Jeltrin shocks in Davona Dale at 51-1, Jaywalk fourth

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – That’s why they run the races.

In a shocking turn of events, Jeltrin, whose only previous victory came in a $50,000 maiden claiming race last fall at Gulfstream Park West, wore down the pace-setting Cookie Dough to win Saturday’s $200,000 Davona Dale Stakes with the 2018 juvenile filly champion Jaywalk finishing a tiring fourth in the Grade 2 fixture at Gulfstream Park.

Jeltrin went postward the longest shot on the board at odds of 51-1 in the one-mile Davona Dale. Jaywalk, on the other hand, was bet down to 1-5 favoritism making her first start since leading throughout to clinch her Eclipse Award with a convincing 5 1/2-length triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.

Cookie Dough, idle herself since winning the 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl division of the Florida Sire Series here last fall, broke alertly to set the pace with Jaywalk easing off the rail to stalk the leader exiting the one-mile chute. Jeltrin, meanwhile, settled back in third position under jockey Luis Saez, who replaced Leonel Reyes after the latter was injured prior to the afternoon’s ninth race.

Cookie Dough readily disposed of a lackluster Jaywalk when set down leaving the final bend, but Jeltrin was under a steady drive at that point, ultimately proving a head best despite never switching off her left lead through the stretch. Jaywalk gradually weakened along the inside to finish nearly six lengths behind the winner, surrendering third place by a length to Champagne Anyone, much to the dismay of the bridge-jumpers who wagered $292,866 of the $348,544 in the show pool on the prohibitive favorite.

Jeltrin, who finished fourth, beaten just 2 1/2 lengths by Feedback, at odds of 124-1 in the seven furlong Forward Gal (G3) four weeks ago, is trained by Alexis Delgado for the ADR Racing Stable LLC. The daughter of Tapizar fetched a mere $7,000 when sold as a yearling at the 2017 Keeneland September sale.

Jeltrin covered a mile on a fast track in 1:36.83 and returned $105 to win and $34 to show with Cookie Dough and Champagne Anyone paying $22.60 and $15.40, respectively, to show.

"I’m very happy, it’s a good feeling – a dream,” Delgado said. “We’ve been working for three months leading up to this race. Congratulations to my staff and to Luis Saez. It was perfect today. What a great race. I was happy when they were coming down the stretch, it was three months of hard work all in preparation for the Davona Dale. It was great.”

Trainer John Servis appeared to take Jaywalk’s discouraging performance in stride.

“She just needed the race,” said Servis. “She pulled up fine, looks fine. [Joel Rosario] didn’t want to beat her up. I told him if she comes up empty on you, don’t beat her up. I didn’t expect her to come up short today. I thought she was tight enough. I guess she wasn’t.”

Servis said at the moment he will stick with his original plan, which would be to run Jaywalk next in either the Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 30 or the Ashland one week later at Keeneland as a final prep for his first major goal of the season, the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.

“I’m not happy that she didn’t win, I thought she’d win, but she’ll be fine. She’ll be good. We still have a few months until May.”