Gulfstream roundup: Jesus’ Team has ankle chip, out 90 days
Jesus’ Team, second to Knicks Go in January in the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park, will be out of training for 90 days due to a chip in his left front ankle, his trainer Jose D’Angelo said Sunday.
Owned by Grupo 7C Stable, the 4-year-old son of Tapiture who was second in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) and third in last year’s Preakness (G1) and Jim Dandy (G2) will sit out the next three months while recuperating at WinStar Farm, according to Jose D’Angelo.
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“Everything is good with him. It really wasn’t a big deal, but we always want to do the right thing,” D’Angelo said. “He will rest at WinStar for 90 days, they will walk and swim him, and then he’ll come right back.”
Jesus’ Team, who started his career in a $25,000 claimer, finished first, second or third in 11 of his 17 starts and has earned $821,800.
After finishing second in the Pegasus last winter, Jesus’ Team was sixth in the Dubai World Cup (G1) and fifth in an overnight handicap at Gulfstream before finishing eighth Aug. 6 at Saratoga in the Alydar Stakes.
Zayas will ride in Smarty Jones
Edgard Zayas, who leads the Gulfstream Park jockey colony in wins and purse earnings this summer, will head to Parx Racing to ride Alonzo in Tuesday’s $300,000 Smarty Jones (G3).
The 1 1/16 mile Smarty Jones, the 11th race on the program, drew a field of nine, including Juddmonte’s Matt Winn (G3) and Indiana Derby (G3) third-place finisher Fulsome and Dwyer (G3) runner-up Ridin With Biden.
Alonzo, an Arindel homebred who is a 3-year-old son of Brethren, has won 2 of 4 starts at Gulfstream with a second and a third.