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Jockey Pablo Morales Celebrates 2,000th Winner With Family, Friends Present In Spirit

Despite winning on 4-year-old filly Dreaming Diamonds on March 20, Pablo Morales knew something wasn't right with the left foot he'd injured six days earlier in a starting-gate mishap.

An X-ray revealed a break, sending the 31-year-old jockey to the sidelines for seven weeks.

At the time, Morales was four victories shy of 2,000 for his career. He rode one race on May 8, but quickly realized he had not recovered sufficiently to compete at the level to which he is accustomed.

Determined to reach 2,000 before the current Tampa Bay Downs meeting ended, Morales set his mind to the task.

“I dedicated myself for 10 days to strengthening the area, jogging a lot and doing a lot of Equicizer work,” he said, referring to the mechanical horse controlled by a rider's movement.

“When I came back (on June 3), I felt such a difference.”

Two dates extensions granted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation made it possible for Morales to hit the milestone at Tampa Bay Downs, and he made the most of his opportunity. The Lima, Peru product hit the mark in today's second race, a mile-and-a-sixteenth maiden special weight contest on the turf, on 4-year-old filly Sanguine for owner Augustin Stable and trainer Jonathan Thomas.

After racing in fourth place early, Sanguine and Morales moved smartly to the lead nearing the far turn and held off a late challenge from Aunt Dorothy to win by two-and-three-quarter lengths. Sanguine paid $4.60 to win as the betting favorite. “I knew she was the best horse in the race,” Morales said of the daughter of Quality Road. “I'm glad (Thomas) put the confidence in me to ride her.”

The occasion was recognized with a ceremony that included his rival jockeys in the winner's circle after the race.

“”It's a big accomplishment to me, because when I started. … you never think you're going to even make it to 1,000. Making it to 2,000, it's hard to believe,” Morales said. “I've been thinking about it a long time and it's not an easy task, so I'm very proud and I'm very thankful for all the help I've gotten through my career. I just want to keep on going.”

He got a good start in that regard in the fifth race, helping 3-year-old filly Leishlanick break her maiden for owner Wills Jarrett and trainer Angel M. Rodriguez.

Given the circumstances surrounding his injury and the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic that has affected all aspects of daily life, Morales accepted achieving the feat in front of an empty grandstand, with his wife Erin and their two children, agent Paula Bacon and other relatives and friends watching from home.

“It definitely would have been sweeter with them here, but I really waited too long. I couldn't care less if I was the only person here,” he said, laughing.

But they were foremost in his thoughts beforehand and afterward. “Paula has made a big difference in my career, and I think I have made a difference in hers,” he said. “We are a great team. I give all the thanks to my wife, my parents and my brothers and sister, and my kids (Sophia and Camilo), who watch me every race. My parents are in town with me, so we'll go buy a steak after the races and celebrate a little.”

Morales, a five-time riding champion at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa., plans to return there for the meeting beginning July 27.

Morales is fourth in the 2019-2020 Oldsmar standings with 61 victories. He has won two graded stakes, capturing the Grade II Super Derby in 2005 at Louisiana Downs on The Daddy and the Grade III Sam F. Davis Stakes here last year on Well Defined.

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Health Department Reports 17 Coronavirus Positives During Santa Anita Spring Meet

There were 17 positive tests for the coronavirus during the recently concluded Spring Meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., reports ktla.com, which got the count from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

After closing to the public on March 13, live racing at Santa Anita was shut down on March 27. The health department allowed the track to resume racing on May 15, and safety precautions included having jockeys live in trailers in the parking lot during the race week.

Santa Anita's Spring Meet ended on Sunday.

From Gator To Gatorade: Backstretch Café Working Overtime To Serve Indiana Grand

The Backstretch Café at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino has long been a staple for horsemen and horsewomen working in the barn area. Earlier this spring, new safety measures were put in place to follow Covid-19 state restrictions, which altered the business model of the restaurant, located at the entrance to the barn area.

Backstretch Café Food and Beverage Supervisor Melissa Ruddick jumped into action and came up with a plan to serve those who work in the barn area. All she needed was a Gator and some Gatorade to get started.

“We wanted to find a way to continue to serve all the people that work both in the barn area and in our track maintenance department because it's difficult for them to leave and go off property to get food and drinks when they are working,” said Ruddick. “So, we began preparing portable options. We provide service six days a week and now make three rounds on race days to accommodate everyone.”

Ruddick, along with Kayla Dudley, start before morning training hours get underway. Their day begins at 5:30 a.m. and they travel by Gator from barn to barn, offering everything from breakfast sandwiches to cold drinks and hot coffee. Their breakfast service continues until approximately 10 a.m. before they head back to the Café and begin preparing lunch. Pre-packaged sandwiches are put together and the ladies follow the same process through the barns with a flat price of $5, which includes a food item and drink.

“We try to have a few different specials every day for breakfast and lunch,” added Ruddick. “We have even created bags for each order that already includes disposable utensils, condiments, and napkins so it's easy for them to carry. We are cash only to make the process as quick as possible and to avoid as much contact as possible to follow restrictions.”

Ruddick and Dudley make one final swing through the barn area after racing begins at 2:20 p.m. and wrap up their day around 5 p.m., giving participants during the afternoon racing card the opportunity to grab something before or after a race. Once the delivery day is complete, they go through all safety procedures to ensure everything has been sanitized and is ready to go for the next day's deliveries.

“Melissa and Kayla have a sincere care for our horsemen and employees and this service has been very well received, “ said Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing. “The pandemic has forced us into thinking differently about a lot of things which includes how we serve food while following strict protocols in the barn area. We're lucky to have such a wonderful Food and Beverage Team.”

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Churchill Has Issued Proposal for Derby Spectators, Waiting to Hear From Governor

After submitting its proposal to allow fans to attend this year’s GI Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs officials are expecting to hear back from Governor Andy Beshear this week.

At his press briefing Monday, Beshear said he is reviewing Churchill’s proposal and would announce a decision shortly. Alluding to the GI Belmont S., where fans were not allowed in the stands, Beshear said he envisioned that the Kentucky Derby will be “different” than the Belmont.

“I believe that Churchill Downs made a very good decision to move the race,” the governor said. “It certainly wouldn’t have been safe when it was. I think they are offering a lot of concessions and are looking at safety precautions. I hope to have some information on this this week.”

“We submitted a plan to the governor’s office and we have continued our ongoing discussions about having a Kentucky Derby with spectators,” said Darren Rogers, Churchill’s senior director of communications. “We have had good, careful collaboration with their office and they have asked some questions and we gave them our answers. We expect to hear some news this week.”

Churchill has not released details of its proposal and it is not clear if management is seeking to have a Derby with an unlimited amount of spectators or one where the number of people that can attend is capped.

“Our team has worked through a number of different scenarios based on whatever permissions are granted,” Rogers said. “We want to have as many people as we can while operating safely and responsibly.”

Because of the pandemic, the date of the Derby was shifted from May 2 to Sept. 5 in hopes that by Labor Day weekend the coronavirus situation would become more manageable. It appears that will be the case. Beshear said in his press briefing Monday that he had no new coronavirus deaths to report and said he could only recall two other days since the pandemic started that that was the case. Kentucky will move into its next phase of reopening Monday. When that happens, Beshear said, “just about everything in the commonwealth will be open in some capacity.”

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