Valdivia surpasses 1,000-win milestone

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr. completed a milestone day at Hollywood Park on Sunday, winning the 1,000th race of his career in the seventh race and the $77,975 Robert Kerlan Memorial Handicap aboard Get Funky.

Valdivia needed all six furlongs of the Kerlan to urge Get Funky past Jungle Prince in the turf sprint. Get Funky ($6.60), sent off favored, closed from seventh to win by a head. One Union finished third in the field of 10. Northern Soldier, who set the pace, faded to finish eighth.

Get Funky was timed in 1:08.85, scoring his third stakes win in the last two years. Owned by Keith Abrahams and trained by John Sadler, Get Funky won the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in 2006 and the Grade 3 Morvich Handicap last fall.

A 5-year-old by Straight Man, Get Funky has won 6 of 15 starts and $554,793.