R Adios Jersey, Khozmore put perfect records on the line in City of Ocala
A clash of unbeatens will be a primary focus Saturday when two $100,000 stakes for Florida-breds are run at sunny Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.
R Adios Jersey and Khozmore are a pair of undefeated 3-year-old fillies who will meet in the City of Ocala, which will be run about an hour before its male counterpart for statebreds, the Marion County, on a 10-race program that starts at 12:10 p.m. Eastern.
Both seven-furlong races have their 2020 winners back from the Atlantic Coast. Heiressall is one of six fillies and mares in the City of Ocala (race 4, 1:42 p.m.), while Shivaree is one of six older horses in the Marion County (race 6, 2:45).
A local forecast for sunshine and a high of 81 means a fast main track and a firm turf can be expected.
After Saturday, there’s the customary five-week gap in the Tampa stakes schedule, with the Gasparilla and Pasco being next up on Jan. 15.
City of Ocala
R Adios Jersey is risking a 5-for-5 mark when making her first start since she captured the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks without Lasix in late August. Trained by Georgina Baxter for Averill Racing and ATM Racing, she will have Paco Lopez aboard breaking from post 2 and is back on the bleeder medication.
“We gave her a little break after getting her back from West Virginia,” co-owner Rich Averill said. “She’s doing great, and we’re hoping to keep her perfect. We ran her first out for a tag, so obviously she’s exceeded expectations and done every single thing we’ve asked of her.”
Khozmore (post 5, Luca Panici) also has made no mistakes in climbing the class ladder in three races, all of them across the peninsula at Gulfstream Park for trainer Kathleen O’Connell. Her best-yet 82 Beyer Speed Figure is in the same ballpark as that of R Adios Jersey, who enters here with back-to-back 89s.
Heiressall, trained by Terri Pompay, is a capable closer who will be looking to capitalize on a quick pace to add to her field-high bankroll of $405,393. Her top Beyers compare favorably here, too.
Marion County
Shivaree (post 3, Samy Camacho) has gone winless in seven starts since winning the Marion County last December for trainer Ralph Nicks, but in two of his last three races he ran very well when narrowly defeated in statebred stakes at Gulfstream.
Perhaps a more important point in Shivaree’s favor is that there’s a lot of speed signed on here, with R Mercedes Boy and Cajun Casanova seeming to own enough early zip to entertain the always-dangerous Well Defined (post 4, Panici), a familiar rival who has used a bold front-running style amassing $768,167 in 26 starts for O’Connell.
Nicks, who sends forth a second starter in this race in Grainger (post 1, Jesus Castanon), won one of the two races that opened the 2021-22 Tampa stakes schedule last Saturday when Cattin prevailed in the Inaugural.