Ishaq wins debut like a stakes horse

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 maiden special weight race, stopping the clock in 1:04.26. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 86.

“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. A son of Exclusive Quality, Southern 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.