Arlington International Racecourse barn notes for June 3

Riding his third mount of the meet at Arlington International Racecourse, apprentice jockey Anthony Y. Nunez crafted a dream trip aboard Let’s Skip Fiji to earn his first career win in Friday’s fourth race. After breaking from gate one for the 1 1/16-miles trip, the 7-year-old mare relaxed well over the Polytrack under a patient Nunez who kept the Steve Fridley trainee glued to the rail. Coming into the stretch Nunez seemed to consider angling outside of the tiring front runners, but quickly decided upon sticking to the rail as a path opened up and urged Bar Three LLC’s homebred to the front for a three-quarters-length win.

 

Nunez, who turned 19 in March, rode his very first race on Jan. 1 at Hipodromo Camarero in Puerto Rico. Growing up in San Lorenzo, Nunez’s exposure to horse racing came from accompanying his grandfather to the track. Nunez rode horses at home, but it wasn’t until last year while working at a farm for Paso Fino horses that Nunez was recruited as a jockey by an exercise rider at Camarero. Soon after his first few races, an agent helped Nunez move his tack to Gulfstream Park in February, where he rode three mounts for trainer David Brownlee.

 

While in Florida Nunez caught the eye of Wesley Ward, who is known for his excellence in developing young horses – but the trainer also has an eye for great riders. Ward won the 1984 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, and through the years has helped shape riders’ careers, including that of Arlington’s leading jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr. Nunez is currently working as a galloper for Ward while taking races in the afternoon, with agent Jimmy Ernesto taking his book for the meet. Happy to have his first win under his belt, Nunez only has one goal for his first season in the saddle:

 

“To win lots and lots of races,” he says with a smile.

 

 

What’s Up Dude, a half-brother to 2015 Pretty Jenny Stakes runner-up Hollarforadollar will make his debut in Sunday’sseventh race for Illinois-bred maidens. The Larry Rivelli and Richard Ravin homebred, owned in partnership with V-Leaf Stables LLC, is the fourth foal to race for dam Rooney Doodle.

 

“He’s a great big giant horse,” said Rivelli about getting the 3-year-old colt to the races. “He’s doing good, I think he [fits in well with] these Illinois-breds.”

 

What’s Up Dude’s dam Rooney Doodle produced three winners on the all-weather by Wesley Ward’s stallion Bring The Heat, a son of In Excess (IRE) whose starters from his ten crops have had very good success on synthetic surfaces. These include Hollarforadollar as well as his full-sibling Unscathed, who logged back-to-back wins at Arlington to start his 4-year-old season. What’s Up Dude is Rooney Doodle’s only foal by First Dude, a Grade I winner of over $1.4 million who finished second in the 2010 Preakness Stakes and third in the Belmont Stakes after bypassing the Kentucky Derby.

 

 

Winner of the Third Chance Handicap at Hawthorne Racecourse in April, and runner-up to Dandy Gal last-out at Arlington International Racecourse, Michele Boyce’s My Mertie worked five furlongs in 1:02 flat on Friday morning in preparation for a possible start in the Isaac Murphy Stakes on June 10 for owners Oak Rock Racing and Cherrywood Racing Stables, et. Al. Boyce also trains the 2016 Isaac Murphy winner Puntsville, who is slated to make a start in the stakes again and try for a second victory.

 

“I’m debating it, but chances are that I will [run both],” said Boyce. “They’re really similar in type, but I hate to run them together. [My Mertie] worked today and I was pleased with that. I’ll see how the race comes up and make my decision then.”

 

A 5-year-old daughter of Magna Graduate, My Mertie is having her best season yet, finishing second in the Minaret Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in February before her stakes win at Hawthorne. Also trained by Boyce during her career, My Mertie’s dam Kate the Great won the 2003 Lincoln Heritage Handicap at Arlington and produced 2013 Illini Princess Handicap winner and multiple-stakes-placed Katie the Lady. In total, Kate the Great’s six foals to race have earned a combined $988,658 in purses.