Kent Desormeaux after his victory aboard Lady Cha Cha. (Ryan Thompson photo)
+ Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $375,000
+ Haulin Ice Makes First Start for Joseph in Game Face
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux made his first visit to Gulfstream Park in 10 years a winning one, closing from last to score aboard Golden Kernel Racing Stable’s Lady Cha Cha in Friday’s Race 7 feature.
The 54-year-old jockey rode two horses on Friday’s card while exploring his career options as he awaits a June 7 meeting with the California Horse Racing Board.
“I’ll make up my mind after that,” said Desormeaux, who last rode at Gulfstream in 2014. “I have a protocol that I have to go through that prevents me from competing with my peers. I’ll leave it at that.”
Should Desormeaux determine that it is in the best interests of his career to move on from Southern California should the “situation with the CHRB” go unresolved, Gulfstream Park or Colonial Downs in Virginia are his most likely destinations.
Whether or not he returns to ride fulltime at Gulfstream Park, Desormeaux certainly enjoyed himself Friday.
“Everything is Déjà vu, actually. I walked the backstretch this morning visiting the trainers, and it felt like I never left,” Desormeaux said after notching Win No. 6171.
Based in Southern California for many years, Desormeaux made the most of his opportunities at Gulfstream Park in the past, most notably his winning ride aboard Big Brown in the 2008 Florida Derby (G1). He and Big Brown went on to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1). Also in 2008, Desormeaux won the Fountain of Youth (G2) aboard Cool Coal Man in addition to capturing the Swale (G3) with Eaton’s Gift and Suwanee River (G3) on La Dolce Vita.
In Friday’s feature, Desormeaux bided his time aboard Laura Cazares-trained Lady Cha Cha in the 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance for Florida-bred fillies and mares on turf, patiently trailing the seven-horse field around the first turn, along the backstretch and into the far turn. After slipping inside one tiring revival, Desormeaux took Lady Cha Cha to the outside on the turn into the homestretch, and the 3-year-old daughter of Vino Rosso made a wide sweeping move into the stretch before powerfully kicking away to win by 2 ½ lengths.
“All credit to the horse. What a nice filly,” the three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey said. “Thank you to Laura. I’ve never met her, but she put me on her horses today. I appreciate the opportunity.”
Earlier on the card, Desormeau rode in his first race at Gulfstream since 2014, finishing fifth aboard Cazares-trained Llamarada in Race 5, a mile optional claiming allowance won in a romp by odds-on favorite Batucada.
Desormeaux has a mount on Saturday and another on Sunday before returning to Southern California.
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $375,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $375,000 Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
The $95,000 Game Face, a six-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies carded as Race 10, will headline a Rainbow 6 sequence that will span Races 6-11.
Haulin Ice has been installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite for her first start since being purchased by C2 Racing Stable LLC., Miller Racing LLC, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch. The 3-year-old daughter of Coal Front, who is now trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., produced two wins and a pair of runner-up finishes against Arkansas-bred rivals in her first four career starts before capturing an open optional claiming allowance at Oaklawn Park May 3.
Ernest Frohboese’s Chi Chi, a multiple stakes-winning daughter of Audible who finished third in the Forward Gal (G3) during the Championship Meet, is rated second in the field of seven at 2-1.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
