Three scratches reduced the field to five in Friday’s sixth race at Gulfstream Park, and it left the tote board looking like it was devised by someone who doesn’t understand pari-mutuel wagering; two horses at 2-1, two at 5/2, and one at 25-1.

    The second choice at 2-1 was Assertiko, a 5-year-old gelding by Bahamian Squall who had spent more than 20 months on the sidelines after he won three races in a row at Gulfstream, the last of the three coming on July 3 of 2020. Returning on April 9 for his trio of owners – attorney David Romanik, trainer Ron Spatz and Belinda Kitos, owner of Ocala’s Southern Chase Farm, where the gelding was bred, Assertiko finished fifth in his first two comeback attempts. Since then, he has recorded two victories and two thirds, including a hard-fought score in yesterday’s test at seven furlongs.

    Miguel Vasquez showed why he is the track’s leading rider with a wire-to-wire effort aboard Assertiko, who didn’t have a moment to take a deep breath during his score accomplished in 1:25.41. He passed the furlong markers in :23.42, :46.06 and 1:10.55, fighting off 5/2 Noble Empire until the top of the stretch, then holding 5/2 Wind Ninety Nine safe by a neck at the wire.

    The race was worth $19,100 to the winning trio, raising the gelding’s career total to $142,060 on a record of 6-1-2 in 16 starts, with $42,680 coming this year. He received a ’95’ E speed figure for the effort.