Durable Gelding Royal F J is a Cool Horse

With only five wins from 58 starts, Royal F J isn’t exactly a “Win Machine,” but the durable 7-year-old Royal Academy gelding certainly earns his keep.

The Kentucky-bred chestnut pulled off a $27.20 upset when he won Saturday’s second race, a $60,000 allowance test at about 6 ½ furlongs on the turf for owners Howard and Janet Siegel. Jockey Martin Garcia got Royal F J to the wire by a head in a driving finish.

While it was only his fifth career win, Royal F J does have 14 seconds and nine thirds, with earnings of $421,020, $36,000 of which was picked up yesterday.

“He’s a fun horse to have around,” said trainer Jack Carava. “He’s a unique horse. He’s a character and a little tough on himself and a little tough to train, but he’s been a consistent horse. He doesn’t do a lot of winning, but once in a while, if there’s enough pace in the race and they go fast enough in front of him, like yesterday, he’ll get there.

“That was the case yesterday. There was a lot of speed in the race and they slowed down for him and he got up. I bought him as a yearling, we brought him in as a 2-year-old, and he’s never left the race track in five years.

“Like I said, he doesn’t win a lot of races, but he makes money. He makes us $80,000 a year or whatever and he’s a cool horse.”