Tag: wildman jack

Americans In Dubai: Bigger, Badder Wildman Jack Takes On Top Dirt Sprinters

In 2020, Wildman Jack was riding high off an outstanding Dubai World Cup Carnival season, topped by a crushing of the 1200m (six-furlong) turf track record in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint.

Heading into last year's course and distance Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint as one of the main contenders, the joy ride came to an abrupt halt when the Dubai World Cup was cancelled. Fast-forward through 12 months of pandemic pandemonium and the horse is back in the UAE with a second chance at a first Dubai World Cup night impression.

This time, the Doug O'Neill trainee arrives as a newly discovered multi-surface star, having dominated a key prep for the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen sponsored by Gulf News, the Grade 3 Palos Verdes at Santa Anita on the dirt.

Nine Palos Verdes winners have gone on to Dubai's top dirt sprint, including winners Big Jag and Kinsale King, runner-ups Men's Exclusive, Avanzado, Friendly Island and Euroears and third-place finisher Roy H.

“It's so nice being back,” said Leandro Mora, longtime O'Neill assistant. “I love being back here and loved spending last winter here. It's pure gold for us.

“We ran him two times on dirt back in the States and he won the last time and ran a really nice race, so that's what made the decision to run here (in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in lieu of the Al Quoz Sprint).

“When he was training on dirt here (last year), we thought he could handle it really well because his workouts were sizzling fast.”

Despite being a keen horse, full of energy, the Glenn Sorgenstein-owned son of Goldencents is reportedly quite content being back in Dubai.

“Any horse who lands on the other side of the world who eats well, sleeps well and trains happy, that means the horse likes the environment,” Mora continued. “He's a much better horse than last year when we brought him over here. He was a young horse last year and he has matured and now takes everything in stride. He's about 50kgs heavier than he was last year.”

Post positions will be drawn on Wednesday for the 1200m (six-furlong) dirt dash. A victory would give O'Neill his first Shaheen, but Leandro his second, as he was the assistant to Tim Pinfield when Big Jag won in 2000 with a spectacular performance at Nad Al Sheba. O'Neill won the 2007 Godolphin Mile with Spring At Last and has been second twice in this race, with the aforementioned Avanzado and champion American sprinter Thor's Echo.

“Big Jag was an amazing horse and I love coming here for these races,” Mora explained. “I hope Jack runs well. He's doing great and the post does not matter with him. He can be inside or outside.

“Like any Californian or American sprinter, we love to be outside, but I don't think it will be a factor for him if he's inside. I haven't checked much about the competition, really, but you have to respect the winner of the local prep (Canvassed). Any horse who has runs that fast at Meydan is going to keep on running fast. That would be the one I would worry about. Otherwise, I think we have a very good chance with Wildman Jack.”

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Wildman Jack Returns To Dirt, Captures Palos Verdes Stakes At Santa Anita

Trainer Doug O'Neill's Wildman Jack relished a return to the main track on Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as he drew off to an emphatic 4 ¼-length win in the Grade 3, $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes.  Ridden by Abel Cedillo, he got six furlongs in a scintillating 1:08.98.

Breaking from post position two, Cedillo was content to let last year's Palos Verdes winner, Captain Scotty, clear him early and then Wildman Jack tracked the pacesetter into the far turn.  Leaving the quarter pole, Wildman Jack put a head in front and although he was a bit green late, won in-hand at the wire, providing Cedillo his third win on the day and O'Neill with a training double.

“Last time (Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes on Jan. 1) I was sitting perfect, but he lost his shoes,” said Cedillo, who had a four-win day yesterday.  “He lost his shoes, that's why he stopped…(The way) he ran today, I think he's better on the dirt.”

A disappointing sixth as the 2-1 favorite in the Hernandez at 6 ½ furlongs on turf, Wildman Jack, a 5-year-old gelding by O'Neill's 2013 Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents, was off at 5-1 in a field of eight older horses and paid $13.20, $6.40 and $4.20.

“He's been on the grass, but we loved his dirt race at Del Mar (a close fourth in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes four starts back on Aug. 1),” said O'Neill's assistant Leandro Mora.  “We've been thinking about getting him back on the dirt since then and Doug and the owners decided this race would be good.  This is a huge win for him. … It's been awhile since we had back to back days like this, it's great to win.”

