JOCKEY FERRIN PETERSON PICKS UP FIRST CAREER WIN
25-year-old Ferrin Peterson, who began riding races in early January, tallied her first career victory aboard Lovely Lioness in the second race last Sunday.
Lovely Lioness was sent to the lead by Peterson and never looked back, establishing a clear lead early and whipping through fractions of 23.14, 46.46 and 58.29 seconds. She hit the wire a length and a half ahead of second place finisher Porteous and stopped the clock for five and one-half furlongs in 1:04.61 seconds.
“That was the greatest feeling,” said Peterson, reflecting on the race. “I felt the rush of adrenaline as Lovely Lioness and I hit the wire. I heard the crowd roaring. It was awesome. That was my fourth time riding [Lovely Lioness] so it was great to win my first race on a horse I’ve built such a close bond with.”
Fellow riders doused Peterson, also a veterinary student at U.C. Davis, with shaving cream and buckets of ice-cold water after the win. Before the Sunday victory, Ferrin had finished third with six of her first 19 career mounts. Trainer Anthony Stabile, who conditions Lovely Lioness, has used Peterson regularly since she began riding and is impressed with Peterson’s demeanor and good mind.
“Ferrin works hard and listens to instructions,” said Stabile. “She is always very respectful and loves the horses. She is still learning and I give her constructive criticism at times, but she listens and takes it all in stride. My assistant Ashley [Peric] is also a big supporter of hers. I couldn’t be happier for Ferrin.”
Ferrin, days removed from her first career win, continued to smile from ear to ear as she strolled the Golden Gate Fields backstretch Wednesday morning.
“I’ve put in a lot of work over the last several months of training to becoming a jockey while studying hard in vet school. It feels great when that hard work pays off,” said Ferrin. “This is my childhood dream come true.”
CAMILLA URSO STAKES DRAWS A FIELD OF NINE
The 2018 edition of the Camilla Urso Stakes features a field of nine older fillies and mares. The Camilla Urso, a 6-furlong sprint, has a purse of $50,000 and will go as Race 7 on the 9 race card this Saturday.
Leading the cast of characters is Cuyathy, who most recently ran third behind graded stakes winner Selcourt in the Kalookan Queen Stakes at Santa Anita. Alliford Bay, a winner of two stakes races this summer, is also expected to get plenty of support in the wagering. Other main contenders include Passionate Emotion, who has won four races in a row since being claimed for $12,500 by trainer Ari Herbertson, and the Jeff Mullins trainee Symposium, who ships to the Bay Area from Southern California in search of her first stakes win.
Below is the field for the $50,000 Camilla Urso Stakes:
#1 Cash Prize…Quinn Howey/Rocco Bowen
#2 Aura Rose…Manuel Valenzuela III/Silvio Amador
#3 Claudia Mae…Tirso Rivera/Pedro Terrero
#4 Symposium…Jeff Mullins/Eddie Martinez
#5 Snow Cloud…James Cassidy/Irving Orozco
#6 Mother of Dragons…Andreas Psarras/Julien Couton
#7 Cuyathy…William E. Morey/Abel Cedillo
#8 Alliford Bay…Blaine Wright/Juan Hernandez
#9 Passionate Emotion…Ari Herbertson/Billy Antongeorgi III
GOLDEN GATE STAKES PERFORMERS TO COMPETE AT TURFWAY PARK
This Saturday, Golden Gate Fields stakes performers Blended Citizen, Consolida and Mugaritz take their talents to Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky, where they will be competing against East Coast stakes competition.
Blended Citizen and Mugaritz race in the $200,000 Grade 3 Jeff Ruby (formerly known as The Spiral Stakes). Blended Citizen is trained by Doug O’Neill and will be ridden by Kyle Frey, who guided the son of Proud Citizen to a second place finish in the El Camino Real Derby last month. Mugaritz, conditioned by Jonathan Wong, picks up the services of jockey Nik Juarez. Mugaritz made an early move towards the front in the El Camino Real Derby before flattening out in the final furlong to run fourth. Mugaritz and Blended Citizen drew post positions 6 and 8, respectively.
Consolida, winner of the California Oaks on February 10, races in the $100,000 Grade 3 DRF Bets Bourbonette Oaks for Southern California trainer Paddy Gallagher. The 3-year-old filly drew post 6 in the Bourbonette Oaks and will be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke. Northern California pilot Julien Couton was aboard in the California Oaks.
The Bourbonette Oaks goes as Race 9 on the 12-race Turfway Card, with a scheduled post time of 2:14 PM Pacific Standard Time. The Jeff Ruby is Race 10, with the contest set to go off at approximately 3:00 PM Pacific Standard time.
FINISH LINES: William Antongeorgi III, Abel Cedillo and Juan Hernandez all have 38 victories heading into Week 12 of the Winter/Spring meet. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer leads in the trainer standings with 27 wins, one more than John Martin…Jockey agent Dennis Patterson has picked up the book of veteran rider Frank Alvarado. The duo begins business together this week…Good luck to jockey Tom Queally, who ships his tack to Keeneland this week. Queally is best known for piloting champion racehorse Frankel…Mended worked five furlongs in 1:00 flat last Sunday morning under jockey Ricky Gonzalez. The John Martin trainee has been supplemented to run in the Grade 1 $400,000 Santa Margarita at Santa Anita this Saturday and drew Post 3 of 10. Ricky Gonzalez will be back aboard…Tribal Storm, winner of the Lost In The Fog Stakes last month, ran fourth in the $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes at Santa Anita for trainer Ed Moger Jr. and owners/breeders Curt and Lila Lanning…Congrats to trainer Steve Miyadi, who won the Sensational Star with gutsy Cal-bred Tough Sunday. Tough Sunday, a 6-year-old by Grazen, was born blind and deaf, yet has still managed to win 5 of 18 career starts and just over $333,0000 in purse money.