Playing a Joke returned to Gulfstream Park, the track where he won in his third career start back in January, and scored a 2 1/2-length victory on opening day racing a flat mile under Elvis Trujillo. The 3-year-old gelding by It's No Joke, who went off as the 9/5 favorite, chased the pace while three wide down the backstretch, took the lead in the stretch and drew clear, clocked in 1:37.02.

Kentucky-bred Playing a Joke is 2-1-1 over his last four starts and 4-3-2 in 11 tries in his career, and the $12,000 check boosted his earnings to $62,288.