Mexikoma Overcomes Trouble in Sunshine Millions Classic

Team Valor Stables’ Mexikoma overcame early trouble to capture Saturday’s $250,000 Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park with a relentless stretch run under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

The resurgent 5-year-old, who had competed in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, overtook a game Mr. Jordan in deep stretch to claim his first stakes victory by 1 ½ lengths in the centerpiece of the six-race $1.05 Sunshine Millions event on Saturday’s 12-race program.

“This has been the target for him for quite a while, and thankfully it worked,” said trainer Michael Dilger, whose 6-5 favorite captured his fourth start in 11 tries. “He’s won so many of his races closing from so far behind and that style will make you nervous here at Gulfstream. I was glad that Johnny rode him the way he did.”

Mexikoma was steadied in traffic around the first turn as Sr. Quisqueyano was sent to the lead by Edgard Zayas, pressed to his outside by Mr. Jordan. Coming off a fifth-place finish in the Hal’s Hope (G3) only a week earlier, Mr. Jordan stalked the defending champion on the backstretch before moving to the lead under Joe Bravo approaching the far turn. Mr. Jordan opened a clear lead on the turn into the homestretch, as Mexikoma got untracked and set out after the leader. Straightening into the stretch, Mr. Jordan maintained a clear lead, but Mexikoma could not be shaken and succeeded in grinding his way to victory.

“Not exactly the way I wanted it. He broke pretty sharply in the first turn, and I had to take a little hold of him, when they came over I got squeezed out of there on the first turn,” Velazquez said. “I didn’t worry so much because I jumped the heels and I went to the outside and I went to follow Joe Bravo, which I thought was the horse to beat. Once I was there, I didn’t worry so much”.

Mr. Jordan, a multiple-stakes winner trained by Eddie Plesa Jr., finished 12 lengths clear of third-place finisher Catholic Cowboy.

 

“Joe put him in position. You’ve got to give the horse that won a lot of credit—he ran him down and my horse was about 10 lengths clear of the others,” Plesa said. “I was really pleased with his race, or as pleased as you can be without actually winning.”

 

Mexikoma, who ran 1 1/8-miles in 1:48.19, has captured three of six starts since returning from a 13-month hiatus in June at Belmont Park. He finished fifth, beaten by 4 ¾ lengths in the Harlan’s Holiday at Gulfstream Dec. 12.

 

“He’s got a lot of try and even when he doesn’t win, it’s not because he didn’t try,” Dilger said. “He’s a horse that’s a two-turn horse. He’s always going to be running best at the end of the races. We’re delighted.”