Wednesday, November 29, 2017
WIN MACHINE MENDED TO PARTICIPATE IN CLAIMING CROWN RACE AT GULFSTREAM PARK
Wednesday afternoon, trainer John Martin was en route to Gulfstream Park, where he’ll watch one of his stable stars, Mended, compete in The Claiming Crown Glass Slipper Stakes this Saturday. The Glass Slipper Stakes, with a $110,000 purse, is for fillies and mares which have raced for a claiming tag of $12,500 or less since January 1, 2016. Mended drew Post 6 of 14 in the one-turn mile event, which goes as Race 2 on the 11-race card. Ricky Gonzalez, who rides year-round at Golden Gate Fields, has guided Mended to victory in her eight most recent races and will fly in to Florida to ride once again.
The Claiming Crown, an annual event held every year at Gulfstream Park, are a series of stakes races for horses that have or used to participate in claiming races throughout North America. Mended, a former claimer herself, fits the condition of The Glass Slipper like Cinderella’s foot. The daughter of Broken Vow was claimed for $12,500 on January 7 and since then, has won nine races in a row and earned $125,400 for owners Maritza and Troy Onorato. Mended’s biggest win for the Martin stable came at Del Mar on July 27, when she defeated second level allowance foes.
“We liked her when we claimed her, obviously, but we couldn’t have predicted she’d turn out to be this good,” said Reid France, assistant to John Martin. “She started to win one race after another and now she’s just gotten super confident. She’s a lovely filly to train and be around. She enjoys racing and wants to win.”
Heading into this Saturday’s stake, Reid France believes the 4-year-old filly has what it takes to pick up her first stakes win.
“If she runs her best race, I think she’ll be right there contending for the win,” said France. “She can run on anything. Synthetics, dirt…she’s won on turf too. She’s got such a great mind and always ships well. The whole barn has a lot of confidence in her.”
Post time for The Glass Slipper Stakes is 12:30 PM Eastern time and 9:30 AM Pacific time.
10 SET TO START IN THE GOLD RUSH STAKES FOR 2-YEAR-OLDS THIS SATURDAY
A field of ten 2-year-olds are expected to go postward in Race 7 on Saturday, The $50,000 Gold Rush Stakes. The race, a prep for the Grade 3 $200,000 El Camino Real Derby in February, attracts a solid contingent of runners.
Among the likely favorites is Ayacara, a Southern California shipper from the Keith Desormeaux stable who was last seen finishing fourth in The Grade 1 Frontrunner Stakes behind Bolt D’Oro, one of the best 2-year-olds in the nation. Ayacara broke his maiden at Del Mar under the guidance of jockey Kent Desormeuax last summer, and the Hall of Fame rider will fly up to Northern California to ride the son of Violence in The Gold Rush.
Hall of Fame conditioner Jerry Hollendorfer has a strong 1-2 punch in the 2017 Gold Rush with Afleet Ascent, a $300,000 sale purchase who comes off a 5-furlong maiden score on turf at Del Mar, and Night At the Opera, who ran second in The Oak Tree Juvenile at Pleasanton. Respect the Hustle, the winner of the Oak Tree Juvenile, is also entered in the Gold Rush and drew Post 7 for jockey Juan Hernandez and trainer Bill McClean.
The Gold Rush Stakes oversubscribed with 11 runners. Zippy Groom, who raced to his first career win in a 30k maiden claimer at Santa Anita last month, was put on the also-eligible list. There will need to be a defection by scratch time on Saturday morning in order for him to race in the one-mile contest. Post time for The Gold Rush Stakes is 3:45 PM Pacific Time.
FINISH LINES: A PICK 5 CARRYOVER of $43,854 highlights the Thursday card at Golden Gate Fields. The sequence: Races 1-5, and the wager has a “player friendly” 14% takeout. 38 horses are entered in the five-race sequence, which averages out to 7.6 horses per race. Track officials estimate the pool will climb to at least $250,000 by the time the gates open for Leg 1….Trainer Frank Lucarelli saddled a pair of talented 2-year-olds in a maiden special weight race last Saturday. Whatwasithinking, a 2-year-old son of Violence purchased for $20,000 at Keeneland last year, rallied from off the pace to win his debut by 3 lengths. Although well-regarded by The Lucarelli barn, Whatwasithinking went off at odds of 14-1. C.R. Bullitt, the second Lucarelli entrant in the race, was purchased at the 2016 Washington Yearling sale for $30,000. The son of Atta Boy Roy checked at the start after but ran on strongly for second, giving The Lucarelli barn a 1-2 finish in the Saturday nightcap. The Lucarelli exacta paid $316.40…The well-regarded Coachwhip, a Calumet Farm homebred, won her second lifetime start on Saturday, just one month after an extremely impressive maiden score in early October. The daughter So You Think beat a group of experienced older fillies and mares on Saturday and may run in Southern California in the future, according to trainer Jedd Josephsen… Congrats to jockey Kevin Orozco, who was recently named the “Jockeys Guild Jockey of the Week.” According to a press release, “the award is voted on by a panel of experts for riding accomplishments by members of the Jockeys’ Guild, the organization which represents over 950 riders in North America.” Orozco won ten races at Portland Meadows in two days (November 20 and 21) and has won a pair of races at The Golden Gate Fields Fall Meet…Juan Hernandez has taken a 29-24 lead over Frank Alvarado in the jockey standings after winning a quintet of races last week. Hernandez and Ricky Gonzalez are tied for the highest win percentage amongst all riders at Golden Gate, both journeymen scoring at a 24% win clip this meet …Jonathan Wong has the most victories of any trainer at the 2017 Fall Meet with 13 trips to the winners circle. John Martin, who won the Fall Meet training title last year, is second in the standings with 11 wins.
-30-