Extrordinary Jerry romps in Wildcat Heir

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Facing Florida-breds for just the second time in 17 career starts, Extrordinary Jerry found himself right at home, rallying to a 10 ¼-length victory over Wildwood’s Beauty and six other overmatched rivals in Saturday’s $150,000 Wildcat Heir Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The one-mile Wildcat Heir is part of the Florida Sire Stakes series.

Extrordinary Jerry made his first 11 starts on the West Coast before joining trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn earlier this season, winning his local debut in impressive fashion in a first level optional-claiming race for Florida-breds. Extrordinary Jerry shipped to New York with the rest of the Pletcher stable for the summer where he improved and defeated open first-level allowance opposition by seven lengths at Saratoga on Aug. 25.

The Wildcat Heir looked like the perfect spot for Extrordinary Jerry’s next start, and the 4-year-old son of Overdriven did not disappoint. Rating early off a contentious pace under jockey Edgard Zayas, Extrordinary Jerry advanced boldly leaving the backstretch, swung wide continuing his rally into the stretch, and readily ran down the tiring leaders to win going away.

Wildwood’s Beauty, winner of the seven-furlong Sheer Drama Stakes three weeks earlier, rallied mildly down the center of the track to be second while never menacing the winner, with Well Defined another 1 ¼ lengths farther back in third after disputing a rapid pace.

Owned by Wise Guys Stable, Extrordinary Jerry completed the distance in 1:35.75 over a fast track and paid $4.60.

“Looking at the race, there was a lot of speed, so I didn’t want to get the horse out of his pace,” said Zayas. “I just let him stay where he felt comfortable. It worked out perfectly. When he kicked on, he went by them easily.”

* Onyx remained perfect on the turf, extending her winning streak to three in a row with a three-length victory over Madame Bourbon in the $75,000 Our Dear Peggy Stakes. Gran Brandy finished third.

Emisael Jaramillo rode Onyx, an Arindel homebred, for trainer Juan Alvarado. Onyx paid $3 after completing a mile over a firm turf course in 1:35.43.

* Cajun Casanova made his turf debut a winning one, leading throughout to register a 3 ½-length victory over Man With a Plan in the $75,000 Hollywood Beach Stakes. A 2-year-old homebred son of Cajun Breeze owned by Shadybrook Farm, Cajun Casanova covered five furlongs in 55.65 under jockey Miguez Vasquez and paid $7.40.

* Graceful Kitten kept his record perfect by posting a wire-to-wire two-length victory over Jolting Joe in the $75,000 Armed Forces Stakes. Hector Berrios was aboard Graceful Kitten, who is trained by Amador Sanchez.

Graceful Kitten, a son of Kitten’s Joy owned by Super Super Stable, returned $5.60. His time for a mile on the turf was 1:35.92.

Sanchez said immediately after the race that he and the connections of Graceful Kitten are hopefulhe could make his next start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.