In the aftermath of a rain soaked, delayed Alabama, a jubilant Jose Ortiz proclaimed that victories in historic races like this 139-year-old Grade 1 would help him find a permanent home across the street in the Hall of Fame.
It appears that the young 25-year-old native of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico is well on his way to making his dream come true.
In just a few short years, Jose and brother Irad have made a meteoric rise to the top of the game, and seem poised for greatness and eventual immortality.
They are both already Eclipse Award winners, and have each won the Belmont Stakes and multiple Breeders’ Cup races, but remain as hungry as they were when they arrived in New York as teenagers.
For Jose, this was his third straight Alabama. He guided Dunbar Road, a talented daughter of Quality Road, through the mud to an easy 2-3/4 lengths victory over Point of Honor and Street Band. It made Chad Brown a first-time Alabama winner, while it took owner Peter Brant 36 years to win his second Alabama, as he won his first with Spit Curl in 1983.
In 2017, Jose won his first Alabama aboard Bill Mott’s Elate, and last year brought Eskimo Kisses home for Kenny McPeek. Irad won his first Alabama in 2012 on Godolphin’s Questing, and it’s hard not to imagine that the brothers will bring home many more.
With the panache of a seasoned vet, Jose made all the right split-second decisions during the quirky race, and sounded like a polished pro after the race when he praised Sophie Doyle, the British-born jockey and sister of Group 1-winning jockey James Doyle, for her fine ride on the third place finisher, Street Band.
Although several professional handicappers had questioned whether the lightly-raced Dunbar Road was ready for the demanding challenge of the classic 1-1/4 mile distance, she quickly turned doubters into believers.
Brother Irad had initially worked Dunbar Road down in Florida over the Winter, but Jose and agent Jimmy Riccio ended up with the mount for her first start, after she went unraced as a 2-year-old. It was an eye opening 8-3/4 lengths, maiden-breaking victory upon first asking March 3 at Gulfstream
Irad and agent Steve Rushing secured the mount for Dunbar Road’s second race, just 27 days later, when Chad Brown decided to make the quick leap into graded stakes territory, in the one mile, Grade 2 Gulfstream Oaks.
Although she came up a half length behind in 2nd to the winner Champagne Anyone, she was asked to go a 1-1/16 in just her second start. Champagne Anyone had already raced six times, and her previous three races included two Grade 2s and a Grade 3.
Chad gave Dunbar Road a two month break following this loss, and brought her back for a layup in an allowance at Belmont the end of May. Jose was up for the 5-1/2 length victory that served as her prep for the Grade 2 Mother Goose a month later.
She was once again victorious with Jose aboard, winning by 2-1/2 lengths, and seven weeks later she would find the Winner’s Circle for the fourth time in five tries when she captured the Alabama.
With his locked and loaded stable of stars, it becomes a chess match of epic proportions for Chad, as he deftly moves each piece with precision, avoiding showdowns with stablemates and owners like a magician.
Chad’s other star 3-year-old filly, Guarana, who remains undefeated after romping in the Coaching Club American Oaks, is expected to next run in the Cotillion at Parx on September 21, where she’ll meet Tom Amoss’ Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress, and a field of 3-year-olds for the final “Win and You’re In” opportunity for the division.
Although it’s not yet known where Chad will send Dunbar Road next, perhaps she’ll take the same path Princess of Sylmar did following her Alabama victory, when she headed to the Beldame to face older fillies and mares.
Eventually, they will have to meet in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and we’ll just have to wait and see what approach Chad takes.
As the skies darkened over the Spa, the Post Parade was shortened and the field for the Grade 2 Lake Placid was rushed to the gate.
Sheer excitement was about to ensue, as by the half mile pole, a torrential downpour hit the track, and the 3-year-old fillies probably wondered who turned the shower on and the lights off!
As the track went dark, and thunder boomed, lightning strikes coming from different directions could be seen and heard. And who could’ve thought that the best was yet to come?!
Mike Maker’s Amandrea broke well and very briefly held the lead under Tyler Gaffalione, but Chad Brown’s Blowout and Jose Ortiz quickly took over, much as they’d done in the Lake George, when Amandrea didn’t take the role of pacesetter, as was assumed she would.
Amandrea would retake the lead on the far turn over a game Blowout, but both Varenka and Regal Glory were now lurking and ready to pounce. They swung outside and moved up to challenge the early frontrunners, and set up a scintillating 4-horse stretch battle.
When it appeared that Regal Glory and Luis Saez, Chad’s other entry, had established a fairly safe half length lead over her rivals, Graham Motion’s Varenka, with Javi Castellano aboard, dug in from the outside over the final jumps, and got a good head bob to hit the wire at the same time as Regal Glory.
