Saez's seven wins ties Gulfstream single-day mark

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Luis Saez continued his dominance of the Gulfstream Park Championship meet, winning seven races from eight mounts on Thursday’s 11-race card, equaling a single-day record for the South Florida track.

His only loss came by a neck.

It was the second time this meet Saez won seven races on a card, having done so on Jan. 24 when he went 7 for 9. Jerry Bailey in 1996 established the record and Tyler Gaffalione equaled it last July.

The seven wins brought Saez’s total to 132 for the meet, equaling Javier Castellano’s record set at the 2013-14 Championship meet. Saez is a virtual certainty to break the record over the final three days of the meet, which ends Sunday.

“The horses are running pretty good, we came here every day tried to do our best, tried to give it everything,” Saez said. “Today we had another pretty good day.”

Saez, 25, began the day winning the opener in a photo aboard Broomhill ($7.60). After sitting out race 2, Saez rode the winners of race 3 on Cosmic Halo ($12.80), race 4 on Sound Values ($6.40), and race 5 aboard Up the Road ($6.20).

Saez appeared on his way to winning race 6 on Gemini, but was run down late by Cocktail Skirt.

Saez returned to the winner’s circle when he guided Ox Eyed Daisy ($2.80) – his second on the day for trainer Todd Pletcher – to a front-running score in race 7. He won the eighth on Take a Stroll ($7.40).

After sitting out races 9 and 10, Saez guided Four Freedoms ($4.80) to a front-running victory in the finale.

Saez will ride here through the weekend then move his tack to Keeneland for that 16-day meet, which begins April 6. Following Keeneland – and Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs – Saez will move his tack to Belmont Park, where he has been riding regularly since 2013.