Zipse: Ordóñez rides wave with Del Mar winner Om N Joy

Hail to the titans of the training game. Todd Pletcher, Bill Mott, Brad Cox and … Aggie Ordóñez?

She never may be a household name like Bob Baffert or Chad Brown, but the veteran California-based trainer is in the midst of her best year yet and is currently riding a winning wave with unlikely rising star in Om N Joy.

On an afternoon at Del Mar dominated by big-name trainers with big-name horses, Ordóñez had her moment in the sun Saturday as Om N Joy came rolling down the stretch to get up and win the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes on Pacific Classic day at the seaside oval.

The daughter of jockey turned trainer Pete Anderson, who rode Forego in his first nine career races including a fourth-place finish in the 1973 Kentucky Derby behind Secretariat, Ordóñez has been training horses for more than 20 years. California-bred filly Om N Joy is the best horse she ever has had.

The chestnut daughter of Om was anything but an instant success. Still winless less than six months ago, a surface switch sparked a little bit of magic.

Following four consecutive losses on the turf, Ordóñez decided to bring the big filly back to the main track, and the turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. A maiden after seven career starts, Om N Joy has won five straight races, the last four coming in stakes.

After rattling off rallying victories against fellow California-breds in the Evening Jewel, Melair and Fleet Treat, the first of which had given Ordóñez her first ever stakes victory, the cleverly named filly was ready to move up into open company.

Among her opposition in the Torrey Pines was Baffert-trained Tenma. The Grade 1 winner already had four graded-stakes victories under her belt and would go off as the heavy 7-10 favorite. The streaking Om N Joy would be sent to post as the 4-1 third choice in the field of seven.

After breaking sharply, rider Kent Desormeaux eased off the gas pedal and allowed Om N Joy to drop back to sixth place up the Del Mar backstretch.

Patiently waiting to make his move, Desormeaux swung his charge to the far outside turning into the stretch and confidently urged her home to a well-measured, half-length score. The final time for the one mile over the fast track was 1:36.99.

Not only was this a fifth consecutive win overall for Om N Joy, but her four straight stakes wins have come at four different distances racing at Santa Anita and Del Mar.

“I should know better than to worry about a thing with Kent aboard,” Ordóñez said. “She looked comfortable and started inching up on them, and I knew she hadn’t laid it down yet.”

Veteran rider Desormeaux, who has had more than his share of ups and downs during a star-crossed career, is part of this developing story. The 55-year-old jockey has ridden Om N Joy in each of her four stakes victories. Clearly the two have confidence in each other.

On return to the winner’s circle, Desormeaux and Om N Joy were greeted with applause by a large and happy group of connections led by Ordóñez.

Out of Hard Spun mare Margie’s Minute, Om N Joy is a homebred for Connie and Jerry Baker and is owned in partnership with Michael Golovko and Terrence Scanlan.

With Saturday’s victory, Om N Joy raised her career record to 12: 5-0-4 with earnings of $401,140. More importantly, the late-running filly has proven herself against open company as she continues to improve for her unheralded barn.

A jubilant Ordóñez celebrated her first career graded-stakes victory as a trainer, doing so in the winner’s circle by praising the state-bred filly who is taking her to new heights.

“When she drops that head and reaches, she just motors. It’s really a beautiful thing to see,” Ordóñez said. “Some girls like diamonds. Some girls like jewels. I like that kind of stride on a big red mare.”

The champion Fierceness would become the biggest star of the day a few races later with an impressive win over Journalism in the Pacific Classic (G1) for big-name trainer Pletcher, but there can be room for more than one good story, and there is still a place for the little guy in racing. Or in this case, a little Aggie.

There were plenty of good stories on Saturday at Del Mar, and among my favorites were Torrey Pines winner Om N Joy and her trainer Aggie Ordóñez.