Tag: samy camacho

Promising Juvenile Drain The Clock Stays Undefeated, To Target Stakes Company

Slam Dunk Racing's Drain the Clock stayed undefeated Wednesday at Gulfstream Park West, scoring a length victory in the featured optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds,

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained colt had to work a little harder to prevail over stablemate Worlds On High in the six-furlong sprint than he did in his Sept. 12 debut at Gulfstream Park, where he scored a front-running six-length victory.

Drain the Clock broke alertly but settled just off the early pace contested by Tiger and Worlds On High past fractions of 22.08 and 45.21 seconds for the first half-mile. The son of Maclean's Music swung three-wide off the turn into the homestretch and mounted an extended stretch drive to overtake Worlds on High, who is trained by Joseph for Don and Rebecca Ming.

“He sat off there nicely and came under some pressure at the quarter-pole. I thought once he switched leads late by the three-eighths pole, he started going away,” Joseph said. “It was a workmanlike performance. Hopefully, he'll continue to build on that.”

Drain the Clock ($4.20) ran six furlongs in 1:10.67. Samy Camacho picked up the mount from leading rider Edgard Zayas, whose wife gave birth to their second daughter Wednesday.

Drain the Clock is expected to run in a stakes next time out.

Joseph was also extremely pleased with the performance of Worlds On High, who had debuted with a victory in a Sept. 18 $50,000 maiden claiming race at Gulfstream.

“He's a big trier. Today, he really ran big,” Joseph said. “I think World On High is a really nice horse also. He wasn't far off today.”

Worlds On High, who was ridden by apprentice Alberto Burgos, finished 1 ¾ lengths clear of third-place finisher The Distractor.

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Flashy 2-Year-Old Drain The Clock Making ‘Next Move Forward’ In Wednesday Allowance

Slam Dunk Racing's Drain the Clock is set to make a greatly anticipated return to action Wednesday at Gulfstream Park West, where the son of Maclean's Music will likely be a heavy favorite in the featured optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds.

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained colt debuted in a Sept. 12 off-the-turf maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Park, where he sprinted to the lead from his rail post position, shook off mild pressure and drew away to score by six lengths. The son of Maclean's Music ran five furlongs in slop in 58.73 seconds as the 8-5 favorite.

“He's a horse who, early on, showed a lot of promise. We thought we'd get him started on the turf. He trained well enough on dirt also, but we thought the turf would be easier fitness-wise to get him started in,” Joseph said. “He won nicely that day on the slop and we decided to keep him on the dirt and see where he stacks up. It's a nice spot, hopefully, to make a next move forward.”

Omaha City, who finished third, went on to graduate next time out in the Hollywood Beach Stakes on turf.

“Our horses, we don't press them to win first time out. If they win first time out, like him, that means they're just much better than the competition,” Joseph said. “You'd expect him to improve off that run. He's trained well. He had a nice five-eighths workout last week. He's going an extra furlong, but it doesn't seem like it should be an issue.”

Samy Camacho picks up the mount from leading rider Edgard Zayas, whose wife is scheduled to give birth to their second daughter Wednesday.

Joseph is also scheduled to saddle Don and Rebecca Ming's Worlds On High, another recent debut winner, in Wednesday's feature. The son of Shanghai Bobby captured a $50,000 maiden claiming race by 2 ¼ lengths under returning Alberto Burgos.

“He won nicely that day. Ideally, I would have liked to run him in a starter allowance, but there hasn't been one,” Joseph said. “I don't think he has the class of Drain the Clock, but again, you would think he'd improve second time out. It'll be interesting to see how he fits this time.”

Kathleen O'Connell-trained The Distractor, who also graduated against $50,000 claiming maidens while winning his debut by 7 ½ lengths at Gulfstream Park West Oct. 11, is also entered in the field of six juveniles.

Wednesday's feature is carded as Race 6 and will be included in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 sequence, which will span Races 4-9. The Rainbow 6 will have a guaranteed pool of $125,000.

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‘The MLB Of Racing’: Venezuelan Native Camacho Living The Dream With 2020 Derby Mount

Samy Camacho left Venezuela in 2012 to chase a dream – a dream that will become very real when he rides Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner King Guillermo in Saturday's Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.

“This is the dream for every jockey in my country – to ride in the United States. This is the MLB of racing. When you're here, that's your dream – to ride the big races and ride in the Kentucky Derby,” Camacho said. “That was my dream. I never thought I'd ever ride in the Kentucky Derby, and when I won Tampa Bay Derby, I said, 'Wow!'”

