R Adios Jersey wins City of Ocala, Shivaree takes Marion County
Favorites prevailed in dramatically different ways Saturday in two $100,000 Florida-bred stakes at sunny Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla., as R Adios Jersey loped home the easiest of winners in the City of Ocala about an hour before Shivaree was up in the final jumps of the Marion County.
Both races were run at seven furlongs over a fast main track as part of the Florida Sire Stakes program sponsored and managed by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association.
City of Ocala
R Adios Jersey ($2.40) was in control from the opening strides when remaining undefeated in six career starts. Ridden by Paco Lopez, the 3-year-old daughter of Adios Charlie won under wraps, finishing in 1:22.60 when coasting home 11 lengths ahead of Starship Nala.
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Georgina Baxter trains R Adios Jersey for Averill Racing and ATM Racing. The bay filly was registering her third stakes victory when making her first start since the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks in late August.
Khozmore, unbeaten in three career starts, was an early scratch, leaving a field of just five fillies and mares.
Marion County
Shivaree ($4.40) posted his first victory since he captured the 2020 Marion County last December when nailing R Mercedes Boy on the wire, finishing in 1:22.58 as a clear-cut favorite in a field of six.
Ridden by Samy Camacho, Shivaree launched a looping run leaving the quarter-pole, finding the front when it counted in winning by a head.
With his last-gasp score, Shivaree upped his career record to 5 for 23 when denying a sweep of the day’s stakes by Lopez, Baxter, and Averill, the connections of R Mercedes Boy.
Shivaree, a 4-year-old Jacks or Better Farms homebred by Awesome of Course, gave trainer Ralph Nicks his second stakes win of the 2021-22 Tampa meet, following Cattin in the Inaugural the previous Saturday.
*** With these two races in the books, there’s now a five-week gap in the Tampa stakes schedule, with the Jan. 15 Gasparilla and Pasco being next up. The most important dates at a meet that runs through May 8 are Feb. 12 (Sam F. Davis) and March 12 (Tampa Bay Derby).