Santana enjoys adventure of riding in Turkey

Ricardo Santana Jr. didn’t ride at Churchill Downs last weekend due to an international adventure, as he finished a creditable fifth aboard Impulsive in the 90th Gazi Derby, Turkey’s most prestigious horse race, at the Veliefendi Hippodrome in Istanbul on Sunday.

Graystorm, ridden by Ahmet Celik, was victorious in the 22-horse field. That colt was already a multiple stakes winner, including a prep victory in the Turkish 2000 Guineas.

The Gazi Derby, organized by the Turkish Jockey Club, is contested annually in dedication to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish Republic and a supporter of horse racing in the country. The race is contested at 2,400 meters, or just shy of 1 1/2 miles, on turf and offers a purse of 1.35 million Turkish liras, or about $467,086.

Santana’s mount, a Turkish Group 3-placed runner, is a son of Kentucky stallion Mizzen Mast. The jockey shared photos of his trip, including a picture of the racetrack paddock, on his Twitter account.

“Thank you, God, for the beautiful experience in Turkey,” he wrote. “[And] thank you [to] the owner and the connections for the opportunity.”

Santana was sixth in the Churchill Downs rider standings entering the final three days of the spring meet with 14 wins, including a victory in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis on Paid Up Subscriber. He will ride at both Ellis Park and Churchill Downs on Saturday. He’s named on two mounts on the night card at Churchill and nine during the afternoon at Ellis.