Navarro sends out winners of early daily double

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jorge Navarro broke out of a mini-slump Thursday, sending out the winners of both halves of the early daily double at Gulfstream Park, the odds-on Loverbil in the opener and the front-running Wellingtons Appeal over the turf in the second race.

“We needed that,” Navarro said when accepting congratulations for the two wins later in the day.

Navarro, the second-leading trainer at the winter meet behind only perennial champion Todd Pletcher, also reported that Private Zone continues to do well and will continue to point to the Churchill Downs Stakes on May 2. Private Zone, second behind Honor Code in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap, is scheduled to have his next work at Gulfstream Park West on Wednesday.

◗ Racing will be conducted here on Easter Sunday. The nine-race program begins at the regular post time of 1 p.m. Eastern.