to the lead with a 7-1 bet Country Economics in pursuit before Greenidge brought Follow the Fed from off the pace to rally in the final furlong, just getting up to edge fast-finishing favorite Spirit of Victory.
Joseph opened his account when go-to rider Edgard Zayas piloted three-year-old bay gelding Blast Radius to a dominant 5-¾ length victory over the three-year-old and upward maidens.
Blast Radius led through the opening quarter 24.41 seconds before 19-1 outsider Expert Witness took over, passing the five-eighths pole. However, Zayas challenged on the turn, got the gelding to the front at the quarter pole, and pulled away impressively.
Jockey Drayden van Dyke then gave Joseph his second win on the card when he guided four-year-old bay gelding Shankar to a resounding 4-½ length victory over the three-year-olds and upward in a gate-to-wire effort.
Shankar set a comfortable pace through the quarter and was kept to task passing the quarter before extending his lead in the upper stretch to finish ahead of stablemate Caspian Sea with Zayas aboard.
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