Gulfstream double for Maragh

HALLANDALE BEACH, Florida (CMC):

Jamaican jockey Rajiv Maragh won twice at Gulfstream Park on Thursday, producing contrasting rides to make headlines at the South Florida racetrack.

The 25-year-old won race five, leading from start to finish with the outside bet Abdel's Ghost, to beat the four-year-olds and upward over 6¹/² furlongs.

Maragh returned in race eight over a mile on turf, bringing Prize Catch with a daring late run to win by three-quarters of a length and complete his success on the eight-race card.

Third in standings

With the brace, Maragh lies third in the standings with 13 wins, six adrift of leader Paco Lopez and the second-place Julien Leparoux.

He started his success when he broke Abdel's Ghost sharply and put the three-year-old bay colt to the front, dragging the field through fractions of 22:58 seconds and 45:46 seconds.

Maragh found acceleration in the stretch with the 13-1 bet and raced to the finish a length clear in a time of one minute, 16:65 seconds.

In race eight, Maragh sat the three-year-old chestnut filly Prize Catch at the back of the pack as Alluring Power set the pace.

He then switched the filly wide for the drive into the stretch and prevailed strongly at the wire over Star of the Town.