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Rosario, Saez Feasting On Stakes Diet At Keeneland

On Saturday's second day of the Keeneland Spring Meet in Lexington, Ky., jockeys Joel Rosario and Luis Saez combined to win nine races on the 11-race program and continue their domination of the young season. The two riders accounted for all nine stakes.

After two days of the Spring Meet, Rosario leads jockeys with seven wins, and Saez is second with six victories.

Rosario rode five winners Saturday, including four consecutive stakes: the Commonwealth (G3) on Flagstaff, Shakertown (G2) on Bound for Nowhere, Central Bank Ashland (G1) on Malathaat and Madison (G1) on Kimari. On Friday, he captured two stakes: the Palisades Turf Sprint with Chasing Artie and the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) on Scarlett Sky.

“Thank you to everyone: Wesley Ward, Todd Pletcher, everyone else who gave me an opportunity,” said Rosario about his performance Saturday in which he rode in nine races. “It was an amazing day. I thought I had some chances to win but you never know, so it's just great to have the opportunities and be able to win.”

Rosario joins Jerry Bailey (1999) and Javier Castellano (2016) as riders with a record six stakes victories during a Spring Meet. If he wins one of the 10 stakes remaining this season, Rosario will take sole possession of the Spring Meet record.

During the 2013 Spring Meet when he won a season record 38 races, Rosario also had two five-win days. He shares the five-win mark in the Spring Meet with five other jockeys.

The Spring Meet record for wins on one day is six, an achievement for three jockeys: Craig Perret (1990), Randy Romero (1990) and Julien Leparoux (2012).

On Friday, Saez rode Twenty Carat to win the Beaumont (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select. On Saturday, he won four races topped by the Toyota Blue Grass (G2) on Essential Quality and the Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association on Jouster.

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Leparoux Joins Select Group With 500th Keeneland Win

Julien Leparoux made the most of his first mount of Keeneland's Spring Meet by riding Calumet Farm's homebred Gear Jockey to win the fifth race and record his 500^th career victory at lthe Lexington, Ky., racetrack. He became the fourth rider to reach that milestone, joining Hall of Famers Pat Day (918) and Don Brumfield (716) and Robby Albarado (526).

Leparoux won his first race at Keeneland during the 2005 Fall Meet, his first season as a jockey. Since then, he has earned 12 leading jockey titles at Keeneland, most recently during the 2019 Fall Meet.

“Keeneland has always been a place I love. This is my favorite track in America,” Leparoux said. “To win 500 here is special. I have my family here with me on a beautiful day. It's perfect.”

Leparoux's Keeneland success has helped him earn two Eclipse Awards for being the best in his field: as an apprentice in 2006 and again in 2009.

In his career, he has more than 2,700 victories and mount earnings of $173.8 million.

Gear Jockey, a 4-year-old colt by Twirling Candy, is trained by Rusty Arnold, who scored his 281st Keeneland win to tie Hall of Famer Bill Mott on second place on the list of Keeneland's all-time leading trainers by wins. Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas has a record 295 victories here.

Leparoux and Arnold increased their win totals in the final race when Reiko and Michael Baum's Illiogami rallied to notch her first victory.

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War Like Goddess Up In Final Jump To Beat Always Shopping In Orchid

George Krikorian's English Channel filly War Like Goddess came with a relentless run through the stretch and nailed even-money favorite Always Shopping on the wire for a thrilling nose triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 57th running of the 1 3/8-mile Orchid for fillies and mares 4 and up on turf was the ninth of 10 stakes, six graded, worth $1.85 million on a blockbuster 14-race program, immediately preceding the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa, one of the country's premier Triple Crown preps.

War Like Goddess ($13.20), making just her fourth career start, gave Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and jockey Julien Leparoux their third win on the program. Mott also won the Cutler Bay with Annex while Leparoux previously won the Pan American (G2) with Churn N Burn.

Unlike Churn N Burn, who won the Pan American on the front end, Leparoux settled War Like Goddess far back in the Orchid, ahead of only one horse as 18-1 long shot Sister Hanan took the nine-horse field through splits of 23.93 seconds, 48.55 and 1:13.83. While Always Shopping ranged up to take the lead entering the stretch, Leparoux tipped War Like Goddess out to the center of the track to make her run, closing furiously to get up in 2:12.34 over a firm course.

