JAUREGUI REFLECTS ON “EMOTIONAL” STAKES WIN WITH CAMINO DEL PARAISO
Heading into last Monday’s $50,000 Rolling Green Stakes, seven-year-old gelding Camino Del Paraiso had hit the board in 11 stakes races-five graded-but had yet to win in any of those races.
Earlier this year, Camino Del Paraiso finished third in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile. He also placed in a pair of Grade 3 races at Santa Anita: the Thunder Road and San Luis Rey. Last year, he had to settle for second in the Joseph T. Grace at Santa Rosa. In 2018, he played second fiddle to multiple graded stakes winner Editore in the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap and completed the exacta in the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic.
With all of the aforesaid efforts in mind, trainer O.J. Jauregui was confident Camino Del Paraiso would run well in the 2020 Rolling Green.
“He always tries,” said. Jauregui. “I knew he would finish in the top three again.”
And that he did. But this time, Camino Del Paraiso and Jauregui finally got a chance to take a photo in the winner’s circle.
Stalking the pace under jockey Catalino Martinez, Camino Del Paraiso made a move towards the early leader and eventual runner up finisher Kiwi’s Dream at the quarter pole before out finishing the aforementioned rival in deep stretch to score a victory in the mile and a sixteenth Rolling Green, the marquee turf race every summer at Golden Gate. For Jauregui, the win was special.
“It was emotional,” said Jauregui. “He’s such a cool horse. He’s run against some really nice stakes horses and finished right there with them. He’s had a couple of rough trips in a few of those races. To finally win a stake with him is very satisfying. He’s earned it and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
With the victory in the Rolling Green, Camino Del Paraiso improved his lifetime record to 6 wins, 12 seconds, and 4 third-place finishes, with career earnings of $440,092. Bred by Red Barons Barn, he was purchased by his current owners, Paradise Road Ranch, for $5,000 as a yearling.
“I’m so happy for the owners,” said Jauregui. “They have been very supportive of my crew and me since Day 1. We have done our best with Camino Del Paraiso. I feel really thankful they’ve trusted me with this horse.”
Jauregui noted that Camino Del Paraiso exited the Rolling Green in great shape. His next start is yet to be determined.
“We could run in the Berkeley Handicap at the fall meet or a stake down south,” said Jauregui. “We are leaving our options open.”
HERNANDEZ, GONZALEZ AND PETERSON SUCCEEDING
Jockeys Juan Hernandez, Ricky Gonzalez, and Ferrin Peterson all moved to different venues this summer. With the Golden Gate Fields community proudly watching, each rider has thrived at their new, respective racetracks.
Hernandez and Gonzalez moved to Del Mar and were immediately employed by barns big and small. Hernandez, who finished fourth in the Del Mar jockey standings behind Flavien Prat, Umberto Rispoli and Abel Cedillo, won 29 races at the recently concluded Del Mar meeting. He won the Solana Beach Stakes with Pulpit Rider-his only stakes win of the meet-and was very pleased with his summer at the surfside race place.
“We had a good meet,” said Hernandez. “My agent [Craig O’Brien] did a great job. I rode a lot of good horses. That’s the key; getting on good horses that run well. The owners and the trainers have been very supportive of me since I moved to Southern California and I feel very lucky that so many people have given me a chance.”
Gonzalez, who finished seventh in the Del Mar standings with 16 victories, hit the board in three stakes races at Del Mar and rode as one of the go-to riders for leading trainer Peter Miller. Gonzalez is the regular jockey for one of the top 2-year-old fillies in Southern California, Forest Caraway.
“It’s been a lot of fun riding such nice horses and riding for good trainers,” said Gonzalez. “You have to be on your game at all times. Every race, every day you need to be focused and I’m doing the best I can. I feel really good. I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities from a lot of trainers at Del Mar and I’m really excited to see how things go in the fall.”
Both Hernandez and Gonzalez will move to Santa Anita Park, where they begin riding in races there on Opening Day Friday, September 19.
Ferrin Peterson, who recently wrapped up her apprenticeship at Monmouth Park, sits second only behind Paco Lopez in the jockey standings at the Oceanport, New Jersey racetrack. Peterson, who began her career at Golden Gate Fields last year before taking a hiatus to finish vet school at U.C. Davis, has hit the wire first with 32 mounts heading into Friday afternoon’s card. The “vet-turned-jockey” has blossomed since teaming up with agent Julie Krone, a Hall of Fame jockey who Ferrin admires.
“Working with Julie has been such a privilege,” said Peterson. “I’ve learned so much from her. Every day after the races, I study replays and we talk about the races. I ask her questions all the time. We have an Equicizer that I hop on often and Julie helps me with my form and gives me tips. As an agent, she is working really hard to put me on good horses. We’ve been working hard to prove ourselves to the Monmouth horsemen and horsewomen and the hard work is paying off.”
Peterson and Krone are still weighing their options as to where they may land next after Monmouth, which ends its yearly race meet on September 27.
CLAIMS REPORT
Below are all claims reported from last week’s racing:
Thursday
Race 3: Malibu Alex (Trainer Reid France…Owners France and Lagattuta)
Friday
Race 1: Sayin Grace (Ed Moger Jr…Steve Moger)
Race 6: Buyback (Blaine Wright…Tracy and Paul Henline)
Race 7: Nice and True (Jamey Thomas…Stewball Stable and Thomas)
Race 8: Vastly Deep (Victor Trujillo…Lester Hunsucker)
Saturday
Race 3: Tristram Speaker (Jesus Ramos…Barragan, Ramos and Silva)
Race 9: C C the Bartender (Marcia Stortz…Stortz and Tirado)
Race 9: Red Shelby (Rene Amescua…Richard Barton)
Sunday
Race 2: Baby Frankie (John Martin…Hat Trick Racing and Jose Valle)
Race 2: Unstoppable Guy (Quinn Howey…Leon Scott)
Monday
Race 1: Charlie’s Belle (Guillermo Preciado…Edgar Pulido)
Race 5: Family Trips (Sergio Ledezma, Howard and Janet Siegel and Ledezma)
Race 5: Lulumaru (John Martin…John Martin and Eric Swanson)
Race 6: Soberano (Jonathan Wong…Roger Newman)
Race 6: Upo (Isidro Tamayo…Michael Demoulin)
FINISH LINES: Friday’s Golden Pick Six jackpot wager, beginning with Race 3, has a carryover of $88,169…The Super High Five pool also has a carryover of just over $2,075…Good luck to Anothertwistafate and trainer Blaine Wright in the $100,000 Grade 3 Longacres Mile later this evening. Anothertwistafate is the 8-5 morning line favorite and drew post 4 of 10 with local jockey Juan Gutierrez up. Wright also campaigns Reginella (Post 6, jockey Javier Matias) one race earlier in the Distaff Stakes at Emerald …A second good luck wish to Frank Lucarelli, who saddles Elliott Bay (Post 1, jockey Heribert “Eddie” Martinez) in the ‘Mile and Paddy’s Secret (Post 1, Jake Samuels) and Killarney Lass (Post 4, Javier Matias) in the Distaff…Shasta Star, previously trained by Sergio Ledezma in Northern California, won the opener at Kentucky Downs on Thursday….Alice Marble, the full 3-year-old sibling to six time stake winner Enola Gray, makes her second start for trainer Steve Miyadi in Race 7 on Saturday…Leg E of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 3 on Friday.