O'Neill had three wins Friday and his win earlier Saturday came with promising Derby prospect The Great One).

Bred in Kentucky by W C Racing, Wildman Jack, who is out of the Orientate mare Orientatious, is also owned by Glenn Sorgenstein WC Racing, Inc.  A Group 3 sprint turf stakes winner on March 7, 2020, in Dubai, and a winner of the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes going 5 ½ furlongs on turf at Santa Anita on May 23, Wildman Jack now has three graded victories and is 14-5-3-1 overall.  With the winner's share of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $559,505.

Unhurried early, Shashashakemeup was a close third after the first half mile and was second best on the day, finishing 1 ¾ lengths in front of late running Pyron.  Off at 5-1 with Juan Hernandez, Shashashakemeup paid $6.80 and $4.20.

Breaking from the rail with Umberto Rispoli, Pyron was last early and was up to touch 3-1 favorite Ax Man by a neck for third.  Off at 7-2, Pyron paid $3.20 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.01, 44.52 and 56.34.

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Captain Scotty Out To Defend His Title In Palos Verdes

Veteran gelding Captain Scotty is back to defend his title as he heads a field of eight older horses going six furlongs in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita. A 7-year-old son of Quality Road, Captain Scotty gives trainer Peter Miller a strong one-two punch as he'll be joined by recent acquisition Shashashakemeup, who comes off a big second place finish in his first start off a $50,000 claim at Churchill Downs.

Several others, including the Shelbe Ruis-trained Kneedeepinsnow, Mark Glatt's Pyron, Brian Koriner's Take the One O One, Bob Baffert's Ax Man and Doug O'Neill's Wildman Jack, all rate solid chances in the 69th renewal of the Palos Verdes.

Following his win in the Palos Verdes a year ago, Captain Scotty sustained a string of four double digit defeats, beginning with an 11 ½ length loss in the $1.5 million Saudi Cup Sprint on Feb. 29. In an effort to right the ship, Miller dropped “Scotty” in for a $25,000 claiming tag three starts back on Oct. 2 at Santa Anita, the result being a second place finish. A gate to wire six furlong winner on Oct. 31 at Del Mar, Captain Scotty comes off a game nose victory in a 5 ½ furlong optional claimer at Los Alamitos Dec. 6, a race in which he earned a much improved 92 Beyer Speed figure.

Owned by Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable, Captain Scotty, who has six wins from 20 starts and earnings of $382,048, will be ridden back by Ricky Gonzalez.

Owned by Tom Kagele, Shashashakemeup was haltered for $50,000 win two starts back at Churchill Downs Oct. 28 and although he was second, beaten 2 ¾ lengths in a second condition allowance Nov. 27, he registered a career-best 96 Beyer and thus merits serious consideration with top jock Juan Hernandez taking over in what will be his Santa Anita debut.

A 5-year-old full horse by Flatter, Kneedeepinsnow comes off what appeared to be the best race of his career on Dec. 31, a powerful 2 ¼ length score in a second condition allowance at 6 ½ furlongs. Owned by Ruis Racing, LLC, Kneedeepinsnow will be trying stakes competition for the first time and be ridden by Ruben Fuentes as regular rider Abel Cedillo opted to stay with Wildman Jack.

Claimed for $40,000 four starts back at Churchill Downs on July 9, the Mark Glatt-trained Pyron then took a six furlong starter allowance at Del Mar Aug. 15 and in his second start off the claim, rallied for a 1 ½ length win over Kneedeepinsnow at the same distance on Oct. 16 here. Most recently a close third in a 6 ½ furlong classified allowance Nov. 8 at Del Mar, this 5-year-old full horse by Candy Ride posted a career-top 92 Beyer and appears poised to run a smasher in the Palos Verdes. Owned by Ken Copenhaver, Pyron seeks his first stakes victory with Umberto Rispoli riding back.

Jay Em Ess Stables' California-bred Take the One O One shortens up out of a close third at 29-1 in the G2 San Antonio Stakes Dec. 26 and Patti and Hal Earnhardt's hard knocking Ax Man, idle since fourth in the G2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles July 25, looms dangerous off the bench for Bob Baffert. A winner of six of 14 starts, 6-year-old gelding Ax Man will be ridden for the first time by Tyler Baze.

