Thrice nice for Saffie Joseph Jr

CMC – Ace Barbadian trainer Saffie Joseph Jr continued his push for a fourth title in a row when he saddled three winners on Friday’s nine-race card at Gulfstream Park in the United States.

The 35-year-old won the trainers’ title at all three Gulfstream race meets last year, and he now has 44 wins for this season, which ends on April 2, and he is seven wins clear of his nearest rival, Hall of Famer, Todd Pletcher.

Joseph prepared the 7-2 third choice Pawky, which won the U.S. $39 000 third race by a neck, under Edgard Zayas, going 1 700 metres on the turf course.

Pawky pressed pace-setter Miss M M, under Jesus Rios, two wide and duelled on her outside around the far turn and through the stretch before Zayas got the three-year-old, dark bay filly to dig in between foes to prevail in a time of one minute, 43.69 seconds.

Joseph sent off 5-2 favourite Strand of Gold, under Zayas, in the U.S. $50 000 fifth race going one mile on the turf, and the three-year-old, chestnut filly landed a 1-3/4 lengths win.

Zayas put his mount to stalk the pace of Lendhercredit, under Javier Castellano, from the inside, and Strand of Gold seized command when the pacesetter bore out turning for home before widening her lead under a drive to clock 1 min, 3.56 secs.

Joseph conditioned 4-5 favourite Rhymes Like Dimes, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr, and the four-year-old, dark bay colt logged a 1-3/4 lengths win in the U.S. $21 000 final race one mile on the dirt track.

Rhymes Like Dimes was bumped at the start, and Ortiz put him to race off the pace between foes before advancing steadily four wide around the turn, gaining steadily, and driving clear to finish in 1:36.18.

Though Joseph has the most wins, he is only third on the money list with earnings of U.S. $1 842 782 behind money leader William I. Mott with earnings of U.S. $3 074 260, and Pletcher with earnings of U.S. $2 794 928.

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