Jacobson picks up 3-year-old El Charro

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The 3-year-old El Charro, the runner-up in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 2, has been purchased privately by trainer David Jacobson and Sol Kumin’s Head of Plains Stable and will relocate to Southern California, Jacobson said Thursday.

El Charro, a son of Put It Back, had been owned by Golden Legacy Stable and was trained by Juan Rodriguez.

El Charro has raced six times and won twice, including a maiden win at Gulfstream Park in August and a first-level allowance race by 8 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park West in October. After running fourth in the Smooth Air Stakes, El Charro finished a late-running second behind Awesome Speed in the Mucho Macho Man, earning a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He’s up and coming – a big, good-looking horse,” Jacobson said at Belmont Park.

Asked if he would try to put El Charro on the Derby trail, Jacobson said, “Let’s see what we got first.”

Jacobson said he has only a few horses at Gulfstream and is sending El Charro to California because he prefers to train at Santa Anita over Belmont because of the better weather.

“We’re sending him there to train; it doesn’t mean he’s going to run there,” Jacobson said.