Defying Gravity stretches win streak to six

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jose Pinchin has been at the forefront of the news locally throughout the summer because of his undefeated and untested 2-year-old Three Rules, who will be heavily favored to complete a sweep of the Florida Sire Stakes series in the $500,000 In Reality here on Oct. 1.

But for all his accomplishments, Three Rules is not even the hottest horse under the Pinchin shed right now. That honor belongs to Defying Gravity, a 5-year-old mare who on Sunday registered her sixth consecutive victory, rallying to win an optional-claiming race for statebreds.

Pinchin has trained the daughter of Wildcat Heir since she launched her career here under a $35,000 claiming tag in January 2014. She won her maiden in her second start before embarking on a 14-race losing streak that continued into the spring of 2015. Her winning streak began under a $10,000 price tag on June 5, and her one-length margin of victory Sunday is the smallest of the streak. Cornelio Velasquez rode her in all six races.

“We kicked her out for the whole winter, and she did well, put weight on, and really blossomed from the time off,” said Pinchin, who owns a majority share in Defying Gravity with Kenneth Doyen. “And she’s just gotten better with maturity. She’s a sound horse who really enjoys racing, and Cornelio rides her so good. He has a lot of confidence in her, and that has made a big difference as well.”

Pinchin said Defying Gravity has run through most of her optional-claiming conditions but has plenty of eligibility for starter-allowance races, having run for a price tag of as little as $8,000 last fall at Gulfstream Park West.

As for Three Rules, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile prospect had his first work Saturday since winning the seven-furlong Affirmed Stakes on Sept. 3. He went an easy half-mile in 48.80.

“Just a little maintenance work the other day,” said Pinchin. “He’ll come back and do a little more than maintenance this weekend.”

Three Rules has won his four starts by a combined 21 lengths. Pinchin said that despite his accomplishments, there was never any temptation to take him out of south Florida this summer.

“The plan all along was to keep him here for the Sire series, where the money was just the same but the competition a lot less than if we took him up north for one of the graded stakes,” Pinchin said. “But he’s Breeders’ Cup-eligible, so that’s what we’re pointing him for if all goes well in his next start here.”

◗ Edgard Zayas posted five victories on Friday’s card to solidify his hold on the second spot in the standings for the meet, which ends on Oct. 2. The following afternoon, leading jockey Tyler Gaffalione won four races. On Sunday, Marcos Meneses registered a pure hat trick, with victories aboard Forest Waltz, Il Faraone, and Miss Away in the third, fourth, and fifth races.