Zona Verde leads the way in Jimmy Durante Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. - The person left most amazed that 10-1 Zona Verde maintained her advantage through the stretch of Saturday’s Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar may have been winning rider Juan Hernandez.

Breaking from the outside in a field of 10, Zona Verde reached the front quickly and led by at least a length throughout the one-mile turf race for 2-year-old fillies.

Prior to the race, Hernandez, trainer Phil D’Amato and the members of the partnership that own Zona Verde decided the filly would be best ridden near the front. Hernandez did not expect to inherit the lead.

“They told me to save ground,” Hernandez said. “I was trying to drop in. She was a little bit fresh, but no one wanted the lead.”

Zona Verde set a relatively slow pace of 23.59 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.08 for a half-mile.

“She was comfortable,” Hernandez said. “She was waiting for company.”

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Zona Verde led by 1 1/2 lengths on the turn and by two lengths in the stretch, enough of an advantage to win by a length over 8-5 favorite Lade de Berry.

Zona Verde ($23.60) was timed in 1:36.02 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 77.

“Down the stretch, I asked her and she took off again,” Hernandez said. “I always ride to win. I was a little surprised to be honest.”

Lady de Berry, a maiden race winner at Keeneland in October, finished a neck in front of 7-1 Yatta.

Lady de Berry closed from eighth on the first turn to reach contention in early stretch. The $102,500 Durante Stakes was the stakes debut for Lady de Berry. She was ridden by Flavien Prat, who was aboard for the maiden race win earlier this fall.

“On the backstretch, I was waiting for her to get going,” Prat said. “She made a good run, but not as good as last time, unfortunately.”

Antifonia (42-1) finished fourth, followed by Ms Brightside, Mo Fox Givin, She Is Romantic, Circle of Trust, Go With Gusto and Blue Oasis.

Zona Verde, an Irish-bred filly by the Kingman stallion Calyx, races for the partnership of Michael Nentwig, John Rochfort, Sandra Benowitz and McLean Racing Stables.

Rochford and Nentwig teamed with D’Amato to win the Stormy Liberal Stakes for turf sprinters earlier on Saturday’s program with Unconquerable Keen.

Zona Verde has won 2 of 7 starts and earned $114,926.

The Durante was her third start in the United States, preceded by a win in a maiden race at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Sept. 8 and a sixth in a field of nine in the Grade 3 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 8.

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