Chiefswood Stables Limited's Weyburn, making just his second start in seven months, hooked up with a defiant Dean Delivers in midstretch and edged clear in the final sixteenth of a mile to defend his title in Saturday's $100,000 Sir Shackleton at Gulfstream Park.
It was the first win in six starts since last year's Sir Shackleton when trainer Jimmy Jerkens, who spent last winter in New York, left the now 5-year-old Ontario-bred son of Pioneerof the Nile with Brendan Walsh. Weyburn ($6.40) completed the distance in 1:22.15 over a fast main track, giving jockey Jose Ortiz his third win of the day and second in a stakes following the $100,000 Cutler Bay with Behind Enemy Lines.
Ortiz settled Weyburn in mid-pack as 30-1 long shot Mish ran the opening quarter-mile in 23.14 seconds pressed by Paco's Pico and Octane with Dean Delivers saving ground inside flanked by Collaborate. Weyburn ranged up to be third on the outside rounding the far turn and straightened for home in front, as Dean Delivers dug in along the rail and was resilient, but came up a neck short. Steal Sunshine came on to be third, with Celestial Glaze fourth.
Weyburn, who was produced by the A.P. Indy mare Sunday Affair, joined Travelin Man (2012-13) as a back-to-back winner of the Sir Shackleton. Ortiz previously won the Sir Shackleton in 2021 with Basin.
Sir Shackleton Quotes
Winning trainer Jimmy Jerkens (Weyburn): “He certainly had to work for it. It's tough for a horse with his style. There were horses with speed but none with blinding speed. He closed in during the fastest quarter [of a mile] which took a toll on him late. He fought back. He went up against it a little today. I thought it was setting up against him a little bit, but I'm happy he persevered, thank God.”
Winning jockey Jose Ortiz (Weyburn): “I prepared myself to ride him for the first time by watching his last win with [jockey Tyler] Gaffalion. He ran a great race in his last outing considering he didn't have a great start, because he's so big, he hardly fits in the gate stall. He's like 18 hands tall as you can see. With four furlongs to go I decided to go for it because he's a lot of horse and you can't be rating him too much. I was a little too wide for my liking, but thank God he was very game today.”
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