Chocolate Ride Breaks Track Record in Muniz
John Wentworth’s Chocolate Ride has produced anything but a rocky road for those involved with him – in fact, he continues to make history for his connections. Two weeks ago, he was the first horse ever to record a workout on the Stall-Wilson turf course at Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots, which he did once again one week ago, impressing on both occasions. Then, on Saturday afternoon at the New Orleans oval, not only did the dark bay 5-year-old gelding break the 1 1/8-miles track record over the same sod, but the flashy front-running Kentucky-bred also became the first stakes winner for his owner when annexing the Grade II $300,000 Mervin H. Muniz, Jr. Memorial Handicap gate-to-wire. The icing on the proverbial chocolate cake is that the two-time graded stakes winner was the first horse Wentworth ever acquired when the Brad Cox trainee was claimed from Mark Casse for $40,000 at Churchill Downs in November. All in all, it seems that Chocolate Ride – ridden Saturday afternoon by Joe Talamo – has been a sweet deal.
After popping out of the gate well, Chocolate Ride quickly took over the lead and carved out fractions of :24.08, :48.31, 1:11.73 and 1:35.78 en route to defeating Michael Dubb, Sheep Pond Partners and Bethlehem Stables’ Chad Brown-trained 9-5 favorite Slumber by a half-length in 1:48.18 – besting Mystery Giver’s 1:48.29 mark set in the 2004 Muniz. It was another half-length back to Two Dimes Stable’s Angel Montano-trained Paroled in third. Chocolate Ride, going off as the fourth choice in the field of six – despite handily winning the course and distance prep in the Grade III $125,000 Fair Grounds Handicap on Feb. 21 – paid $10.60, $4.40 and 3.20 at odds of nearly 9-2. He more than doubled his career earnings in the process, earning $180,000 to bolster his bankroll to $342,191. Slumber, under Alan Garcia, paid $3.20 and $2.80. Paroled, who pressed Chocolate Ride throughout under Brian Hernandez, Jr., was passed late by Slumber and paid $3.80 to show.
“I really appreciate the opportunity today,” Talamo said. “What a nice horse – he did everything so nice; relaxed on the front end and really held those two horses off. I had a lot of horse left.”
Ricky Giannini, assistant to Cox who has meticulously overseen Chocolate Ride since his acquisition, was elated. “He has just been getting better every single day we’ve had him here,” he beamed. “Being able to work him on the turf here has just pushed him to the next level. Working on the turf really helped his feet and his soundness and helped him in the right direction. He has been steadily improving – we saw it in the Fair Grounds Handicap and he showed it again today.”
Hernandez, aboard fellow track record-holder Paroled who set said mark in a grassy one-mile allowance last out, was pleased with his mount’s effort. "He ran a good race. I thought (Coalport) would go with (Chocolate Ride) and when he didn't go we were put in that spot. In these kinds of races you can't let a horse get around there easy, so we put the pressure on. My horse gave a good effort."
Paroled was followed by Divine Oath and Coalport, who both failed to make a dent on the outcome at 5-2 odds, respectively. Potomac River rounded out the Muniz field.