HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jala Jala, a 5-year-old mare bred and raced in Mexico, helped to restore some lost pride for her connections when she finished second behind Blamed as a 7-1 shot here last Saturday in the Grade 3 Royal Delta. Jala Jala fared much better than her Fausto Gutierrez-trained stablemate Kukulkan did by finishing 11th at 26-1 in the Jan. 26 Pegasus World Cup. The loss was the first of Kukulkan’s career.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Irad Ortiz Jr. has been swaying bettors in a manner that no jockey has done for many years at Gulfstream Park. With the leading rider from the 2017-18 championship meet, Luis Saez, on suspension for 10 days for two riding infractions, Ortiz has zoomed to the top of the jockey standings with a remarkable tear in recent days.
Jockey Mychel Sanchez is off to an amazing start at Parx Racing this year. He won three races at the Bensalem, Pa., track Tuesday, four on Monday, and leads the rider standings by 11.
Sanchez, a 22-year-old native of Venezuela, has been riding in the United States since 2013. He finished a clear second in the Parx standings to Frankie Pennington the last two years. In 2019, Sanchez is 26 for 83 (31 percent), including 12 for 26 (46 percent) over the past two weeks.
The Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie on Saturday at Laurel Park came down to a fierce stretch battle between Late Night Pow Wow and California shipper Spiced Perfection. The result was up in the air until the pair hit the wire, with Late Night Pow Wow coming out a head on top and improving her career record to 11 wins in 12 starts.
Trainer Javier Contreras is proud of Late Night Pow Wow, who covered seven furlongs in 1:21.61 and earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure. He vanned the 4-year-old West Virginia-bred back to Charles Town after the race.
There was no big celebration following trainer Jennifer Patterson’s first career stakes win with Uncontested in the Grade 3 General George Stakes last Saturday at Laurel Park, just a nice dinner with her parents.
“We were all exhausted, so it was an early evening,” Patterson said.
Uncontested came out of his one-length victory in good shape, according to Patterson, and by Monday morning was back home at the Thoroughbred Training Center outside Lexington, Ky.
WHO’S HOT
Country House, second in the Risen Star on Saturday, and Galilean, who romped in the California Cup Derby on Monday and is now headed for open stakes racing, are the two newcomers to this week’s Derby Watch top 20. Country House is 20-1 on the line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper, for the May 4 Kentucky Derby. Galilean is 30-1. War of Will, the Risen Star winner, saw his odds cut from 12-1 last week to 10-1, making him the co-fourth choice with Instagrand.
WHO’S NOT
Jockey Timothy Thornton won his 2,000th Thoroughbred race in North America last Saturday night, when he guided She’sgotthebeat to victory in the sixth race at Delta Downs. It was one of three winners the rider had on the card.
Thornton, a 31-year-old native of Lake Charles, La., won the first race of his career June 13, 2003, at Arlington Park. Overall, his 11,975 Thoroughbred mounts have earned $38.2 million.
Fonner Park opens for a 31-date meet Friday with a decision looming as to whether historical-racing terminals will be allowed at tracks in Nebraska.
“At this point, we are awaiting the decision from the Nebraska Racing Commission,” Chris Kotulak, the new chief operating officer of Fonner, said Tuesday.
Kotulak said the commission initially approved historical racing in October, but a subsequent letter from the state attorney general’s office led to that action being rescinded. The matter was then taken up anew in January.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine has unveiled an impressive 2019 stakes schedule, headed by the 160th running of the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 29. A total of 95 stakes, worth more than $16 million collectively, will be run at the 133-day meet, which goes from April 20-Dec. 15.
The Grade 1 Woodbine Mile got a purse boost from $800,000 to $1 million, which was what it was originally worth. A Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In event, the Woodbine Mile heads the Sept. 14 program, which also includes the Grade 1, $300,000 Northern Dancer Turf.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- Trainer Larry Jones suspected Super Steed would be double-digit odds for the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes on Monday at Oaklawn, but he was not prepared for what he saw on the infield tote board walking up for the race with his staff.
“I said, ‘Man, I don’t believe it,’ ” Jones recalled Tuesday.
Super Steed ended up going off at 62-1 in the Southwest, and won the race with a sweeping, four-wide move on the final turn. He paid $126.60.
