Calder Derby: Sr. Quisqueyano carries speed to easy victory

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Sr. Quisqueyano rode a speed-favoring track to a convincing 7 1/2- length victory over the 4-5 favorite Speak Logistics in Saturday’s $250,000 Calder Derby. Reporting Star finished a distant third.

Sr. Quisqueyano, who finished far back in both the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 2 Fountain of Youth following a second-place finish behind Itsmyluckyday in the Gulfstream Park Derby, broke alertly under jockey Carlos Olivero and drove up inside Speak Logistics to assume control entering the first turn. Sr. Quisqueyano set moderate fractions of 23.76 seconds, 48.43, and 1:13.16 for the opening six furlongs while stalked by Speak Logistics, and then readily turned back a bid from the favorite on the final turn before drawing off with complete authority through the stretch.

Speak Logistics proved no match for the winner but was easily second best making his first start since finishing third behind Orb and Violence in the Fountain of Youth. Reporting Star checked home another four lengths farther back, followed by Joshua’s Comprise, Sky Captain, Michael With Us, Elmutahid, and Offlee Fast, who was eased to the wire.

Sr. Quisqueyano, a son of Exclusive Quality owned by Rosa Stephany Taveras and trained by Luis Olivares, completed nine furlongs in 1:52.71 and paid $10.80.

Olivares recalled his instructions to his jockey.

“I told Carlos ‘You have the one hole. You have to use the one hole because if you take back they’re going to shut you off in there. If you make the lead, keep him there, don’t fight him.’ ”

Olivares said Sr. Quisqueyano had excuses for each of his last two starts at Gulfstream Park.

“He bled a little in one start and displaced in the other and those are things that can stop a horse,” said Olivares. “I didn’t want to take a shot in the Florida Derby. The owner would have had to put up a lot of money. She’d already put up a lot of money in the other two races and she’s not rich. She put the money in and didn’t get the money back. I told her ‘Let’s try Calder. We’d have a better shot at Calder.’ ”

Olivares said he has nothing picked out for Sr. Quisqueyano’s next start but did mention the Preakness as an outside possibility.