joel rosario | Horse Racing Free Tips

Joel Rosario Voted Jockey Of The Week After Trio Of Stakes Wins

Joel Rosario was on the road over the holiday weekend winning two graded stakes at Prairie Meadows and a listed stakes at Belmont Park earning Jockey of the Week for June 28 through July 5. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

On Friday night, Rosario invaded Prairie Meadows for engagements on two mounts in the Iowa Festival of Racing. Off as the favorite for trainer Mike Maker in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks, Army Wife and Joel Rosario sat third while saving ground early after breaking from post 1. Rosario angled out four wide at the top of the stretch and collared the leader Shesa Mystery near the eighth pole drawing off to win the one and one-sixteenth contest by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:43.10.

“She performed really well like she did the last time,” Rosario said. “It looks like she is getting better.”

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup winner Knicks Go headlined the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap and did not disappoint. Given a leg up by trainer Brad Cox, Rosario sat motionless most of the 1 1/8 miles race aboard Knicks Go, having gained the early lead in the field of seven. He extended his advantage on the far turn and cruised to a 10-1/4 length win in 1:47.33.

On Monday, back at Belmont Park riding for trainer Christophe Clement, Rosario was aboard Gufo in the first running of the Grand Couturier Stakes, a 1-1/2 mile turf test. Breaking from post 6, Rosario saved ground in last with Tide of the Sea on the lead. On the far turn, Rosario urged Gufo out and picked off his rivals one by one. Tide of the Sea re-rallied in the stretch but Gufo prevailed by a length in 2:28.73, surviving an objection by the fourth place finisher Sadler's Joy.

“He always likes to look around a little bit, and that was it. He was fine after that,” said Rosario about his stretch run.

Rosario's weekly stats were 22-5-3-6 for a 22.7 percent win rate and total purses of $608,270.

For Jockey of the Week, Rosario out-polled Samy Camacho who tied for number of wins with Luis Saez who also won two stakes races, Mike Smith who won two Grade 3 stakes and John Velazquez who won two Grade 2 stakes races.

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Blinkers Help Gufo Regain Winning Ways In Inaugural Grand Couturier

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo capitalized on Joel Rosario's patient ride, rallying from last-of-six to make a strong move out of the turn and press on for a one-length victory over Tide of the Sea in the $150,000 Grand Couturier on Monday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. It was the inaugural running of the 1 1/2-mile test for 4-year-olds and up over the Widener turf course.

The ultra-consistent Gufo entered his 11th career start having finished in the money in each of his previous races. The Christophe Clement trainee kept that record intact with his sixth career victory and fourth stakes score, benefitting from class relief after running third last out in the Grade 1 Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day June 5.

Gufo, who broke from post 6, was content to save ground in last as Tide of the Sea led through an opening quarter-mile in 26.09 seconds, the half in 51.03 and three-quarters in 1:16.48 over the turf labeled good.

Rosario urged Gufo up out of the far turn, tipping him out as he picked off rivals one-by-one. Straightened for home, Gufo overtook Shamrocket and Tide of the Sea. In the final sixteenth, Tide of the Sea re-bid from the inside under Luis Saez, but Gufo completed the course in 2:28.73, winning for the first time since the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational in October.

After running second in the Grade 1 Man o' War when rallying from 14 lengths back in May and earning black type, coming from 17 lengths back, in the Manhattan to start his 2021 campaign, Clement said adding blinkers for the Grand Couturier paid off.

“I think the blinkers helped because he was, without a doubt, a bit closer,” Clement said. “He ran very well. He was closer to the pace. He was giving weight to most of them. With that big sweeping move five-wide, by the time he came against [Sadler's Joy] we had already cleared him. I was very happy with Gufo.”

Gufo, the 4-5 favorite, returned $3.80 on a $2 win bet. Bred in Kentucky by John Little and Stephen Cainelli, he improved his career earnings to $738,510. The 4-year-old Declaration of War colt is 6-2-3 lifetime.

Jose Ortiz, aboard fourth-place finisher Sadler's Joy, lodged an objection against Gufo after he appeared to lug out slightly in the stretch. The stewards also put up the inquiry sign but upheld the order of finish.

“I corrected him. He always likes to look around a little bit, and that was it. He was fine after that,” Rosario said about his stretch run. “He was a little more focused with the blinkers. It was a slow pace, but he was a little more up in the race. It seemed like they helped.”

Clement said the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer also going 1 ½ miles on Travers Day, August 28, at Saratoga Race Course is likely next on tap. The Sword Dancer is a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1, $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf November 6 at Del Mar.

“The Sword Dancer is next. That's the plan,” Clement said. “He has three starts this year and the plan was always to give him three starts. I was going to run in the United Nations, but the [Monmouth Park] whip rule and the fact that things have been a bit speed favoring at Monmouth, I had to think about it. I figured that the Bowling Green was a touch too close to the Sword Dancer, so I ran him today. The next two or three weeks I'll start playing with him and breeze him around the first week of August. Then we'll be ready for the Sword Dancer.”