Always Shopping, a graded-stakes winner on dirt and turf, was a tough-luck second attempting to give jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. his Championship Meet-record 137^th victory. Sorrel, racing first time in North America, was third.

Leparoux was winning the Orchid for the first time, while Mott earned his fourth Orchid triumph following Dress Rehearsal (2016), Crockadore (1992) and Gaily Gaily (1989).

$100,000 Orchid (G3) Quotes

Winning trainer Bill Mott (War Like Goddess): “Timing was important there. She just got up in the last jump. I just told [jockey] Julien [Leparoux] to let her get her feet under her and make a run. I kept it simple.”

Winning jockey Julien Leparoux (War Like Goddess): “Just in time. I didn't know if I got it or not at the wire. No matter what happened, she ran good. I'm glad I got the win. She's the kind of filly who comes from behind, so on this track you have to worry about that a little bit, but she had a nice kick at the end so she made it fun.”

“I think he probably needed one last time, but today she felt really good, awake before the race. She was traveling throughout the race the whole time and I was happy where I was. I know I was coming very fast to Irad [Ortiz Jr., aboard Always Shopping], but it was a matter of if I had time or not. She was running very hard at the end. She's a nice filly. She's won three races out of four and I think she can improve.”

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Churn N Burn Wins Stakes Debut, Wiring Pan American Field On Turf

Lothenbach Stables, Inc.'s Churn N Burn, making his just his 10th career start and first in a stakes, was left alone on the lead and had plenty left to turn back all challengers and win Saturday's $200,000 Pan American (G2) presented by Rood & Riddle at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., by 2 ½ lengths.

The 60th running of the 1 ½-mile Pan American for 4-year-olds and up on turf was the sixth of 10 stakes, six graded, worth $1.85 million on a blockbuster 14-race program anchored by the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa, one of the country's premier Triple Crown preps.

Churn N Burn, a gelded 4-year-old son of multiple Grade 1 dirt winner Liam's Map, gave jockey Julien Leparoux his third career Pan American win, following Sadler's Joy (2017) and Newsdad (2012). Trainer Ian Wilkes previously won the race with Bearpath in 2010.

The winning time was 2:23.63 over a firm course.

Leparoux was able to maneuver Churn N Burn to the lead from outermost Post 8 and settle into comfortable fractions of :24.07, :48.25 and 1:12.55, with 90-1 long shot Angelus Warrior and 8-5 favorite Cross Border in closest pursuit, the latter saving ground inside. Sadler's Joy and jockey Jose Ortiz began to roll on the far outside around the turn to get into a contending position, but Churn N Burn dug in through the lane once set down to earn his second straight win over the Gulfstream turf. Last out, he captured a one-mile optional claimer by 3 ¾ lengths Feb. 11.

Dueling Grounds Derby winner Moon Over Miami, exiting a third in the Mac Diarmida (G2) Feb. 27 at Gulfstream, got up to be second over Cross Border, most recently third in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) Jan. 23. Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire Sadler's Joy was fourth, with 30-1 long shot Sir Sahib fifth.

Churn N Burn, purchased as a yearling for $255,000 at Saratoga in 2018, has a record of 3-2-2 from 10 lifetime starts. The winner's share of $120,280 nearly doubled his career bankroll to $250,450.

$200,000 Pan American (G2) Presented by Rood & Riddle Quotes

Winning trainer Ian Wilkes (Churn N Burn): “He's got a high cruising speed, and especially on this track, he can carry it a little and run a little quicker and keep on going.”

“I was actually glad no one went with him. He was on his own, so that was good. I was very happy.”

“I'll see how he comes out. We may look at a race at Keeneland; if not, we'll look at something else. First thing, we'll check that he's OK. Enjoy today and then we'll have a look at it.”

“It's good, and it's great for [owner] Bob Lothenbach, too. He puts a lot of money into the game and it's well-deserved.”

Winning jockey Julien Leparoux (Churn N Burn): “That was a nice win. We tried to be on the lead and get him to relax, so we were happy with that. The main thing with him is to start get going before they get to you, so I asked him around the three-eighths pole and he finished up very strong.”

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