And then all hell broke loose! In the absence of a light at the finish line, the darkened image from the Teletimer sent up to the photo finish booth made it impossible for the racing officials to make a quick and clear judgment.
After what had to feel like an interminable period of time for all the connections, the decision, based on inconclusive evidence, was to make the fair call of adead heat for Varenka, the son of Ghostzapper, and Regal Glory, the son of Animal Kingdom.
Interestingly, Javi Castellano won his first Breeders’ Cup aboard Varenka’s sire, Ghostzapper, while Graham Motion won his first Kentucky Derby with co-winner Regal Glory’s sire, Animal Kingdom.
In spite of protestations from an annoyed Chad Brown, the always gracious Graham Motion accepted the outcome, and was nonetheless grateful to share the victory.
While the youngsters were playing in the puddles at the Spa, elder statesman and Hall of Famer Johnny Velazquez was basking in the sun “where the surf meets the turf” at Delmar last Saturday.
Johnny announced his arrival with a bang, when he slyly found a seam on the inside hedge behind a wall of horses, and rode his first mount on the card to victory, going a mile over the turf on Richard Baltas’ Succeedandsurpass in the 5th.
Although Johnny wasn’t as lucky on horses for Bob Baffert and Arnaud Delacour, getting beaten by longshots in the 6th and 7th, he bounced right back with a flair on his next mount in the Grade 1 Delmar Oaks.
Cambier Parc, a 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, was purchased by Larry Best’s OXO Equine for $1.25 million at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She is yet another filly in Chad Brown’s stellar lineup, and she delivered under Johnny.
Cambier Parc was ridden by Jose Ortiz in her five previous races, when she went 3-5. During that span, her only two losses were to the very talented Concrete Rose in the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill Downs, and in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks in her last outing.
Sadly, it was announced last week that Concrete Rose had suffered a hairline stress fracture following her victory in the inaugural Saratoga Oaks, but thankfully it will not require surgery. Rusty Arnold stated that his star filly will be back and ready to go in 2020.
In another crafty ride by the Hall of Famer, Johnny brought Cambier Parc from the back of the pack, swinging five wide at the top of the stretch, to capture the Delmar Oaks, a 1-1/8 mile race over the turf.
Bob Baffert had teased John Sadler during Higher Power’s final work before the $1 million Pacific Classic that his 4-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro was looking like his Whitney winner McKinzie.
Baffert’s observation was spot on, as Higher Power, making the transition from turf to dirt look seamless, looked impressive in his Pacific Classic victory.
Going up against graded stakes winners in Seeking the Soul, Pavel and Quip, Higher Power only had three wins over his last ten races in allowance optional claimers. However, it seemed as if the three favorites wanted no part of the heavy going at Delmar this day, as they gave absolutely nothing.
Sadler became a back-to-back winner of the Pacific Classic, and joined the elite company of Bobby Frankel, Bob Baffert and Richard Mandella by doing so. Sadler won last year with Accelerate, and Frankel won six editions during his career. Baffert has won five, and Mandella has four.
While Johnny and Dallas Stewart had to be disappointed with Seeking the Soul’s dull performance in the Pacific, Johnny wasn’t about to get outta’ Dodge on a losing note. He rolled the dice with an inside move once again in the nightcap, and brought 9-1 longshot Super Patriot from last to first with an exciting kick along the rail for Richard Baltas.
Super Patriot paid $20, and I’m sure Johnny ended up pleased to go 3-6 on his trip west, including a Grade 1.
Earlier in the day at Saratoga, it was nice to see the “Coach”, octogenarian D. Wayne Lukas, get off the duck and hit the Winner’s Circle for the first time this meet, with American Butterfly, a 2-year-old son of American Pharoah.
All the buzz pre-race actually centered around the Hall of Famer’s protege Todd Pletcher and his highly touted Candy Tycoon, a son of Twirling Candy. But it was the wily old mentor who had his trainee ready second time out, after being beaten by 16 lengths in a maiden July 21.
It was just as nice to see Wayne continue his wonderful tradition of plucking random kids out of the crowd to join him in the Winner’s Circle, as it was to see him bring a 22-1 longshot home that paid $46.20.
In a sport that desperately needs to seek new young fans, it is the simple gesture of an old time Hall of Famer that could run circles around any slick advertising campaign.
And Down the Stretch We Come! How can it be?! In a meet that has been dominated as much by Mother Nature as it has been by superb horses and racing, it’s hard to believe that we’re in the final days.
It seemingly began a couple of weeks ago, but as is the case with anything we cherish, there’s never enough time. So get out there and enjoy these last two weekends before sweet memories fade in our rearview mirror.