W.C. Racing's homebred Wildman Jack, who was a close fourth four starts back behind top sprinter Collusion Illusion in the G1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 1, was well beaten as the favorite in G2 Joe Hernandez Stakes going 6 ½ furlongs on turf here Jan. 1 and will be trying dirt for only the second time in what will be his 14th career start for Doug O'Neill.

THE GRADE 3 PALOS VERDES STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

  1. Pyron—Umberto Rispoli—120
  2. Wildman Jack—Abel Cedillo—122
  3. Shooters Shoot—Mario Gutierrez—122
  4. Captain Scotty—Ricardo Gonzalez—122
  5. Shashashakemeup—Juan Hernandez—120
  6. Ax Man—Tyler Baze—120
  7. Take the One O One—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—120
  8. Kneedeepinsnow—Ruben Fuentes—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. All of Santa Anita's races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1st.com/Bet.

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Wildman Jack Has 10 New Year’s Day Foes In Joe Hernandez Stakes At Santa Anita

W.C. Racing's homebred Wildman Jack, a graded stakes winning 5-year-old gelding by 2013 Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents, heads a wide-open field of 11 older horses in Friday's New Year's Day feature, the Grade II, $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs over the Santa Anita turf in Arcadia, Calif.

Most recently seventh, beaten three lengths after taking the lead turning for home in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7, Wildman Jack, who is trained by Doug O'Neill, was a big second, beaten one length two starts back in the 5 ½ furlong turf Eddie D Stakes here on Sept. 25.

A nose winner of the G3 Daytona Stakes five starts back on May 23, 2020, Wildman Jack has a win and two seconds from three tries over the Santa Anita turf and like the rest of the field, he'll be running out of Santa Anita's newly christened turf chute for the first time on Friday.

Out of the Orientate mare Orientatious, Wildman Jack is 12-4-3-1 overall with earnings of $439,005.

Other prominent contenders include trainer Graham Motion's venerable Irish-bred True Valour, who is based at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and will be will be making his 30th career start at age seven.  No stranger to Santa Anita, True Valour, who was based in Southern California with Simon Callaghan for parts of three racing seasons beginning in 2018, he's a two time graded stakes winner going one mile over the local lawn from nine tries.

Although primarily a router throughout his career, True Valour transitioned to sprinting two starts back, taking a 6 ½-furlong classified allowance over Woodbine's synthetic Tapeta on Nov. 14 and he comes off a solid third in an ungraded six furlong turf stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 28.

Owned by R.L. Johnson, True Valour is 29-6-2-8 overall with earnings of $462,237.

In addition to Wildman Jack, Doug O'Neill will also be represented by Blitzkrieg, a winner of the G3 American Stakes here five starts back who will be shortening up out of three consecutive turf routes.  Owned by R3 Racing, LLC and Calara Farms, Blitzkrieg has four wins from 11 tries over the Santa Anita turf and he has earnings of $411,457 from an overall mark of 25-6-1-1.

Hronis Racing's classy Encoder, idle since February 1 for John Sadler, rates a huge chance with Tyler Baze engaged to ride.  A first-out five-furlong turf maiden winner at Del Mar in August 2019, he followed that up with a game head victory in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 1, 2019.

A well beaten fifth on dirt in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes Feb. 1, he pressed the early pace en route to a half-length score in the one-mile turf Eddie Logan Stakes two starts back on Dec. 29, 2019.  Back on his preferred surface on Friday, Encoder should plenty tough while attentive to the pace.

The Joe Hernandez is named in honor of the original voice of Santa Anita, who called more than 15,000 consecutive races from Dec. 25, 1934 until he collapsed while calling his final race on January 27, 1972.

JOE HERNANDEZ STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9    Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

  1. Texas Wedge—Flavien Prat—120
  2. P R Radio Star—Juan Hernandez—120
  3. Encoder—Tyler Baze—120
  4. Hembree—Joel Rosario—120
  5. True Valour—Drayden Van Dyke—120
  6. Blitzkrieg—Victor Espinoza—122
  7. Wildman Jack—Abel Cedillo—122
  8. Chaos Theory—Umberto Rispoli—122
  9. Oiseau de Guerre—Ruben Fuentes—120
  10. Mesut—Mike Smith—120
  11. Ohio—Ricky Gonzalez—120

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