Illudere stretching out in turf allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A field of 11 turf specialists was drawn for Sunday’s $47,000 optional-claiming feature, carded as race 10 and at 1 3/16 miles on the turf.

The steadily improving 3-year-old Illudere will likely be favored off a corking turf debut going a mile last month at Aqueduct when beaten a nose by the more experienced Flyoff following a grueling stretch duel. Illudere, a son of Ghostzapper trained by Jimmy Jerkens, earned a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure. He will stretch out beyond a mile for the first time on Sunday.

Bern’ James Bern and The Green Mo’ster, first and second under similar conditions going nine furlongs here earlier in the meet, loom the chief contenders, along with Hierarchy and Blue Harbor.

◗ Edgard Zayas notched his 200th victory of the season when he slipped Elizabeth’s Vow up the rail to upset Friday’s first race. Zayas sits fourth in the jockey standings 3 1/2 weeks into the 2018-19 championship meeting while fresh off winning the Gulfstream Park West riding title during the fall.

◗ The Rainbow 6 jackpot was hit Wednesday to the tune of a $288,350 payoff. The winning ticket was purchased through TVG, according to the mutuel department, at a cost of only $9.60, although it was not revealed whether it was purchased in conjunction with a larger batch of tickets.

◗ Jockey Jorge Urdaneta won his first race in the U.S. when he guided Magnato Go to a surprising wire-to-wire victory in Thursday’s fourth race. Magnato Go paid $101.20. Urdaneta, 37, had ridden 13 races here and at Tampa Bay Downs since his arrival in the U.S.

:: Want to get the latest news with your past performances? Try DRF’s new digital PPs