Cheers erupted from the Gulfstream crowd as Emisael Jaramillo leaned forward in the saddle to plant a decisive kiss on BC Racing LLC’s Prevent after crossing the finish line. The 4-year-old son of Neolithic had seized the lead early in Saturday’s $70,000 Mambo Meister and never looked back, winning the mile-and-70-yard event on Tapeta by 1 ½ lengths.
Trained by Carlos David, Prevent handled the surface switch from turf to Tapeta with ease after overnight rain forced the move. Covering the distance in 1:39.46, the colt has now notched five wins in 12 starts on Gulfstream’s synthetic surface. Jaramillo kept the pace measured, cruising past fractions of :24.35, :47.76, and 1:11.38 before drawing clear in the stretch.
“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.”Â
Prevent Shines in Mambo Meister at Gulfstream
Prevent had returned to Gulfstream following a four-month layoff and a victory in the Soldier’s Dancer Stakes. A subsequent turf allowance at Saratoga on Aug. 1 saw him finish fifth, eight lengths behind.
“We took him up north after he won here. Those Saratoga races are tough, like stakes,” trainer David explained. “He didn’t have a great start there. We had a stakes at Monmouth lined up, but we decided to bring him home. He loves the Tapeta, and we felt this was a better spot. He handles grass well, but he’s very competitive on Tapeta.”
Prevent returned $7.20 to win, while Goes the Clown finished second and Stroke of Midnight third.
Switch to Tapeta Proves Advantageous for Mambo Meister Winner
The Mambo Meister stakes honor the accomplished son of King Cugat trained by Phil Gleaves and co-owned by breeder Chris Pallas. Mambo Meister himself won 11 of 42 starts, including the Miami Mile (G3), Memorial Day Handicap (G3), and Spend a Buck Stakes (G3), and was runner-up in the Fourstardave (G2) at Saratoga.
Looking Ahead: Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot and Exciting Contenders
Looking ahead, Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot pool is estimated at $150,000 for Gulfstream’s 10-race card, with the first post set for 12:50 p.m. The popular multi-race wager remains unsolved after five consecutive racing days, with Race 6 featuring 2-year-old Malbec as the 7-5 favorite and Race 8 highlighting 3-year-olds including Skellig Michael and Beijing Boss.
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