Contenders work for Clasico Internacional del Caribe program

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The main track closes for training at 9:45 each morning at Gulfstream Park, but it wasn’t until after 11 a.m. that the final horse left the course Friday, the last of seven late-morning workers for next Saturday’s Clasico Internacional del Caribe program. The Clasico Internacional del Caribe is a series of five stakes races worth $600,000 in total to be hosted for the first time outside of the Caribbean or Latin America.

All seven who worked after 10 a.m. on Friday have been quarantined and required to train after the regular population since their arrival here two weeks ago. Three of the seven who breezed over a freshly harrowed track will be entered in Saturday’s main event, the $300,000 Clasico del Caribe, including Justiciero, the Puerto Rican Triple Crown champion, who figures to be favored in his U.S. debut.

Justiciero worked in company with older stablemate Don Carlos R., who competes earlier on the card in the $100,000 Confraternity Caribbean Cup. The pair breezed four furlongs in 49.63 seconds before galloping out a strong five-eighths in 1:02.41.

Justiciero and Don Carlos R. are trained by Raymond Morales, the 21-year-old son of Ramon Morales, a prominent trainer in Puerto Rico who was based at Gulfstream for two seasons several years ago. The team also sent out three other workers after the break, the duo of Platino (Clasico del Caribe) and Sanjuanera (Copa Dama del Caribe), who went a sharp half-mile over the cuppy racetrack in 47.21, and Catador (Copa Velocidad), four furlongs in 49.45 before galloping out a strong five-eighths in 1:02.16.

“I was really happy with the way Justiciero worked this morning,” said the elder Morales, who is on hand to help his son oversee final preparations for all five horses they’ve shipped to south Florida for the Clasico Internacional. “The team went easily and finished strong. Justiciero usually works in 50, 51 all the time in Puerto Rico. He really seems to like this racetrack. He also pulled up in 1:15 [for six furlongs], which is very good.”

Morales said he was a bit concerned that Platino and Sanjuanera might have gone a bit too quickly over a track that was far from lightning-fast on Friday, especially going as late as they did on a sunny and warm south Florida morning.

“I wanted someone to work with [Sanjuanera] because she went too slow last week, and I was hoping they’d go in 48 and 2, 48 and 4, something like that,” said Morales. “But the rider said Platino felt good and finished strong. I just hope they both don’t get messed because of the fast work.”

The other Clasico contender to work after the special 10 a.m. break was Joyme, a Mexican-bred who went five furlongs from the three-eighths pole in 1:02.93 for trainer Fauso Gutierrez.

Two multiple Group 1 winners also pointing for the Clasico del Caribe, Inmenso from the Dominican Republic and Inspirato, who represents Mexico, got in their final major preps for the event here Thursday. Inmenso, who will bring a nine-race winning streak into the race, looked good going five furlongs in 1;00.94. Inspirato open-galloped nearly a mile before setting down to breeze three-eighths in 36.25.

“The workout was incredible,” said Franklin De Jesus, who trains Inmenso. “It was an easy work for him. We are optimistic and expect he is going to perform well.”

Inmenso is looking to become the second horse from the Dominican Republic to win the Clasico del Caribe, joining Sicotico in 2008.

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