Holy Helena scores repeat victory in The Very One

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Except perhaps for the tantalizingly close finish, Jimmy Jerkens couldn’t have drawn up the race any better.

Holy Helena, a Jerkens stable star for nearly two years now, got a perfect trip under Irad Ortiz Jr. before reeling in 24-1 shot Ickymasho for a narrow victory Saturday in the 30th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 The Very One at Gulfstream Park.

Ortiz had terrific position behind Ickymasho from the early stages of the 1 3/16-mile The Very One, saving ground on both turns before angling out a couple of paths on the turf course for the drive. Despite Ickymasho digging in under Ortiz’s brother, Jose, Holy Helena was along in time to prevail by a head. She paid $6.20 as the favorite in a field of eight fillies and mares after finishing in 1:54.20 over firm going.

“Irad said he was going to send her out of there just so that he wouldn’t get shuffled back,” said Jerkens. “He thought the pace was going to be slow, so he wanted to be right there. He rode her perfect.”

Holy Helena, a 5-year-old Stronach Stables homebred by Ghostzapper, won the 2017 Queen’s Plate at Woodbine and entered as the leading earner in this field. She now has won seven of 16 starts, with the $90,210 winner’s share boosting her bankroll to $1,175,578. She also won this race last year on the Fountain of Youth undercard with Irad Ortiz aboard.

“She was doing good coming into this,” said Jerkens. “The turf was good and firm, and everything went the way we hoped.”

Semper Sententiae was third, and Tricky Escape was fourth when no threat to the top pair. Tricky Escape was vanned off after the race as a precaution, with Gulfstream officials later saying the mare was not seriously injured.

The $2 exacta (3-6) paid $92.20, the $1 trifecta (3-6-4) returned $167.40, and the 10-cent superfecta (3-6-4-7) was worth $75.76.