Rezasrolex returns to his comfort zone
?q=100)
On Friday at Gulfstream Park, Rezasrolex returns to the overnight ranks, a level at which he is unbeaten over a remarkable two years.
The 5 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up on Tapeta is an allowance that carries a claiming option of $75,000. A field of six is set to start, including millionaire Coppola and multiple stakes winner Eamonn.
Rezasrolex, a Florida-bred by Bucchero, last lost an overnight race on June 2, 2024, when he finished fourth in a first-level allowance at Gulfstream.
From there, Rezasrolex went on to win nine consecutive overnight races. The streak began June 21, 2024, at Gulfstream and continued through Jan. 11 of this year, at Tampa Bay Downs.
“What a thrill,” said Joe Orseno, who trains Rezasrolex for Robert Cotran. “We went to Tampa that day when he won the nine and I’m holding up nine fingers in the winner’s circle, which was great.”
Orseno, who is in his 50th year of training, said he believes the longest win streak he’d had was five in a row with two different horses.
“The nine in a row was some thrill,” he said. “It was fun. After about five, we started thinking, ‘Let’s see how far we can take him.’ ”
Orseno kept Rezasrolex in the overnight ranks as long as the opportunities arose, then moved him into stakes company in February for the $100,000 Turf Dash at Tampa. Rezasrolex was favored and finished second by a neck to My Boy Prince.
“My Boy Prince is a horse who had high credentials and still does,” Orseno said, “and I believe we could have beat him that day. We didn’t.”
Rezasrolex remained in the stakes ranks and ran second in the Silks Run at Gulfstream before traveling to Keeneland and finishing an uncharacteristic 10th in the Grade 2 Shakertown in his last start April 4. He was beaten four lengths by winner My Boy Prince.
“The day at Keeneland, horses that he’s been running with finished four lengths in front of him,” Orseno said. “He ran with them and just didn’t sustain that run through the stretch. But it’s the first time he’d ever been on a softer turf course like that, and I do believe it was just a softer turf course, and he’d never shipped like that – quite a few things came into the equation.
“We got him back to Gulfstream and regrouped. I freshened him up a little bit. He’s trained a little light going into this race, but that’s the way he likes to train, and he’s doing very well.”
Rezasrolex, who has tactical speed, will break from the rail under Edwin Gonzalez.
Cotran and Orseno also will start Eamonn.
“He’ll be running on the end,” Orseno said. “Nice horse. We’re hoping to get a couple more stakes into him and that somebody would like to take a shot and stand him as a stallion. If you look at his pedigree, he’s royally bred.
“He’s by Pioneerof the Nile and out of a fantastic mare. And every time he runs he gets the paddock award because there’s not a better-looking horse in the world.”
Eamonn will break from post 3 under Diego Herrera.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.