Ishaq pointed for Inaugural after impressive debut

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Trainer Efren Loza Jr. had the promising 2-year-old colt Ishaq sitting on ready for his career debut Nov. 28 at Tampa Bay Downs, and the son of Harlan’s Holiday won the way a 9-10 favorite should, leading most of the way under Pedro Cotto Jr. to score by 10 1/4 lengths under only brief, mild urging.

That performance has Loza pointing Ishaq to the $100,000 Inaugural Stakes for 2-year-olds at six furlongs here Dec. 19. If the horse handles that assignment well, he could continue to stretch out in stakes for 3-year-olds early next year. The seven-furlong, $100,000 Pasco Stakes is in January and is followed by the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes in February.

Ishaq, a homebred for St George Stable, defeated 10 rivals in the 5 1/2-furlong, $23,000 maiden special weight race, stopping the clock in 1:04.26.

“We’re going to go step by step,” Loza said of stretching the horse out in distance. “He has a lot of talent and a good pedigree. This horse likes to run, and when the gate opens, he wants to go. I think he can run better with more distance. Cotto said the horse wanted to keep going at the end of the race, and the gallop-out was good.”

The runner-up from that race, Southern Quality, also might benefit from more distance. The son of Exclusive Quality broke slowly under Brian Pedroza, lagged back early, and rallied strongly to finish 8 1/2 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Tarpon.

Trained by David Hinsley, Southern Quality was making his career debut in the race after working steadily at Arlington Park and Hawthorne since August. The colt races for Nemisis Racing Stable, William Olsen, and Brittany and Heidi Terlep and sold for just $1,200 in April at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.

Jolley wins with first Tampa starter

Hall of Fame trainer LeRoy Jolley scored with the first horse he ever ran at Tampa Bay Downs last Friday, when Marrakech ($7.20) scored by three-quarters of a length in a $30,000 maiden-claiming race for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Marrakech was making his fifth start and was dropping sharply in class after racing exclusively on the New York Racing Association circuit. The Eskendereya colt is owned by the Hot Scot Racing Stables of Bev Hendry and Christine Hosier and was ridden by Jose Ferrer.

Jolley, 78, who winters in Ocala, Fla., is best known for winning the Kentucky Derby in 1975 with Foolish Pleasure and in 1980 with Genuine Risk. He also won the 1986 Breeders’ Cup Turf with Manila and the 1990 BC Juvenile Fillies with Meadow Star.

Jolley is training several horses at the Classic Mile training facility in Ocala, including Perfect Fit, a 3-year-old Majesticperfection filly who finished second in the $100,000 Trapeze Stakes last December at Remington Park for trainer Bret Calhoun. The filly is a prospect for the $100,000 Lightning City Stakes, a five-furlong turf dash for fillies and mares ages 3 and up here Dec. 19.

Jockey Pino gets first Tampa win

When Mario Pino steered Chiltern Street ($2.80) to a 2 1/4-length victory for trainer Wesley Ward in a $20,300 maiden special weight turf route last Wednesday, it marked the jockey’s 6,706th career victory and his first in Tampa. Pino, 54, who winters in Boynton Beach, Fla., has ridden sparingly here over the years, including a 0-for-4 mark at the 2014-15 meet.

Pino finished fourth in the jockeys’ standings at Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania this year with 65 wins. He ranks third among active jockeys in career wins in North America behind Russell Baze and Edgar Prado and is 10th all time.

Hillsborough Stakes upgraded

The Hillsborough Stakes was upgraded to a Grade 2 from a Grade 3 last week by the American Graded Stakes Committee, and the track will increase its purse to $200,000 from $150,000 for its 18th running March 12. That Festival Day card, led by the Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby, now will offer a track-record $850,000 in stakes purses.

The Hillsborough, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares ages 4 and up, was won this year by Stephanie’s Kitten, who went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 31 and is a leading candidate for an Eclipse Award as the top female turf horse of 2015. In 2012, the Hillsborough was won by Zagora, who also won the BC Filly and Mare Turf and was voted an Eclipse Award winner.

** Antonio Gallardo, the leading jockey at the last two Tampa meets, won four races last Friday, including two for trainer Kathleen O’Connell, to take the lead at this young meet with six wins. He also has six runner-up finishes from 27 mounts. Ademar Santos and Pedro Cotto Jr. are tied for second with four wins apiece.

Dale Bennett has three wins from seven starters to top the trainers’ standings.