Wildman Jack survives battle with Sparky Ville and stewards' inquiry to win Daytona Stakes

Wildman Jack needed 1:01.01 to win Saturday’s Grade 3 Daytona Handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Santa Anita in a head-bobbing finish over 70-1 Sparky Ville.

Another nine minutes passed before the race was declared official.

The stewards conducted a lengthy inquiry into the final sixteenth of the $101,000 Daytona, focusing on whether the first two finishers caused enough interference to third-place finisher Stubbins and fifth-place finisher Cistron to change the order of finish.

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The stewards ruled in a unanimous decision to let the order of finish stand.

Wildman Jack ($6.20) just missed setting a course record. Jolie Olimpica ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:01 when she won the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Handicap for fillies and mares in January.

In the Daytona, Wildman Jack did earn a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 104.

Jockey Mike Smith had Wildman Jack in a prominent position throughout, stalking the pace of Sparky Ville and Cistron through quick fractions of 21.01 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 43.54 for a half-mile.

Sparky Ville, racing on the inside, pulled away from Cistron in early stretch. Wildman Jack, three wide throughout, moved alongside Sparky Ville in the final sixteenth and went past in the final stride.

Smith said that Wildman Jack drifted to his inside in the stretch, but that he did not expect a change in the order of finish.

“We were pretty tight there together,” Smith said. “I did a conscious job of keeping him straight. We were able to stay up.”

Stubbins was ridden by Umberto Rispoli, who moved the 4-year-old colt to the rail after racing in traffic in the stretch. Stubbins closed steadily to finish third, a length behind Sparky Ville.

Texas Wedge finished fourth, followed by Cistron, Murad Khan and Blameitonthelaw.

The Daytona was the first start for Stubbins since a troubled fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint here in November.

Wildman Jack races for WC Racing and trainer Doug O’Neill and won his second consecutive stakes on Saturday. Wildman Jack won the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint at about six furlongs on turf at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates on March 7 in course record time of 1:07.61.

Wildman Jack was scheduled to start in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint, a $2 million race at Meydan on March 28, until that race program was canceled on March 22.

A 4-year-old gelding by Goldencents, Wildman Jack has won 4 of 8 starts and earned $373,630.