Nebraska-bred Diamond Joe still going strong at 7

In the featured eighth race July 14 at Canterbury Park, Diamond Joe sat in third off the speed going one mile on the main track, started his run at the top of the stretch, and collared the leaders in the final furlong. And if you know anything about Diamond Joe, you know what happened next – he won.

Diamond Joe began his career at Lincoln and Fonner in Nebraska with a loss, then another, and two more. He won the Columbus Futurity in his fifth start, then finished second, and then reeled off nine wins in a row before floundering in the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby in 2012. Since the four losses at the start of his career, Diamond Joe has won nearly half of his starts, going 23 for 48, a win machine.

“He’s maybe even a bit better now than he’s ever been,” said Chuck Turco, who has trained Diamond Joe from the start for owners Joseph Koziol and Edward Miller. “He’s actually fought some foot issues all his life. I think you’re always a little bit fortunate to have one stick around, but the owners and I have carefully managed that. We take no chances, and it’s worked out. He’s getting older now, and eventually age will get the best of him, but I was very proud of him the other night.”

The 7-year-old Diamond Joe, one of 30 members of Nebraska’s 2009 foal crop, has become one of the most successful Nebraska-breds ever. Turco said Diamond Joe’s $486,207 bankroll ranks fifth all-time among Nebraska-breds. And Turco, 55, knows Nebraska-breds. He was born and raised across the street from the now-defunct Ak-Sar-Ben in Omaha, and he trained the all-time leading Nebraska-bred money earner, Dazzling Falls, who happens to be the sire of Diamond Joe.

Diamond Joe has made his half-million the hard way; the largest purse he took down was the $84,000 Bosselman/Gus Fonner way back in the spring of 2013. Diamond Joe won the John Bullitt Stakes at Canterbury last summer and will try to win it again this year, but first, Turco will ship him back to Omaha for a Nebraska-bred stakes at Horsemen’s Park at the end of this month.

“You’d be surprised how many fans he has back home,” Turco said. “The last time he ran at Horsemen’s Park in May, there were 13,000 people there.”

The fans will be expecting another victory. Diamond Joe is likely to provide it.

◗ Five Quarter Horse futurity trials start the 13-race Sunday card at Canterbury, and because of that, first post is an early 12:15 p.m. Central. The highest-class Thoroughbred fare on a turf-heavy program are two straight maiden races.

◗ Dean Butler has surged to the lead among Canterbury jockeys with 44 wins starting this racing week. Alex Canchari is second with 36 winners. The race for leading trainer is tighter, with Mac Robertson up 27-26 over Robertino Diodoro.