High-percentage Loza barn sends out two contenders Thursday
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Trainer Efren Loza Jr. has been spotting his horses extremely well at the Tampa Bay Downs meet, going 8 for 17 (47 percent) through Thursday. Two of those wins came with Ishaq, a homebred for St George Stable who won the $67,500 Inaugural Stakes in December.
On Saturday, Loza has a good chance to add to his win total with a pair of runners for St George Stable who will have leading jockey Antonio Gallardo aboard. Loza and Gallardo have teamed up to win with 11 of 26 starters (42 percent) here since the start of 2015, with a profitable return on investment of $2.05.
In race 3, Loza will start Icatiro, who returns on short rest and faces winners for the first time after romping by eight lengths in his career debut here Feb. 18. The son of Quality Road was not asked for his best effort when he won that $25,000 maiden-claiming race, finishing the 6 1/2-furlong test in 1:17.88 and earning a 59 Beyer Speed Figure.
“The horse won his maiden very good, and I think he has a good chance even though he’s facing winners,” Loza said.
The optional $35,000 claimer and starter allowance offers a purse of $18,000 and covers six furlongs. It drew a field of seven 3-year-olds. Other contenders include Royal Almighty, the runner-up in a first-level optional $75,000 claimer for trainer Dennis Ward here in January, and Summer Type, who came up a neck short when second in a four-horse field behind Danny’s Turbo in a $35,000 starter allowance here Jan. 13.
In race 8, Loza will debut Intacto, a Tiz Wonderful colt who sold for $23,000 at Keeneland in November 2013. The $23,000 maiden special weight race covers 5 1/2 furlongs and drew a field of nine 3-year-olds.
Intacto has been training steadily at Gulfstream Park West, where he most recently breezed five furlongs from the gate in 1:02.20 last Saturday, the third-fastest of 23 works at the distance that day.
“He’s a cheap horse, but he’s doing good,” Loza said. “He always breezes well. I think I have a good chance in the race.”
The other contenders include Big Talkin, Splash Rules, and Cultivate.
Big Talkin adds blinkers for trainer Jason DaCosta after tiring to finish fifth behind runaway winner Tiger Blood in a maiden special weight race here Jan. 30. Cultivate, a homebred for Juddmonte Farms trained by Bill Mott, makes his career debut after a strong series of breezes at Payson Park. Splash Rules, trained by John Vinson, also debuts after a bullet half-mile breeze in 48 seconds here Feb. 19.