Grand David keeps rolling with victory in Bear's Den Stakes

Grand David was victorious in his stakes debut Saturday when he sped to his third straight win in the $75,000 Bear’s Den at Gulfstream Park in South Florida.

Ridden y Edwin Gonzalez, Grand David returned $8.80 as second choice in a field of nine 3-year-olds after finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.75 over Tapeta. Victor Barboza Jr. trains the Kentucky-bred son of Tapiture for Granpollo Stable.

Near the front from the start, Grand David turned back his Barboza stablemate Venezuelan Triumph after they turned for home on the lead together, then pulled clear to prevail by 2 3/4 lengths over late-running California Frolic, the 2-1 favorite. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Marwad in third, with Venezuelan Triumph fading to fourth.

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Grand David remained a maiden through his first seven starts, but he has suddenly turned a corner within the last couple of months, winning a June 11 maiden race and a July 3 allowance, both going two turns on the all-weather surface. The dark bay colt is now 3 for 10, with all of his races coming at Gulfstream.

The $2 exacta (7-2) paid $29.80, the $1 trifecta (7-2-9) returned $201.50, and the 10-cent superfecta (7-2-9-4) was worth $93.41.

A seventh-place finish in the Bear’s Den by Treasure King, the 9-2 third choice, was the only disappointment during the 11-race card for Saffie Joseph Jr., the runaway leading trainer at the spring-summer meet. Joseph had the winner in each of the other five races in which he had a starter: X Y Point ($5.80) in the third, Capridrey ($4.60) in the fifth, Three Witches ($17) in the eighth, Unsociable ($11) in the ninth, and Kuhl Star ($15) in the 11th.