Saez extends lead in jockey standings
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Moment of Delight posted her third stakes victory in her last five starts, outlasting Distinta by a neck in Saturday’s White Pearl Stakes. Moment of Delight, a 5-year-old daughter of A.P. Warrior trained by David Fawkes, gave leading rider Luis Saez a sweep of the afternoon’s two stakes. He also won the Grade 2 Royal Delta aboard Curlin’s Approval.
“This is the race we expected last time when she just kind of struggled the whole way around,” said Fawkes, referring to Moment of Delight’s third-place finish four weeks earlier in the Sunshine Millions Distaff.
Saez followed his stakes wins on Saturday with a riding triple on Sunday to extend his advantage atop the jockey standings to 73-64 over Paco Lopez, who made a big dent in the lead by riding five winners last Friday.
◗ A number of stakes-caliber horses made the work tab at Gulfstream Park on Monday, including the Leah Gyarmati-trained duo of Midnight Strike and Coasted, who went in company. Later in the morning, Cherry Wine, Lavender Chrissie, Prayer for Relief, and Impressive Edge worked for trainer Dale Romans. The multiple New York-bred stakes winner Weekend Hideaway went an easy half-mile as he begins to get fit again for trainer Phil Serpe.