A change in tactics and the addition of blinkers provided the winning formula March 27 for Reddam Racing's Slow Down Andy in the $500,000, Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby at Sunland Park.
Month: March 2022
‘It’s A Family’: ‘Jersey Joe’ Bravo Receives George Woolf Award
In a winner's circle ceremony befitting the historical significance of the honor, jockey Joe Bravo received the trophy commemorating his selection by a vote of jockeys nationwide as the winner of the 73rd George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award on Sunday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.
Long a dominant force in his native New Jersey at Meadowlands and Monmouth Park and now a full-time rider in Southern California, “Jersey Joe” was flanked by his father, Joe Bravo, Sr., members of the Santa Anita rider colony and past winners of the award: Donald Pierce (1967), Laffit Pincay, Jr. (1970), Frank Olivares (1977), Mike Smith (2000) and John Velazquez (2009).
“I'm just soaking this all in,” Bravo told TVG's Kurt Hoover. “Really, as you grow up as a kid watching guys like this you idolize, and then you come up and you get an award voted on by them. … I've been riding a long time and they were able to stomach me. I mean, this isn't even about me, this award (the way) I look at it, it's a family.
“No matter what racetrack you go into, we are all related. I mean you know how hard it as a young rider, to get in to be a jock? I mean, it's really a devotion to make it…Then, to be able to do it day in and day out. Most importantly, it's walking out of the racetrack every day. I mean, you get a lot of winners and losers in between, but you got to be thankful that you are just able to walk away. … But you have to enjoy every moment while you're out here doing it.
“I can't thank Santa Anita enough, to be able to get my family here. You know how hard it is to get my father out of Wellington (Florida)? I love it, Santa Anita pulled this all together.”
Named in honor of the legendary Hall of Fame jockey, the Woolf Award has been presented annually by Santa Anita to riders whose careers have earned esteem for the sport of Thoroughbred racing and for the individual riders themselves. One of the most highly coveted awards in all of American racing, the inaugural Woolf Award, which was won in 1950 by Gordon Glisson, can only be won once.
“This tops everything for Joe, in my opinion,” said Joe Bravo, Sr., himself a former jockey. “All the wins, the riding titles, the big races, to win this award, here at Santa Anita…What everyone here has done for Joey, has changed his career, for the best. I can see it in his demeanor, in his riding. I think this is his new home.”
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Slow Down Andy Game For Sunland Park Derby Win
Reddam Racing's homebred Slow Down Andy retook Bye Bye Bobby's brief lead in the stretch and won Sunday's $500,000 Sunland Park Derby (G3) in New Mexico.
Ridden Mario Gutierrez for trainer Doug O'Neill, Slow Down Andy scored by a half-length from Bye Bye Bobby and covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.16 on a fast track.
The Sunland Park Derby awards Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points to its top four finishers on a 50-20-10-5 basis
Updated Kentucky Derby/Oaks leaderboard
Slow Down Andy and Straight Up G dueled for the lead early through the opening quarter in a quick :22.30. Slow Down Andy edged ahead by three-quarters of a length as a half-mile went in :45.35 and held his advantage through six furlongs in 1:09.50.
Slow Down Andy extended his lead while drifting out a bit coming off the far turn but Bye Bye Bobby unfurled a game rally and got his head in front momentarily in early stretch while swinging five-wide. Slow Down Andy knuckled down when Gutierrez asked, reclaimed command, and got the win. Pepper Spray finished third, 8 1/2 lengths back.
Slow Down Andy returned $4. The California-bred Nyquist colt came into Sunday's race having finished a well-beaten sixth in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) Feb. 6 at Fair Grounds but ready to win Sunday.
Winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) over Messier in December, Slow Down Andy, whose dam is the Square Eddie mare Edwina E, improved his career line to 3-1-0 from five starts.
Also on Sunday's card, Sam Henderson's homebred Cleopatra's Charge swooped from out of the clouds and won the $300,000 Sunland Park Oaks in a close finish with hard-charging runner-up Ali Alley.
Longtime pacesetter Manorelli led from the gate but ran out of steam as the finish line approached, failing to hold back the bold rallies of the winner and runner-up, finishing third
Cleopatra's Charge, by Will Take Charge, won by three-quarters of a length and finished 1 1/16 miles 1:46.33 on a fast track.
Queen of Thorns, the 9-5 second choice in the wagering, stumbled badly at the start and lost jockey Victor Espinoza, who walked off.
The Sunland Oaks awards Road to the Kentucky Oaks points on a 50-20-10-5 basis to the first four finishers.
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CARMA’s Placement Program Thriving at Santa Anita Park
In perhaps its greatest service to both horsemen and Thoroughbreds in the California racing industry, CARMA's Placement Program has answered one of the sport's most important questions, “I can't find a new home for my retiring racehorse. What should I do?” The idea for the program came when the organization felt it could do more to directly assist owners and trainers transitioning newly retired racehorses into the next phrase of their lives.
Having transitioned more than 380 Thoroughbreds from the track since 2013, the Placement Program is a trusted retirement method for owners and trainers who may not have the connections or resources to retire their own horses. With its office located at Santa Anita Park, CARMA is a tangible resource and a constant presence at one of the most recognized Thoroughbred racetracks in the country.
“It has truly become industry wide effort to change the culture surrounding the importance of Thoroughbred aftercare,” said Lucinda Lovitt, CARMA's executive director. “And a big part of our success is having partners like Santa Anita Park and 1/ST Racing that support our efforts.
The Placement Program is funded by the generosity of the Santa Anita Park Aftercare Fund, which matches, dollar-for-dollar, the one-third of one percent contributions made by California racing owners thorough voluntary purse deductions. These matching funds are generated on live races at Santa Anita Park and cover almost 80% of the program's expenses, with donations and grants making up the remaining 20%. In 2021, the Santa Anita Aftercare Fund contributed more than $135,000 to the CARMA Placement Program.
“The Placement Program is a really personable experience for everyone involved,” said Lovitt. “And getting to know the horses as individuals is something we pride ourselves on. Since they stay with us for an average of six months, we get a pretty good idea of their temperament and what Aftercare Charities are a good fit for them once they're ready to graduate the program.”
CARMA works closely with several layup facilities across the state who specialize in handling recently retired racehorses. Once the horses have completed the recommended rehabilitation time provided by a veterinarian, written reports on the animal's temperament and suitably are sent to CARMA's Aftercare Charity Grant Recipients, who then help find the horse a new home as an equestrian mount or companion.
“It's become a core program for CARMA, and an invaluable resource for California Horsemen” said Past-President Candace Coder-Chew, “And we could not have developed it into such a reputable service without the support of our racetrack partners.”
For additional information on CARMA's Placement Program, visit https://www.carma4horses.org/carma-placement-program or call (626) 574-6654.
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