Under the warm Florida sun, trainer Joe Orseno leaned against the rail at Gulfstream Park, watching his stable star, And Uwish, complete a light breeze. There was a quiet smile on his face — the kind you see when hope and belief meet opportunity. This Saturday, the 4-year-old gelding steps into unfamiliar territory, stretching out around two turns in the $70,000 Mambo Meister Handicap, a mile turf test that headlines one of the most competitive undercard features of the Florida Sire Stakes program.
Zayas Confident in And Uwish’s Mile Bid
Jockey Edgard Zayas, who has partnered And Uwish in all four starts this season, knows the task ahead won’t be easy, but his confidence in the gelding’s ability to adapt is unwavering.
“I think his last race was great. I thought he ran a winning race, but he just got caught,” Zayas said, reflecting on And Uwish’s strong runner-up finish in the Warrior’s Pride Handicap on August 3. “It shows he got beat by a very nice horse. That horse came back and ran huge in California. I’m hoping at a mile, I can get him to settle a little bit. I’m excited to ride him.”
That “very nice horse” was Reef Runner, who returned to Del Mar and crossed the line first in the Green Flash Handicap (G3) on August 30, only to be demoted to second following a controversial stewards’ decision.
Rising Form and Higher Stakes
Before the Warrior’s Pride, And Uwish had shown his grit in the Successful Native Handicap on July 6, digging deep on Tapeta to fend off challengers and prevail by a neck. The Mshawish gelding’s versatility on both turf and synthetic surfaces has built a growing reputation, but Saturday presents a new kind of test: sustaining his speed over a mile.
Orseno is confident his horse has matured since his only previous two-turn outing, a fourth-place finish in the 2024 Sophomore Turf at Tampa Bay Downs. “He’s a very fast horse,” Zayas added, “but at the same time, he can actually relax now. That’s going to be key on Saturday.”
Strong Opposition Awaits
The Mambo Meister has drawn a competitive 11-horse field, headlined by Prevent, the 122-pound highweight from the barn of Carlos David. After a fifth-place finish in an August 1 turf allowance, the son of Neolithic will look to bounce back under Emisael Jaramillo. His prior start showcased his front-running ability when he dominated the Soldier’s Dancer Stakes by 3 ¼ lengths on Tapeta.
Kalik (Miguel Vasquez) and I Know I Know (Jonathan Ocasio), the Soldier’s Dancer runner-up and third-place finisher, return seeking redemption. Kalik, winner of the 2023 Pennine Ridge (G2), was claimed for $25,000 after finishing second in a turf claimer, while I Know I Know rebounded to capture an off-the-turf allowance following his last stakes effort.
Trainer Patrick Biancone will also saddle Classic of Course (Romero Maragh), back from a freshening after winning the Cutler Bay Stakes earlier in the Championship Meet.
Deep Undercard and Tactical Intrigue
Trainer Jose D’Angelo brings a strong hand with Tocayo (Leonel Reyes) and Dominican Pioneer (Yolber Torres), the latter installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite after competing in graded company for Wesley Ward last year.
Stroke of Midnight, Goes the Clown, Anamnestic, and American Speed round out the field, adding depth and tactical complexity to what promises to be an evenly matched contest.
The Mambo Meister Handicap is carded as Race 9 on Gulfstream’s 11-race program, sandwiched between the $100,000 Dr. Fager Stakes (Race 8) and the $100,000 Desert Vixen Stakes (Race 10) — two of the opening legs of the prestigious FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series.
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