A number of ideas flashed by Kevin Gomez’s thoughts as his mount in at present’s first race, 2-year-old Florida-bred gelding Lord Is aware of, powered to a 6 ½-length victory on the famend Tampa Bay Downs turf course.
As soon as the end result was made official, the 29-year-old jockey questioned the place this racetrack has been by his nine-year profession.
“It feels wonderful,” Gomez stated of profitable the primary race he ever rode on the Oldsmar, Fla., oval on the Opening Day card. “You at all times wish to begin a meet on the appropriate foot, and this can let trainers see my title and provides me an opportunity to experience their horses.”
A light-weight mist fell between the third and fifth races, however the situations did nothing to reduce the standard of racing nor the enjoyment of a festive vacation crowd of two,821.
Regardless of ending second on the current Delaware Park meet with 59 winners, Gomez has been overshadowed by most of the extra skilled jockeys right here main as much as the 2023-’24 meet. That may not final for lengthy.
“I have been right here for 2 weeks, and I am actually liking it,” Gomez stated. “My agent, Mark Mace, stored asking me if I needed to come back right here, and I acquired plenty of recommendation from different folks telling me to strive it. So, right here I’m.
“I like the climate, in fact, and the grass racing, and the pleasant ambiance. The jockeys assist one another earlier than the races, however when you escape of the gate you haven’t any pals – you are by yourself,” Gomez stated.
Gomez earned his second victory within the sixth race, piloting 2-year-old filly Girl Prospect to a front-running 3 ¾-length victory from the late-closing Copper Sure within the 5 ½-furlong maiden occasion. Girl Prospect is owned by Morris E. Kernan, Jr., and Jagger, Inc., and educated by Jamie Ness, who gained a file 9 consecutive Tampa Bay Downs coaching titles from 2006 by 2015.
Gomez’s fellow jockey and competitor Alonso Quinonez is delighted to return. He rides for coach Tim Padilla, and the duo has loved loads of success in current summers at Canterbury Park in Minnesota, the place Quinonez tied for fifth within the jockey standings and Padilla took sixth amongst trainers.
They teamed to win the second and third races with a pair of 3-year-old Florida-breds. Their filly Miss Mac Mac, bred and owned by Peter D. Mattson, improved to 3-for-7 with a 6-furlong tally within the second race, adopted by their gelding Summer time All Yr’s triumph going a mile-and-40 yards. Summer time All Yr was bred and is owned in partnership by Mattson and Padilla.
“I simply wish to say thanks to God and to the connections, Tim Padilla and Peter Mattson,” stated Quinonez, a heady veteran whose 11 profession graded-stakes victories embrace 5 Grade Is. “Tim has been doing this for a very long time, and he is aware of get his horses prepared and put them in the appropriate races.”
Win or lose, Quinonez enjoys returning to the Tampa Bay space, an emotion in fact heightened in proportion to his journeys to the winner’s circle.
“I like the climate right here. I like the folks,” Quinonez stated. “It is a good atmosphere for racing.”
Samy Camacho, who’s bidding this season to win a fourth consecutive Oldsmar jockeys title and fifth total, was the third jockey to experience two winners. Camacho scored within the fourth race on Vegas Playboy, a 3-year-old gelding owned by Monmouth Stud and Pinnacle Racing Crew and educated by Gregg Sacco. Camacho added the seventh on the turf on By no means So Fortunate, a 3-year-old filly owned by Monster Racing Stables and educated by Jose H. Delgado.
Within the featured eighth race, a $53,000, 6-furlong allowance/elective claiming race for horses 3-years-old-and-upward, 6-year-old Florida-bred Feast responded to robust urging from jockey Jose Ferrer, pulling away late for a 6 ¼-length victory from 66-1 shot Huge Louie. Deliver Theband House was third.
Feast is owned by Successful Stables, Inc., and Averill Racing, LLC and educated by Gerald Bennett, the observe’s reigning coaching champ and proprietor of Successful Stables.
Feast, a stakes winner who’s now 8-for-25, was gelded over the summer season, then turned out for some “R & R” at Martin Goodell’s Swanzey Stables South in Ocala. The surgical procedure and the remainder, adopted by two super-sharp exercises on the Oldsmar oval floor, had him about at his peak, as he raced the space in 1:09.49, .82 seconds off the observe file.
Bennett has gained the final eight Oldsmar coaching titles.
Across the oval. Tampa Bay Downs is closed Thursday to allow observe workers, horsemen and jockeys to have a good time Thanksgiving with their family members. Thoroughbred racing continues Friday with a nine-race card starting at 12:42 p.m. The co-features are the fourth and seventh races, each $54,000 allowance/elective claiming races on the turf.
The fourth race, for fillies and mares 3-years-old-and-upward at a distance of a mile, has drawn 11 entrants, whereas the seventh, for horses 3-and-upward sprinting 5 furlongs, has attracted 14. Each races are restricted to 10 runners.
Tampa Bay Downs is open daily (besides Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) for simulcast wagering, no-limits motion and event play in The Silks Poker Room and golf enjoyable and instruction at The Downs Golf Apply Facility.
