Great Venezuela returns to winner's circle

Great Venezuela, the queen of Gulfstream’s Tapeta track, returned home and got back to her winning ways when registering a 2 1/2-length victory in Sunday’s Islamorada overnight handicap.

The tally was the seventh in eight outings over the all-weather course for the 4-year-old filly who, like Reef Runner, made her previous start at Del Mar, where she finished fourth in the Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes on Oct. 31. That was the first and only time she has finished off the board in 16 lifetime starts.

“She’s a different filly on the Tapeta track and very good at five to five and one-half furlongs,” said Victor Barboza Jr., who trains the Florida-bred Great Venezuela for owner-breeder Orlyana Farm.

Great Venezuela was guided to victory in the Islamorada by Emisael Jaramillo, who is off to a fast start at the 2025-26 Championship meet. Jaramillo won seven races over the first four days of the winter session to take a narrow lead in the jockey standings over Miguel Vasquez, who moved into second place after registering a hat trick on Sunday’s card.

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