Carotari Seeks Third Silks Run Victory

William Branch's Carotari  has earned the undying respect of his trainer, Brian Lynch, during their 29-race association that has produced nine wins, including six stakes victories, seven runner-up finishes and three third-place finishes.

The 7-year-old gelding, who has steadily built a bankroll over $700,000 by showing up in virtually every start, is scheduled to seek his first victory of the season in Saturday's $100,000 Silks Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park, a five-furlong turf sprint for older horses that will be co-featured on a 12-race program with the $100,000 Hutcheson Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds on the main track.

"He's been a lovely sound horse and he still loves what he does. He still has that want-to. Until he shows he doesn't want to play ball anymore, we'll keep doing our best to get him ready," Lynch said. "I'd love to get him over a million dollars, that would be my goal. He's been such a model of consistency."

The son of Artie Schiller  will make his second start of 2023 while coming off a solid second-place finish in the Feb. 11 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Stakes (G3T), finishing just a half-length behind Yes I Am Free .

"He comes into (this) in good shape. I think he's a little fitter, a little tighter than he was the last time, so I'm looking forward to running him," Lynch said, "I think he's going to bring one of his 'A' game races this week."

Carotari, who won the 2020 and 2021 Silks Run, made a steady bid while racing between horses throughout the stretch but was unable to catch the front-running defending champion of the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint.

"Take nothing away from the winner. He ran very, very big. He got the jump on us, and we had a little bit of traffic early with the inside, outside, press. He was very game, very game," Lynch said. "He kept to the task, that's for sure."

Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to ride Carotari Saturday for the first time since January 2020.

Golden Kernel Racing Stable's Yet I Am Free will seek to repeat his 2022 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint/Silks Run double while looking to win for the third-straight race this year. Emisael Jaramillo has the call on the Laura Cazares-trained 7-year-old gelding.

Golden Kernel Racing Stable and Cazares will also be represented in the Silks Run by Panther Island , who is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Turf Dash Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs after being claimed for $62,500 in his previous start at Gulfstream. Jose Ortiz has the assignment aboard the 4-year-old son of Speightstown  .

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Big Invasion , a winner of five stakes in a row before finishing third in his 2022 finale in the Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland, is slated to make his 2023 debut in the Silks Run. The 4-year-old son of Declaration of War  broke his maiden and won the Texas Glitter Stakes by three lengths at Gulfstream last year.

Joel Rosario has the return call aboard the Christophe Clement trainee.

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Pantofel Stable's Lucky Score  is also scheduled to make his 2023 debut after capturing the Vigil Stakes (G3) and finishing third in the Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) at Woodbine in his final two starts last season. Tyler Gaffalione has the call on the 5-year-old Lookin At Lucky   gelding.

Just For Fun Stable's Warrior's Pride , the 2021 Texas Glitter winner; Peace Sign Stables' Belgrano , a 9-year-old multiple stakes winner who finished fourth in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint; and Nigel R. Burke's Rockcrest , who finished second behind Lucky Score in the Vigil, are also entered.

Princess Kathy Racing and Red Rabbit Racing's Novgorod the Great , Gelfenstein Farm's Sigiloso , Elizabeth Dobles and Imaginary Stable's Full Disclosure , and Bibi Jehaludi and Rashad Jehaludi's Omaha City  round out the field.

Entries: Silks Run S.

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 18, 2023, Race 11

• STK
• 5f
• Turf
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Novgorod the Great (KY)	Luca Panici	118	James M. Gulick	30/1
2	2Carotari (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Brian A. Lynch	4/1
3	3Lucky Score (ON)	Tyler Gaffalione	124	Mark E. Casse	10/1
4	4Sigiloso (FL)	Edgar Perez	118	Amador Merei Sanchez	20/1
5	5Belgrano (KY)	Junior Alvarado	122	Frank Russo	6/1
6	6Yes I Am Free (FL)	Emisael Jaramillo	124	Laura Cazares	7/2
7	7Warrior's Pride (FL)	Chantal Sutherland	120	Ruben Sierra	20/1
8	8Full Disclosure (FL)	Leonel Reyes	118	Elizabeth L. Dobles	8/1
9	9Big Invasion (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Christophe Clement	5/2
10	10Panther Island (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Laura Cazares	15/1
11	11Omaha City (KY)	Jose E. Morelos	118	Mohamed Jehaludi	50/1
12	12Rockcrest (ON)	Luis Saez	118	Nigel R. Burke	30/1