Camacho, among the leading riders during the Spring/Summer Meet at Gulfstream Park, shares a dream of participating in the Kentucky Derby with fellow Venezuelan natives Victor Martinez and Juan Carlos Avila, King Guillermo's owner and trainer, respectively.

Martinez lived his boyhood dream during 16 Major League Baseball seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians as a catcher, first-baseman and designated hitter, making five All-Star appearances. Martinez, who retired from baseball in 2018, has turned to raising cattle at his 2,500-acre ranch in Okeechobee, FL and owning a few racehorses, most notably King Guillermo, who is trained by Gulfstream-based Avila, who won nine titles and more than 3,000 races in Venezuela before venturing to South Florida in 2018.

“The owner, Victor Martinez, I have a good relationship with him. He's a really nice guy. He has a lot of class. He's humble. He's amazing,” the married father of three said. “Thanks to God for letting me ride in the Derby. Thanks to Victor Martinez, the owner, and the trainer, Juan Carlos Avila, for giving me this big opportunity.”

The son of a jockey, Camacho began his career at La Rinconada in Caracas, Venezuela after attending the country's jockey school and moved on to the U.S. at the end of 2011. He won 32 races in 2012 as an apprentice while riding at Calder Race Course (now Gulfstream Park West) and several mid-Atlantic racetracks. He returned to Venezuela in 2013 before resuming his dream job in the U.S., riding at Tampa Bay Downs at the tail end of 2015.

The 33-year-old journeyman has ridden with success at both Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park, winning more than 650 aces over the past five years – none more rewarding than King Guillermo's 4 ¾-length victory in the Tampa Bay Derby March 7.

“I'm so happy. It's so exciting what is happening with my career. I'm ready,” said Camacho, who also guided King Guillermo to a second-place finish behind Nadal in the May 2 Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. “My horse has been working great at Churchill.”

Camacho will spend Derby Week at Churchill Downs as required under Covid-19 protocols.

“I'll try to take some mounts beginning Sept. 1 to ride before the Derby,” he said. “I want to get to know the track.”

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Derby Jockeys: With Several Big Names Staying Home, Kentucky Riders Get A Shot In The Big Dance

In a normal year, jockeys would be hard-pressed to miss their flights to Louisville for a chance to ride in the Kentucky Derby. Obviously, 2020 has been anything but a normal year, with the coronavirus pandemic pushing the Run for the Roses back to Sept. 5 and drawing up jockey travel restrictions all around the United States.

Last week, Churchill Downs announced that riders wanting to participate in the Derby will have to arrive in the state of Kentucky by Aug. 31, and participate in several additional coronavirus precautions.

As such, a number of prominent U.S. jockeys won't be making the trip to Kentucky. Jose and Irad Ortiz will both stay in New York, as will Joel Rosario, reports the Daily Racing Form, and last year's Derby winner Flavien Prat will stay in Southern California.

Those choices have opened the doors for Kentucky-based riders to have a chance to pick up a mount in the Derby.

Here's a look at the current 3-year-olds pointing to the Kentucky Derby, and their jockeys (plus state in which they are based), in order of points earned.

  1. Tiz the Law – Manny Franco (New York) – 372
  2. Authentic – John Velazquez (New York) – 200
  3. Art Collector – Brian Hernandez, Jr. (Kentucky) – 150
  4. Honor A. P. – Mike Smith (California) – 140
  5. Ny Traffic – TBD (last ridden by Paco Lopez) – 110
  6. King Guillermo – Samy Camacho (Florida) – 90
  7. Thousand Words – Florent Geroux (Kentucky) – 83
  8. Dr Post – TBD (last ridden by Joe Bravo) – 80
  9. Max Player – Ricardo Santana, Jr. (Kentucky) – 60
  10. Caracaro – TBD (last ridden by Javier Castellano) – 60
  11. Enforceable – Adam Beschizza (Kentucky) – 43
  12. Rushie – TBD (last ridden by Javier Castellano) – 40
  13. Major Fed – James Graham (Kentucky) – 38
  14. Storm the Court – Julien Leparoux (Kentucky) – 36
  15. Attachment Rate – Joe Talamo (Kentucky) – 35
  16. Sole Volante – Luca Panici (Florida) – 30
  17. Finnick the Fierce – TBD (last ridden by Jose Ortiz) – 25
  18. Winning Impression – Joe Rocco, Jr. (Kentucky) – 20
  19. Necker Island – Mitchell Murrill (Kentucky) – 14
  20. Shirl's Speight – Rafael Hernandez (Canada) – 0
  21. Money Moves – TBD (last ridden by Luis Saez) – 0

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