J R's Holiday Seeks Third Straight Win in Palm Beach

JR Racing’s J R’s Holiday toiled his way through three starts on dirt to open his career before demonstrating sudden and marked improvement on turf.

The 3-year-old son of Harlan’s Holiday has been a source of considerable pride for trainer Jose Garoffalo, but that was not always the case.

“He was a mess. In the morning he was a mess. He always galloped sideways. He never galloped straight. We had to do a lot of work with him,” Garoffalo said. “I think he might have had a problem when he was getting broken. When he came to me, he didn’t have much control; he was very green.”

Garoffalo’s hard work has paid dividends as J R’s Holiday took to the turf to win three of his five turf starts, including a last-to-first triumph in the $100,000 Kitten’s Joy at Gulfstream Park Jan. 30. The Kentucky-bred colt is scheduled to seek his third straight victory Saturday in the $150,000 Palm Beach (G3), a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds on the Fountain of Youth undercard.

“He’s got a lot of kick, and it seems like he can run all day. The longer the race, the better it is for him. I like the mile and a sixteenth for this race,” Garoffalo said. “Last race was a mile and I was suspicious; I though a mile might be short for him. A mile and a sixteenth will be better for him.”

J R’s Holiday came up a neck short of winning his turf debut at 7 ½ furlongs at Gulfstream Aug. 29 before breaking through with his first career win at 1 1/16 miles a month later. The stretch-running colt came right back to finish third, beaten by less than a length, in the Armed Forces Stakes Oct. 3, before scoring in an optional claiming allowance and earning stakes credentials with a strong inside drive in the Kitten’s Joy.

“I was confident with the horse before that race because he was a horse I’ve always had a [good opinion] of. He was green in his previous races, but now he’s lot more focused. That day I knew he was going to run a good race against the more experienced horses,” Garoffalo said. “I have to give a lot of credit to the rider, because he had the ability to go inside and the horse responded and was good enough to win.”

Emisael Jaramillo, who will seek his third straight victory on J R’s Holiday Saturday, was no stranger to Garoffalo before venturing from Venezuela to South Florida during the summer.

“In Venezuela he rode for me as a bugboy years ago, and he won some races for me. I’m talking 1997-1998. I never doubted his ability as a rider. He’s a good rider,” Garoffalo said. “He just had to adapt to this system. He’s still improving. He can run on the lead; he can run from behind; he runs good on the turf; he’s a very smart guy. He was the leading rider there for years.”

While turf has obviously moved up J R’s Holiday, his sudden improvement also coincided with the removal of blinkers and the switch from one-turn to two-turn races.

“I used to run him with blinkers and a lot of stuff. I took off everything, since then, he has run much better,” Garoffalo said. “But this is a horse that needs a lot of work in the morning – mentally. He’s green. But with every race he gets better and better.”

Since J R’s Holiday has become more focused with every start, Garofallo can only wonder how he might handle dirt if he were given the chance.

“I keep thinking of trying the dirt again, but he’s been running so good on the turf. He ran a good race last time. I don’t think this is the right time to try two turns on dirt,” he said. “At one point I was thinking of nominating him to the Triple Crown. But maybe later we’ll try him on the dirt at two turns. The way he’s running, I don’t think I’m going to try him on dirt for a while.

“If I try him on a different surface, maybe it will be on Polytrack in the Spiral. If we win or run good in the Palm Beach, the plan is to go to the Spiral next month,” said Garofallo, referring to the $500,000 Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park April 2 that offers enough qualifying points to virtually clinch a berth in the Kentucky Derby to the winner.

“If we get the points maybe we’ll spend the money [to nominate] J R’s Holiday to the Triple Crown,” Garoffalo said. “Right now, we’re concentrating on the Palm Beach and the Spiral.”

Among his 12 rivals in the Palm Beach are the second and third-place finishers in the Kitten’s Joy.  Don’t Be So Salty finished second but was placed fourth for interference, while Azar checked in third before being placed second.

Alto Racing LLC’s Azar previously finished a troubled 13th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Keeneland. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Scat Daddy had previously won the With Anticipation (G2) at Saratoga and lost a photo for win in the Pilgrim (G3) at Belmont.

“He’s been training well; he looks good. I’m happy with his first race back. He encountered a little bit of traffic and ran a solid race,” Pletcher said. “I look for him to come back and do it that again.”

Pletcher also entered JSM Equine LLC’s Kismet’s Heels, a maiden who has been a runner-up on turf in both his starts, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Gimlet, who defeated the former in his debut. Bourbon Lane Farm’s Urban Bourban, who defeated Kismet’s Heels while graduating last time out, is also entered in the Palm Beach.

Platinum Seven LLC and partners’ Don’t Be So Salty had won three of six starts at Woodbine, including a victory in the Display Stakes in his 2015 finale for trainer Gary Contessa.

Paul Pompa Jr.’s Converge is slated to make his 2016 debut after a freshman campaign that included a maiden score followed by late-closing second in the Awad Stakes at Belmont Park.

John Grossi Racing Corp.’s Ousby, a two-time winner over the Gulfstream turf during the Championship Meet, is set for his stakes debut in the Palm Beach for trainer Marcus Vitali.

Others entered in the Grade 3 stakes, include Herman Van Den Broeck’s Frontier Ranger, AJ Suited Racing Stable’s Cave Johnson, G Watts Humphry Jr. and partners’ Space Mountain, West Point Thoroughbreds’ Scholar Athlete and Robert Baker and William Mack’s Giant Run.

Noholdingback Bear Switches to Turf for Texas Glitter
 

Bear Stables LLC’s Noholdingback Bear is scheduled to meet eight rivals in the $75,000 Texas Glitter in his turf debut Saturday following a pair of solid efforts behind undefeated Awesome Banner in the Hutcheson (G3) and Swale (G2). The five-furlong Texas Glitter is one of eight stakes on the Fountain of Youth program at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Michael De Paulo, the 3-year-old son of Put It Back launched his four-race career with a 5 ¾-length romp over Woodbine’s Polytrack surface before finishing a close second in the Juvenile Sprint on the Breeders’ Cup undercard over Keeneland’s main track Oct. 31.

Noholdingback Bear chased Awesome Banner before setting for second in the Hutcheson before fading to fourth in the Swale after chasing the Jacks or Better Farm homebred.

Platinum Seven LLC and partners’ Manhattan Dan is set to make his 2016 debut in the Texas Glitter following a juvenile campaign that included a pair of graded-stakes placings at Woodbine and Belmont Park. The Gary Contessa-trained colt set the pace into the stretch in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) before fading to seventh.

Also entered: Besame, Drama Club, Duffle Bag, Expected Ruler, Francesco Blue, Monster Bea and Oscar Mike.

Source: Gulfstream Park