Tide of the Sea, owned by Three Diamonds Farm and trained by Michael Maker, edged the Todd Pletcher-trained Shamrocket by a neck for second. Following in the order was Sadler's Joy, Red Knight and Kinenos.

“He broke pretty well and was trying pretty hard,” Saez said. “When we came to the stretch, the six-horse [Gufo] came pretty quick. He tried to fight with him. If the ground was a little bit faster, it would have been better. He never gave up but we were second best.”

Fantasioso, Epic Bromance, Moon Over Miami and Burning Bright scratched.

Live racing resumes Friday at Belmont with a nine-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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Army Wife Marches To Iowa Oaks Victory; Stilleto Boy Tiptoes On Lead For Derby Upset

Coming off an impressive victory in the Grade 2 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on May 14, Army Wife invaded Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, to take Friday night's Grade 3, $225,000 Iowa Derby by 3 3/4 lengths as the even-money favorite.

The Oaks was one of two graded stakes on the night, along with the G3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap. The third big race of the evening was the $250,000 Iowa Derby

Trained by Mike Maker and racing for W. Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm, Army Wife was ridden to victory by Joel Rosario, who was aboard the Declaration of War filly for the first time in the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico. She covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.10 and paid $4 to win, It was her fourth victory from nine career starts.

Shesa Mystery finished second, with 8-5 second choice Pauline's Pearl 2 1/2 lengths farther back in third and The Grass Is Blue fourth in the field of six 3-year-old fillies. Sister Annie finished fifth, with Windmill trailing the field. Oliviaofthedesert was scratched.

Rosario was content to secure a cozy spot on the rail aboard Army Wife, who raced in fourth position early and in the run down the backstretch. Sister Annie hung up fractions of :24.27, :48.18 and 1:12.06 for the first six furlongs, with Shesa Mystery putting pressure on her going into the far turn.

Sister Annie and Shesa Mystery battled for the lead on the turn for home, but Rosario had them both measured, swinging Army Wife off the rail three wide into the stretch, hitting the front nearing the eighth pole and drawing off for the victory.

In the $250,000 Iowa Derby, New York-based jockey Jose Ortiz gunned Stilleto Boy to the lead at the start and the Kentucky-bred gelding by Shackleford relaxed on the front end, repelled a challenge from Flash of Mischief around the far turn, then cruised to victory by 4 1/2 lengths.

Trained by Doug Anderson and bred by John and Iveta Kerber, the Iowa Derby winner is owned by the Kerbers, Michael Coleman, Aaron Kennedy and trainer Anderson. Stilleto Boy was winning for the second time in seven career starts, having earned his maiden diploma in his fifth start, going wire to wire at Oaklawn Park on April 17. In his most recent start, Stilleto Boy finished fourth after never getting the lead in the Prairie Mile Stakes at Prairie Meadows on June 4.

Sent off the longest shot in the field of six (following scratches of Proxy, Bourbon Thunder and Snow House), Stilleto Boy paid $35.40 for the win. He ran the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.64 after setting fractions of :23.79, :47.73, 1:11.48 and 1:36.12.

“We wanted him on the front end and Jose did a fantastic job of getting him there,” said Andersen.

Flash of Mischief, who chased Stilleto Boy throughout, held second as a 12-1 outsider for trainer Karl Broberg, with Gagetown2 1/2 lengths back in third and 2-1 second choice Super Stock a neck back in fourth. Nova Rags, the 9-5 favorite, finished fifth, with Rightandjust trailing the field.

Jose Ortiz and Stilleto Boy upset the Iowa Derby

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Knicks Go Returns In Prairie Meadows’ Cornhusker Handicap

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup winner Knicks Go will headline this Friday's Grade 3, $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows Racetrack in Altoona, Ia. The somewhat unusual spot for a two-time Grade 1 winner could be seen as a confidence-booster after a pair of lackluster efforts, as Knicks Go faded to fourth in both the Saudi Cup and in his stateside return earlier this month in the G1 Met Mile.

Despite his off-form record, Knicks Go has been made the even-money morning-line favorite in a field of seven expected for the 1 1/8-mile Cornhusker. Trained by Brad Cox, the 5-year-old son of Paynter will be ridden by Joel Rosario.

The second choice on the morning line at 4-1 is Last Judgement, the last-out winner of the G3 Pimlico Special for trainer Mike Maker. He won that race with a strong front-running effort, and could challenge Knicks Go for the early lead.

Should those two engage in a tiring speed duel, Bill Mott trainee Modernist may be perfectly poised to pick up the pieces. He won the G3 Excelsior at Aqueduct in April, then finished second to Last Judgement in the Pimlico Special in his most recent start.

Other classy older horses in with a chance include Rated R Superstar and Tenfold, trained by Federico Villafranco and Steve Asmussen, respectively.

The full field is as follows:

Drifting West – Joe Offolter – Walter De La Cruz
Dinar – Heath Lawrence – Alonso Quinonez
Tenfold – Asmussen – Ricardo Santana, Jr.
Last Judgement – Maker – Jose Ortiz
Knicks Go – Cox – Rosario
Rated R Superstar – Villafranco – David Cabrera
Modernist – Mott – Junior Alvarado

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