Jockey Rosario rides four winners, sets Kentucky Downs meet record

Joel Rosario closed the six-day Kentucky Downs meet the way he started it – by making a lot of trips to the winner’s circle.

Rosario won four of the 10 races that ended the meet Sunday at the turf-only track in south-central Kentucky, including back-to-back victories in the Ainsworth aboard Koala Princess and the Music City Stakes on Tobys Heart. In all, Rosario rode 17 winners at the meet, including five on each of the first two days, easily surpassing the former track record of 12 set in three prior years.

“This has been a very special week,” said Rosario, a 36-year-old native of the Dominican Republic.

The $436,250 Ainsworth and $487,950 Music City and a third stakes, the $498,500 Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon, were held amid terrific late-summer weather, with the course again firm.

Family Way ($13.20) narrowly best

Family Way emerged best in a three-way photo when giving her jockey, Tyler Gaffalione, a nice 27th birthday gift by out-gaming La Lune and Go Big Blue Nation in a frantic ending to this 1 5/16-mile race for fillies and mares.

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Family Way stayed close to the leading pack for much of the trip before prevailing by a neck, finishing in 2:07.83 as the 5-1 second choice in a field of 12 when notching her first stakes win in 11 career tries. The 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly is trained by Brendan Walsh for Hunter Valley Farm, Debra O’Connor, and Marc Detampel.

“The filly really dug down and showed how much she wanted it,” Walsh said. “We’re proud of her.”

Family Way, a second-level allowance winner at Churchill Downs in May, had competed against male rivals when third in her previous start, a designated prep last month over the Ellis Park turf. The gray filly began her career with six starts in France before coming to Walsh over the winter.

La Lune, making her stateside debut, got second by a nose over Go Big Blue Nation.

Tobys Heart ($4.60) in Music City

Continuing to employ a highly effective punch when competing at shorter distances, Tobys Heart won this 6 1/2-furlong race with a rail-skimming kick that resulted in a 2 3/4-length victory, her third in a turf-sprint stakes for Brian Lynch, who co-owns the daughter of Jack Milton with Terry Hamilton and Gary Barber.

Racing in mid-pack with a confident Rosario settling her into a smooth rhythm, Tobys Heart quickly made up ground when it counted, finishing in 1:14.36 as the 13-10 favorite in a field of 11 3-year-old fillies. Alwayz Late was second and Risky Reward was third.

Tobys Heart, a winner of the Bolton Landing last summer at Saratoga and the Limestone at Keeneland in April, now has won four of eight overall starts. Her two prior races both were two-turn turf miles: the Tepin at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 Lake George at Saratoga.

“A little cut-back in distance really fell into play today,” Lynch said. “She’s been running with some serious horses.”

Koala Princess ($12) in Ainsworth

Koala Princess also was the beneficiary of an identical-looking ground-saving ride by Rosario when rallying from off the pace to win the Ainsworth going away, finishing the 6 1/2-furlong distance in 1:15.25. Mystic Eyes was second by 2 1/4 lengths after leading much of the way, with Poppy Flower third and Lady Danae, the 11-10 favorite in a field of 11 2-year-old fillies, settling for fifth.

Coming off an easy score over the Monmouth Park turf in her Aug. 21 debut, Koala Princess is now unbeaten in two starts for Arnaud Delacour, who trains the daughter of More Than Ready for the partnership that bred her – Runnymede Farm, Peter Callahan, and Chris Zinkhan.

“We were a little worried about the timing – she just ran three weeks ago,” Delacour said. “But obviously she handled everything just fine. We had a great ride by Joel – he didn’t panic.”

Record handle at meet

All-sources handle at a meet that began Sept. 5 totaled $74,088,532, easily breaking the record of $59.8 million set last year, when six programs (62 races) also were run. Sixty-four races were run this year, with favorites winning 22 of them (34.4 percent). Field size averaged slightly more than 10 starters per race.

Rosario not only set a Kentucky Downs record for most wins at a single meet by a jockey, but also for earnings, with more than $2.9 million. Gaffalione was second with eight wins.

By virtue of the Family Way triumph, Walsh tied for leading trainer at the meet with Steve Asmussen and Mike Maker, all of them with four wins apiece; six more trainers had three wins each. Godolphin led all owners with four wins and more than $1 million in stable earnings.

Live action on the Kentucky circuit moves this week to Churchill Downs, where a 12-day, dirt-only meet begins Thursday with an eight-race twilight card. Churchill runs through Oct. 3, with Keeneland starting its fall meet Oct. 8.