(Cuvier wins at Gulfstream Park for trainer Todd Pletcher / Photo Courtesy of Gulfstream Park)

From the Gulfstream Park Media Team:

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher saddled a pair of promising 3-year-old debut winners Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where he and jockey Luis Saez teamed with three 3-year-old winners on an 11-race program.

Spendthrift Farm LLC’s Kingsbarns, a son of Uncle Mo who brought $800,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Select 2-Year-Olds-in-Training Sale, was particularly impressive while debuting at a mile, racing in traffic before splitting horses in the stretch to win by 1 ¾ lengths.

“I thought it was very professional for a debut. He broke OK but was kind of behind horses the whole way. He had to work his way through a seam. Plus, going a mile first time out, that was very impressive,” Pletcher said.

Earlier on the card, MyRacehorse and Mathis Stables LLC’s Cuvier ($21.60) demonstrated a lot of courage while graduating at first asking in Saturday’s Race 5, an $84,000 maiden special weight event for 3-year-olds going six furlongs. The Todd-Pletcher-trained son of Collected, who was purchased for $140,000 at the 2022 June OBS Open sale, set the pace into the stretch while withstanding outside pressure from favored stablemate Sgt. Pepper and Practiko. After his closest early pursuer began to fade, Cuvier was met with a strong outside stretch challenge from Al Atlasi but held gamely to the wire to score a gutsy triumph by a half-length.

“It was a determined effort the whole way. He was under the gun the whole way and kept finding a little more,” said Pletcher, whose race-favorite Sgt. Pepper pressed the pace between horses and faded to sixth.

Pletcher saddled Constitution for a debut victory at Gulfstream Jan. 11, 2014 and Materiality for a first-out victory at Gulfstream Jan. 11, 2015, before both late-developing colts went on to win the Florida Derby (G1) two starts later.

“The dream is alive, right?” quipped Pletcher, who also trains Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Forte.

Pletcher and Saez also teamed with Team Valor International LLC’s OK Boomer ($19.60), who stayed undefeated with a late-rallying length score in an $86,000 optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds at 7 ½ furlongs on turf.

Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $400,000

The Rainbow 6 went unsolved at Gulfstream Park Saturday for the seventh racing day in a row following a single-ticket jackpot hit for $533,783.63.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $400,000.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out 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.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Sequence will span Races 5-10, highlighted by an $84,000 maiden special weight for 3-year-old fillies in Race 6 and an $86,000 optional claiming allowance at five furlongs on turf in Race 8. First-time starters by Curlin, Shaman Ghost, Bolt d’Oro, Accelerate, Speightstown and Into Mischief are in the 11-horse field for Race 6. Christopher Davis-trained Firenspice, who has been first or second in five of six starts, all on Tapeta, is scheduled to make her long-awaited debut on turf in Race 8.

Who’s Hot: Defending Championship Meet titlist Luis Saez and Hall of Famer trainer Todd Pletcher scored back-to-back victories Cuvier ($21.60) in Race 5 and OK Boomer ($19.60) in Race 6 before striking again in Race 8 with Kingsbarns ($8).

Jose Ortiz had bookend wins aboard Beachmont Charlie ($16.40) in Race 1 and Cloud Storage ($8.20) in Race 11.