Skelly scores another in Speightstown Sprint
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GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas -- Skelly withstood an objection to win his fifth straight race in the $100,000 Speightstown on Monday at Lone Star Park. He set the pace en route to a 1 1/2-length win over Albizu, wile it was another 1 3/4 lengths back in third to Jackman.
The six-furlong race was for 3-year-olds and up and it was the first of three sprint stakes on the Lone Star Million Day card of six stakes worth $1.2 million.
Skelly’s trainer, Steve Asmussen, and rider, Ricardo Santana Jr., also teamed to win the $100,000 Chamberlain Bridge Turf Sprint with Cogburn.
Skelly ($2.80) broke with the field in the Speightstown and moved to the lead soon afterward, setting fractions of 22.70 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.42 for the half-mile. He went on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:09.63.
“He puts me in position where he wants to be,” Santana said in a post-race interview conducted by Lone Star.
“He’s a horse who is really easy to ride. He always waits until I ask him to go.”
Santana has been aboard Skelly for all of his wins in the streak, which include victories in the Grade 3, $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap and the $150,000 Lake Hamilton, both at Oaklawn.
Following the Speightown, the trainer of Albizu, Robertino Diodoro, claimed foul against Skelly, alleging interference on the turn. After a review, the stewards made no change to the order of finish.
Skelly has now won 6 of 10 starts and the first-place check of $60,000 on Monday pushed his earnings to $702,513. He is a son of Practical Joke who races for Red Lane Thoroughbreds.
Cogburn wins Chamberlain Bridge in turf debut
Cogburn ($7.60) was making his turf debut in the Chamberlain Bridge and put in a determined stretch run to catch Tiz Magic nearing the wire for a half-length win. It was another head back in third to defending winner Excess Magic.
Cogburn let the pace go, settling in sixth along the rail as My Pal Mattie took the field through an opening quarter in 21.65 seconds. Santana angled Cogburn off the fence into the stretch and the horse quickened through the lane, covering five furlongs on firm turf in a quick 55.49.
“He relaxed behind horses really well,” Santana said. “When I turned for home, he really finished.”
Cogburn is a son of Not This Time, who gets 15 percent winners from his first-time turfers. Cogburn’s dam, In a Jif, was a winner on turf. Cogburn races for Clark Brewster and Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt.
Cogburn is now 4 for 9 and has earnings of $342,560. He was winning his first stakes race in the Chamberlain Bridge.
Adaline Julia breaks through in stakes
Adaline Julia ($3.80) became a stakes winner when she held off the closing rush of Tap Dance Fever to win the $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint by three-quarters of a length. It was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Majestic Ways.
The Memorial Day Sprint was a six-furlong race for fillies and mares.
Adaline Julia attended fractions of 23 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.53 for the half-mile before covering the distance on a fast track in 1:11.03.
Cristian Torres was aboard for Jerry Caroom and trainer Robertino Diodoro.
Adaline Julia is a daughter of Oxbow who is now 4 for 6 with earnings of $288,785.
Champion Echo Zulu was scratched from the Memorial Day Sprint to run in the Grade 3 Winning Colors, a race she won Monday at Churchill Downs.
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