First horses arrive for Clasico Internacional del Caribe program

MIAMI – The first horses scheduled to compete on the Clasico Internacional del Caribe program Dec. 9 at Gulfstream Park have arrived in Florida. Two of the three, Arquitecto and Jade Master, are stabled at Palm Meadows, while the third, Deland, is in Ocala.

All three were shipped to trainer Alexis Cordero-Lopez.

The Clasico Internacional del Caribe is comprised of five races with purses totaling $600,000. This will mark the first time the Clasico is held in North America since its inception in 1966. The Dec. 9 program also will include six 2-year-old stakes worth $75,000 apiece.

Arquitecto, the 2012 Puerto Rican Triple Crown winner, captured the Group 1, 1 1/4-mile Copa Confraternidad del Caribe last year and will defend that title at Gulfstream. The 8-year-old has started just once this season, winning a Group 2 event going nine furlongs June 11.

Jade Master won the Group 2 Clasico de los Padres in June and is being pointed to the 1 1/4-mile Copa Importados on the Clasico del Caribe card. The Kentucky-bred son of Master Command began his career in New York with trainer Jeremiah Englehart and had the majority of his early success at Finger Lakes.

Jade Master joined Cordero-Lopez’s stable in 2014 and was sidelined for nearly two years before resurfacing in Puerto Rico last fall.

Deland, a Florida-bred with 10 victories in 16 starts, is a Group 1 winner in Puerto Rico and, like Jade Master, is being prepared for the Copa Importados.

“Gulfstream has made Palm Meadows available to horses who will compete on the Clasico program,” Gulfstream general manager Bill Badgett said. “We made sure these horses cleared quarantine in Puerto Rico and with the USDA. As an added precaution, they are in a separate barn at Palm Meadows, away from the rest of the horse population, and are only permitted to go to the track after the general training hours, approximately 9:30 a.m.”

◗ Filling entries during the opening weeks of the Gulfstream Park West meet continues to prove difficult for the racing office, partially due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Irma, which passed through this area last month. Sunday’s card, originally scheduled to be drawn Thursday, did not close until after 2 p.m. Eastern on Friday.

“Between having many horses miss training time shipping out and then back in here again because of the storm, as well as the three extra cards we added to the end of the summer meet, things have gotten a bit backed up at the moment,” Badgett said. “But I think you’ll see the entry situation begin to ease out over the next couple of weeks and especially during the month of November, when more and more of our northern-based horses and horsemen begin arriving in preparation for the championship meet.”