HALLANDALE BEACH, Florida, (CMC):

Ralph Ziadie continued to challenge for the trainers' title at Gulfstream Park when he saddled his 13th winner of the season on Thursday.

The Jamaica-born trainer moved to just one behind American Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in the standings after he produced the 6-5 favourite Bama Bound that won the US$16,000 seventh race over 1700 metres on the dirt track.

Bama Bound, under jockey Edgard Zayas, raced up close in the first turn and then inched up to race on equal terms with Warrior AP, ridden by Juan Leyva.

Zayas began to move away from Warrior AP while taking on Mal Guapo, under Tyler Gaffalione, in the final turn.

Puerto Rico-born reinsman Zayas continued to battle back gamely from the inside on the seven-year-old, dark bay gelding, despite prolonged pressure from Mal Guapo and they finished determinedly to stop the clock at 1 minute, 44.12 seconds.

Ziadie, a multiple Grade 1-winning trainer, has won 1,483 races from 9,710 starters since 1981, a 15 per cent win rate. For this year, he has been winning at a 26 per cent clip (22 of 84 starts) for earnings of US $521,641.