by K. T. Donovan

Fans of gutsy six-year-old mare Honey Ryder were given a thrill when she ran her heart out but was nipped by a neck at the wire by the equally impressive Jambalaya in Saturday’s $289,000 Gulfstream Park Breeders’ Cup Turf Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

All the excitement came after the third turn in the 1 3/8-mile race on turf rated firm after Fri Guy led the field of 11 through a mile in 1:37.52 before Go Between mounted a challenge.

Einstein (Brz) endured a five-wide trip from his number 10 post as 2.30-to-1 favorite Honey Ryder saved ground on the rail the whole way. Jambalaya stalked the pace from the inside under jockey Javier Castellano but had nowhere to run behind a wall of horses approaching the stretch.

Einstein launched an explosive bid down the lane to gain the lead near the sixteenth pole, while Grade 1 winner Honey Ryder, still fifth in midstretch, was angled around Go Between and pushed between that opponent and Einstein to the front.

But from the far outside, Jambalaya closed with a rush when guided into the clear and gobbled up ground until he pushed his head in front of determined Honey Ryder at the wire, completing the distance in 2:12.28.

“He’ll run on just about any kind of ground, but not real soggy turf like it can get in the fall at Woodbine, which is what he got the last two years in the [Pattison] Canadian International [Stakes (Can-G1)],” said trainer Catherine Day-Phillips.

Owned by Kingfield Farms, Jambalaya will be pointed to the Pan American Handicap (G1) on March 31 at Gulfstream.

Einstein (Brz) was another half length back in third, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Go Between.

Bred in Canada by Gustav Schickedanz, Jambalaya, who has earned $799,793 with six wins in 17 starts, is out of the Vice Regent mare Muskrat Suzie.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

K. T. Donovan is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer