Jockeys shuffle around for feature

A game of musical jockeys could have an impact on Saturday’s seventh race at Emerald Downs, a $15,000 claiming event at a mile that serves as the nominal feature on an 11-race card, just as it did in a similar contest involving the same two horses and one of the same jockeys on July 24.

On July 12, the 4-year-old gelding Wood Ceiling, a stakes winner at 3 in Canada, finished second by a neck to Afjan, posting a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 80. That was Wood Ceiling’s first race off the claim for trainer Jennifer Nunnally, who gave the mount to her son, Blake Nunnally, currently in the midst of a breakout campaign that finds him fourth among all Emerald Downs jockeys with 32 wins.

Twelve days later, Wood Ceiling went to post at 5-1 in a $10,000 allowance at a mile and 70 yards under jockey Talliyah Timentwa, as Blake Nunnally had already committed to riding the favorite, House of Lords, for trainer Jesse Velasquez. House of Lords ran a too-keen fourth in that race after winning his previous start with Nunnally in the irons, while Wood Ceiling turned in a career-worst effort, finishing last of nine, 24 1/4 lengths back of the winner.

“I think he just bounced off the race of his life,” said Jennifer Nunnally, who did not blame Wood Ceiling’s lackluster performance on the jockey switch. “I expect to see the horse that ran second” on July 12 this Saturday.

Blake Nunnally will regain the mount on Wood Ceiling on Saturday, forcing Velasquez to scramble for a new jockey for the 8-year-old House of Lords, who also is entered. He found a pretty good one in Adrian Castellanos, who has 11 more wins than Nunnally in four fewer mounts at the current meet.

“Mom didn’t let him ride my horse,” Velasquez joked, referring to the Nunnallys’ reunion. “That’s okay.”

Both Wood Ceiling, who will break from post 5 in the seven-horse field, and House of Lords, in post 6, have early speed, though House of Lords has shown his to be more tactical over the course of his 55-race career.

“This horse doesn’t have to be on the lead,” Velasquez said. “I think he can stay right off. Matter of fact, this horse used to come from off down in Arizona. He doesn’t have the big kick, but if he can sit three or four off, that’d be good.”

Jennifer Nunnally, meanwhile, wants her son to have Wood Ceiling setting or pressing the pace.

“From looking at his form, his running style suits him when he’s right up with the pace, provided he can get out of the gate good like he did two races ago,” she said. “Place himself forward in the race and ask him in the middle of the turn for his one big move and kind of go from there.”

◗ Saturday’s final two races will be a pair of Quarter Horse stakes, the $30,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge and the $40,000 AQHA Championship Challenge, at 350 and 440 yards, respectively.