Todd Pletcher trainee Cardinale breaking his maiden. (Lauren King)
Fernando Jara Makes U.S. Return Saturday at Gulfstream
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher notched a pair of victories on Saturday’s program at Gulfstream Park, including an impressive score by first-time starter Cardinale ($6) in Race 8.
Stonestreet Stable LLC’s s homebred sone of Speightstown stalked the pace into the stretch before drawing away to a 1 ¾-length victory under Edgard Zayas in the six-furlong maiden special weight event for 2-year-olds.
Robert and Lawana Low’s Silver Ticket scored a dazzling off-the-pace victory in Race 9 to give the Pletcher stable back-to-back wins. The 3-year-old daughter to Curlin, who broke her maiden in her second career start by 6 ¼ lengths at Gulfstream, came right back to win the 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on Tapeta by 3 ¾ lengths under Emisael Jaramillo.
Fernando Jara Makes U.S. Return Saturday at Gulfstream
Jockey Fernando Jara rode in his first race in the United States since 2015 Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The 36-year-old native of Panama was aboard first-time starter Unabated, who finished seventh in Race 8.
Jara, who enjoyed international success aboard 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor, has been riding in Dubai for the past several years. The 36-year-old jockey, whose last U.S. graded-stakes win came aboard Fort Loudon in the 2012 Carry Back (G3) at Gulfstream, is being represented by agent Jose Santos Jr.
“I’ve been thinking of it for the last two or three years, but I was doing so good there I kept going back,” Jara said. “I haven’t been here for so long. We’ll be trying to rebuild relationships [with horsemen].”
Jara, who has two mounts on Gulfstream’s Sunday card, will be based primarily at Tampa Bay Downs during the winter with the hope of picking up mounts on shippers from Gulfstream Park and Palm Meadows, its satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.
