Mojave starts sprint series off claim
?q=100)
When a 10-year-old gelding is entered for a tag, it’s a fairly safe bet he won’t get claimed. He’s 10 after all – squarely in the twilight of his career if he’s even permitted to race at that advanced age.
But on June 6, trainer Jennifer Nunnally claimed the 10-year-old gelding Mojave out of the barn of Jaymie Cruz for $3,500 after he finished seventh of eight in a six-furlong sprint at Emerald Downs. The purchase was not sentimental.
“We claimed him for this sprint series we’re running him in,” said Nunnally, who will saddle Mojave in a $3,500 claiming race at 5 1/2 furlongs on Friday night at Emerald. “I don’t know if they’ll claim him back. He shows he likes to sprint, and he’s fairly honest. And he seems to enjoy his job.”
Race 6, which has a purse of $15,000, attracted a field of eight older males – two 5-year-olds, a 6-year-old, four 7-year-olds, and Mojave. The bad news for the elder statesman is he hasn’t exactly flashed his best form of late, last winning on May 31, 2025, and finishing out of the money in two Emerald starts this year. The good news is that the field is so wide open that, on his best day, Mojave has at least a puncher’s chance to win.
There is a good amount of early speed signed on for the race, and Mojave, with eight wins from 59 career starts, has typically done his best racing when on or near the lead.
“I was gonna tell my rider, who happens to be my son,” said Nunnally, referring to son Blake, "to ride him from where he breaks. If he breaks on top, don’t take him back, and if he breaks a little lackadaisically, just wait and make one run.”
Blake Nunnally has been the most pleasant surprise of the Emerald jockey colony this year, ranking fourth with 13 wins heading into Friday. He and his mother come from a multi-generational racing family, with Blake plying his craft at tracks like Grants Pass, Elko, White Pine, Arapahoe, Turf Paradise, and – infrequently until this year – Emerald.
“He gives it his all,” Jennifer Nunnally said of her son. “Every morning, he’s at the track and he likes to take constructive criticism. Even if he wins, he wants to know what he can do better.”
Three of the 7-year-olds – Roll Dem Bones, Upright, and Handsome Ticket – look like the ones to beat. With eight wins from 71 starts, Roll Dem Bones goes first off the claim for trainer Howie Gibson. He is tied with Upright for the best last-out Beyer Speed Figure in the field, a 62. Both horses have tactical speed.
Handsome Ticket won consecutive sprints at Santa Anita in January and February with Beyers of 76 and 70, respectively, but has fallen off since, finishing a tiring eighth in his Emerald debut June 5. He’ll be rolling early. Whether he’ll be in the mix late is anyone’s guess.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.