Berry's hot hand continues aboard Grant Jack in Springboard Mile
Jockey Cliff Berry closed out his historic Remington Park meet on Saturday night by guiding Grant Jack to an upset in the season’s richest race for 2-year-olds, the $250,000 Springboard Mile. The victory came on the heels of Berry going 7 for 7 with his mounts Friday night to tie a North American riding record that was last achieved in 2006 by Russell Baze, when he went 7 for 7 on a card at Bay Meadows.
The most wins on a single card is nine, which Eddie Castro set riding 11 horses on a 2005 program at Calder Race Course.
Berry locked up his 13th riding title at Remington on Saturday, with his biggest win of the meet. He guided Grant Jack ($30.80) to a one-length win in the Springboard Mile, with Brickyard Fast holding second by a head over Aces N Kings.
Grant Jack broke from an outside post and Berry smoothly maneuvered him toward the front going into the first turn. The horse tracked Brickyard Fast and Aces N Kings through fractions of 23.20 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.00 for the half-mile, and 1:11.80 for six furlongs. Grant Jack began his bid midway on the turn, and ran down Brickyard Fast inside the final furlong. He covered the distance on a fast track in 1:37.98,
It was the second win from six starts for Grant Jack, a Bret Calhoun-trained colt who came into the race off a second-place finish in the local prep, the $100,000 Clever Trevor.
“The last stake he left flat-footed,” Berry said. “Today, he broke sharp. I had a handful of horse down the backside.”
In the stretch, Berry said Grant Jack was there for him when he called on him.
Grant Jack earned $150,000 for his win in the Springboard Mile. He is a son of Harlan’s Holiday and races for the partnership of Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch.
* On the undercard, Sooner Red ($50.20) won the $50,000 End of the Trail for Oklahoma-breds by a length over One Up. It was another three-quarters of a length back in third to 1-2 favorite Vertical Vision. Sooner Red is owned and trained by Brent Davidson.