Hialeah Park: Quick Dynasty dominates South Florida Quarter Horse Derby

Trainer Brandon Muniz and jockey Jesse Levario capped off a great meet at Hialeah Park when they teamed up to win the $183,295 South Florida Quarter Horse Derby with Quick Dynasty on Sunday’s closing-day card.

Quick Dynasty ($5.60) won his third straight race at the meet since Muniz removed the blinkers following an eighth-place finish in the Hialeah Futurity on Dec. 29. A Missouri-bred gelding owned by Martin Reynoza, Quick Dynasty had posted the fastest qualifying time for Sunday’s race three weeks ago and dominated the finals, beating 5-2 second choice Pyc First Prize Fany by 1 1/2 lengths while completing 440 yards in 21.550 seconds.

Muniz, who finished as the meet’s leading trainer for the second straight season with 34 winners, said Quick Dynasty will be pointed to several major races this year, including the Ruidoso Derby and the All American Derby.

“I’ll be following him wherever he goes,” said Levario, who won two races Sunday to clinch his first riding title with 47 winners.

In the co-featured $100,000 Sam Abbey Memorial Invitational for older horses, Dash Master Jess turned the tables on Dashin Beduino under substitute rider Shanley Jackson.

Dashin Beduino, the 9-5 favorite, had beaten Dash Master Jess by three-quarters of a length when they met three weeks ago in the Sawgrass Stakes. Jackson picked up the mount on Dash Master Jess ($7) when the horse he was scheduled to ride, Joltin Jess, was scratched.

Jackson credited trainer Rolando Almanza with giving him good instructions on how to get the most out of Dash Master Jess, a 4-year-old colt owned by Cesar Rosales.

“Rolando told me to go to the right hand with about 100 yards to the wire,” Jackson said. “I had to really get into him, but he went by the 11 [Dashin Beduino].”

In winning for the seventh time in 16 lifetime starts, Dash Master Jess covered 440 yards in 21.550 seconds.

In the other stakes:

• Reds Casino ($46) rolled to a seven-length victory under Alex Gonzalez in the $52,000 Sailfish at 1,000 yards.

• Madresita ($17.80), ridden by Luis Guerrero, outfought 2-1 favorite Rawhide Creek by a neck in the $21,100 Roble Rojo Bonus Challenge at 300 yards.