Favored Wekiva Springs Wins Gulfstream Park Handicap

Heavily favored Wekiva Springs rallied to win the Gulfstream Park Handicap Saturday, giving trainer Bill Mott a track record for winners saddled at a single meeting.

Star Standard, who set the pace from the start to midstretch, held on for second in the $500,000 Grade 1 race. He finished 1 3/4 lengths behind Wekiva Springs and 2 1/2 lengths in front of Powerful Punch, a 59-1 shot.

Wekiva Springs was ridden by Jerry Bailey, and was his third winner of the day. The 5-year-old Florida-bred ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:03, paying $4.20, $3 and $2.60. Star Standard finished second.

It was the third consecutive Gulfstream Park Handicap win for Mott, who won the stakes with Scuffleburg in 1994 and with Horse of the Year Cigar last year. Mott also won the fifth and final races on the card and raised his total for the meeting to 34, breaking the mark of 32 he had established in 1994.