BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Loco Abarrio had to survive a claim of foul but prevailed to win his first stakes race in the $150,000 FTBOA Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap at Gulfstream Park Saturday. The one-mile contest featured a field of six 3-year-olds and older bred in Florida and the purse included a $50,000 bonus for Florida Sire Stakes-eligible runners presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Longshot Rouki and odds-on favorite Octane started fastest of all before Loco Abarrio raced up on the inside to join them coming out of the backstretch chute. After a leisurely quarter-mile split in :24.60, Jockey Edwin Gonzalez allowed Loco Abarrio to take a short lead as they hit the main track when Big Martini raced up between rivals to join him on the lead.
After a half mile in in :47.42, Loco Abarrio, Big Martini and Octane went around the far turn in tandem before Loco Abarrio used his ground-saving position to take a three-quarter-length advantage with two furlongs to the finish.
Loco Abarrio increased his lead at the top of the stretch as Big Martini chased in second and Octane dropped back. Loco Abarrio drifted out just past the eighth pole, forcing jockey Emisael Jaramillo to shift Big Martini to the inside with less than a sixteenth of a mile to the finish.
Big Martini made another run nearing the wire but Loco Abarrio held on to win by a half-length in 1:37.65 on the fast track. Big Martini finished second, four lengths clear of Awesome Train in third. Secret Lover, Rouki and Octane completed the order of finish. Classic Car Wash was scratched.
Emisael Jaramillo on Big Martini claimed a foul saying Loco Abarrio had come over on them in the stretch. After several minutes of deliberation, the track stewards did not allow the claim and kept the original order of finish.
Loco Abarrio won under the second highweight of 122 pounds and paid $9.80 to win.
