Amerman Racing's Tumbarumba thundered down the center of Ellis Park and scored his first stakes victory in Sunday's featured sixth running of the $250,000 Ellis Park Derby (Listed).
Tumbarumba was ridden to victory by Rafael Bejarano for trainer Brian Lynch. Tumbarumba covered the one-mile distance in 1:36.02.
The field of eight 3-year-olds broke well in the Ellis Park Derby as longshot Olazabal was hustled to the early lead under jockey Alex Achard. Tumbarumba broke from the rail but Bejarano moved the Louisiana-bred gelding in the two-path and settled in fourth.
Following a strong half-mile in :46.33, Olazabal began to tire as Transect and Blue Light dueled on the lead. At the quarter pole, Bejarano tipped Tumbarumba to the four-path outside Transect and the closing Loyal Company as he began to show his best stride. Nearing the final sixteenth, Tumbarumba was able to gain the lead over the battling rivals and pulled clear late for a three-quarters of a length victory.
Transect held the place photo over Loyal Company.
“I had a great opportunity to ride a really nice horse today,” Bejarano said of Tumbarumba ($9.40). “This horse was training really good, I knew he'd come with his run. I watched his last few races with jockey Luis Saez aboard and he had to be aggressive with this horse about a half-mile out. I tried to do the same thing and it really worked out.”
“He threw a clunker here in the Maxfield Stakes over a sloppy track,” Lynch said. “I drove home gutted after that. But we got a fast, dry track today. He worked together with Oscar Eclipse the other day and he won earlier on the card. Tumbarumba worked better than he did. When (Oscar Eclipse) won I was very confident he'd run well. There isn't any quit to him.”
Tumbarumba's record now stands at 9-4-1-1 and purse earnings of $254,870. The son of the former Lynch-trained Oscar Performance was bred in Louisiana by Coteau Grove Farms from the Street Sense mare Naive Enough. Offered by Eaton Sales at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, he sold to Lynch for $30,000.
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