Kukulkan stretches legs for Clasico del Caribe Internacional

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The undefeated Kukulkan, the marquee name for the Clasico del Caribe Internacional card on Dec. 8 at Gulfstream Park, made his first local appearance Friday, jogging briefly during the special quarantine session here shortly after 10 a.m. Eastern.

Kukulkan has won all 13 career starts, sweeping Mexico’s Triple Crown for 3-year-olds by a combined 32 lengths this season. He was part of the powerful Mexican contingent that arrived at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday evening, along with Jala Jala, the upset winner of the $300,000 Clasico del Caribe here a year ago.

Kukulkan will be heavily favored to win the 2018 edition of the prestigious Clasico del Caribe, which highlights the Clasico card featuring five stakes with purses totaling more than $700,000. The Clasico del Caribe brings together the best horses from eight Latin American and Caribbean countries and was run outside the Caribbean or Latin America for the first time in 2017.

Jala Jala, a 4-year-old filly by Point Determined, upset the boys to win the Caribe by nine lengths under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. a year ago. She returns to Gulfstream to compete in the $100,000 Confraternity Caribbean Cup for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/4 miles.

Kukulkan and Jala Jala are trained by Fausto Gutierrez, who shipped eight horses to Gulfstream Park for the Caribe card.

Nearly 50 horses are already on the grounds for the Clasico del Caribe Internacional, which drew a packed and raucous house here last fall. Ortiz won three of the five stakes, his fellow countryman John Velazquez taking the other two.

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