Unbeaten Mexican colt Kukulkan made the 3-5 favorite for Clasico del Caribe

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Post positions were drawn Wednesday for Saturday’s 11-race all-stakes program, which will begin with six 2-year-old stakes and conclude with the five-race Clasico Internacional del Caribe program, topped by the $300,000 Clasico del Caribe. First post on Saturday is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

The Clasico del Caribe – or Caribbean Classic – is led by the Mexican sensation Kukulkan, who has won all 13 career starts. Kukulkan drew post 3 in a field of 10 3-year-olds representing four Latin American countries – Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico. Kukulkan was established as the 3-5 favorite for the 1 1/8-mile Classic by morning-line maker Jay Stone.

“He’s trained well, adapted well, was very professional with his schooling,” said Kukulkan’s trainer, Fausto Gutierrez, who’ll also send out Kandinsky in the Classic. “He’s ready.”

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Gutierrez, who won the Caribbean Classic here a year ago with the filly Jala Jala, said he was pleased with the post position draw for Kukulkan, who’ll be ridden for the first time by Irad Ortiz Jr.

“I understand the inside post positions are better here,” said Gutierrez. “So for me, it’s good for obvious reasons.”

From the rail out, with riders, the Caribbean Classic field will include My Rating Mate (Venezuela), Leonel Reyes; Dario Ruth (Panama), John Velazquez; Kukulkan; El Salsero (Puerto Rico), Edwin Castro; Sol De Orion (Panama), Jose Lezcano; Senor Ben Hur (Panama), Jose Ortiz; Kandinsky (Mexico), Javier Castellano; Apistos (Venezuela), Luis Saez; Literario (Mexico), Manuel Franco; and Bukowski (Venezuela), Emisael Jaramillo.

Ortiz, with three victories, and Velasquez with two, combined to win all five stakes on last year’s Clasico Internacional del Caribe card here. It was the first time the event had been held outside of Latin America and the Caribbean since it began in 1966.