Jimenez scores stakes double aboard Faction Cat, Jean Elizabeth

Albin Jimenez enjoyed a memorable day at Tampa Bay Downs when booting home both winners of the Saturday stakes for older turf sprinters.

Jimenez, the leading jockey at the current winter-spring meet at Turfway Park, caught a morning flight out of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to ride favored Jean Elizabeth in the Lightning City. But upon his arrival at the Oldsmar, Fla., track, he also was named to fill an open mount on Faction Cat in the Tampa Turf Dash.

Jimenez proceeded to have a perfect afternoon when guiding both horses to front-running wins in record fashion.

Jimenez, 28, is a Panama native who has ridden more than 1,300 winners in the United States since 2010. He was the leading jockey at the 2019 Turfway holiday meet that ended Dec. 31, marking his seventh title at the northern Kentucky track. He rode regularly at Tampa one winter (2016-17), winning with six of 50 mounts.

Tampa Turf Dash

Faction Cat lowered the course record when capturing the $93,750 Turf Dash in 53.97 seconds over a firm course, marking the seventh victory from the last 12 starts for a 7-year-old gelding who formerly held an apparent grudge against the winner’s circle.

Faction Cat broke swiftly to lead through swift fractions of 20.61 and 42.66 before holding sway. Owned by Asterace Group LLC, the Florida-bred son of Wildcat Heir returned $11.40 as third choice in a field of 10.

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Justaholic, the 2-1 favorite, gave closest chase from soon after the break before settling for second, three-quarters of a length behind the winner. Mai Ty One On was another 5 1/2 lengths back in third, while End Dash was fourth and the 2-1 second choice, Extravagant Kid, was fifth.

In his first 21 career starts, Faction Cat won merely once while amassing an unseemly 11 runner-up finishes. But starting in Febrary 2019, following a fresh start for new connections, the gelding immediately started winning, initially for Gerald Bennett and more recently for Georgina Baxter.

Faction Cat was one of two starters in the Turf Dash, along with Pay Any Price, trained by Baxter, who traveled to Tampa from her Atlantic Coast base. Pay Any Price holds the distinction of being the track-record holder at Gulfstream Park for five furlongs on the turf (53.61, set in 2017), having set that mark when trained by Ralph Ziadie.

Coincidentally, Pay Any Price, still active at 10, was the subject of a brief stewards’ inquiry in this race when he caused crowding by veering outward from the rail as the field approached the far turn. He faded to finish last, and there was no change in the official order.

The Tampa record for five furlongs on turf previously was 54.63 seconds, set in 2015 by Bold Thunder.

Lightning City

An hour or so later, Jean Elizabeth notched her seven straight victory when breaking like a shot before repulsing all challenges in the filly-mare counterpart to the Turf Dash, the $82,500 Lightning City. She paid $3.60 as an odds-on favorite.

An Illinois-bred 5-year-old, Jean Elizabeth finished five furlongs in 55.09 seconds over firm going, lowering the stakes record previously held by Miz Mayhem (55.37 in 2018).

Miss Deplorable, a 33-1 shot, surged late to get second, a half-length behind the winner and another half-length before R Happy Ending in a field of 10.

Jean Elizabeth is owned by her trainer, Larry Rivelli, in partnership with Richard Ravin and Patricia’s Hope LLC. The gray mare now has won a remarkable 14 of 20 career starts while having proven her versatility over dirt, synthetics, and now turf.

Her previous start, the Ladies’ Turf Sprint on the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup undercard at Gulfstream Park, marked her turf debut. She rallied to win that race by a half-length over the speedy Girls Know Best, who was scratched from the Lightning City as the likely second choice.

Jean Elizabeth earned $45,000, lifting her bankroll to $607,668.