Rosario Sweeps Black Friday Stakes at Aqueduct
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Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
Joel Rosario's "Black Friday" was anything but bleak at Aqueduct Racetrack, sweeping a pair of stakes on the 10-race holiday weekend card.
The 30-year-old journeyman's final weekend in New York got off to a fast start, first piloting GRD Two Racing's Jan's Reserve to a 21-1 upset in the $150,000 King's Swan before picking up the mount aboard a triumphant Taris in the Grade 3, $300,000 Go for Wand.
Trailing his four rivals by more than 10 lengths in the early going of the King's Swan, Rosario waited patiently aboard Jan's Reserve, who was making his first start on a fast dirt track, as post-time heavyweights Mo for the Money and Spooked Out duked it out through an opening quarter-mile in 22.51 seconds and half in 45.68.
Rosario moved into contention as the leaders covered five-eighths of a mile in 58.48, clearing his rivals by 7 ½ lengths at the wire to complete the six-furlong sprint in 1:10.43.
"The two horses on the lead had a lot of speed of up front and that helped my horse, but he really finished well. He did everything easy," Rosario said. "My plan going into the race was to come from off the pace because on paper he looked like he would come with a run at the end."
As the second-longest shot on the board, Jan's Reserve returned $44.40 for a $2 win wager.
"In his last race, there were slow early fractions but he was close to the pace which allowed him to quicken at the end," said winning trainer Michael Dilger. "Given the style of that race and the pace scenario today, we said we'd try those tactics again. He's just been training fantastic and handling [the dirt] way better in the fall than in the spring."
Sallisaw checked in second, five lengths ahead of Mo for the Money in third. Spooked Out and In R Defence completed the order of finish.
In the Go for Wand, Rosario found himself in a fortuitous position as the late-notice jockey for the featured race's morning-line favorite after Taris' regular rider, Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, took off his mount due to a mild illness.
Owned by Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith, and shipping in from trainer Simon Callaghan's Southern California base, multiple graded stakes winner Taris most recently turned in a solid third-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on October 31.
"I looked at the Form, saw her running style and I had an idea what she'd like to do, what she wouldn't like to do," Rosario said about preparing for the race. "I watched replays and all that, so I was very confident. I watched her last time when she ran in the Breeders' Cup. She's a nice horse."
Rosario settled just off Spelling Again, who led the field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.80, a half in 47.49 and three-quarters in 1:11.46. Turning for home, Rosario angled his charge off the rail, sweeping five-wide into the stretch to edge clear by 2 ½ lengths.
"I tried to get off the rail a little bit, just let her build a little confidence. She looked like she was really happy in the middle of the track, so I just let her be," Rosario said. "She knew exactly what she liked to do.
"I could've been on the lead, I just didn't want to let her go too quick probably," he added. "The horse on the inside looked like she wanted the lead, so I thought I should go with [Luis Saez, aboard Spelling Again] so we wouldn't go too fast, just sit a little bit behind him, let him set up the pace and come again."
Sent to post at 4-5, Taris returned $3.80 for the win.
"It was a nice race with a solid field and we're glad she performed today," Callaghan said by phone. "Gary was dehydrated and we ended up with Joel, who's also a terrific rider and I was pleased with his performance."
Taris' winning time for the one-turn mile was 1:36.10. Mei Ling finished second, ahead of Spelling Again in third. Kiss to Remember, America, Willet, Playful Love completed the order of finish.
Rosario's likely final riding engagements in 2015 at Aqueduct include a trio of stakes contenders on Cigar Mile Day, with mounts aboard Sail Ahoy in the Grade 2 Remsen, Peace and War in the Grade 3 Comely and Red Vine in Saturday'sfeature race, the Grade 1, $500,000 Cigar Mile, before he moves his tack to his winter base at Gulfstream Park.
Source: NYRA Communications
The 30-year-old journeyman's final weekend in New York got off to a fast start, first piloting GRD Two Racing's Jan's Reserve to a 21-1 upset in the $150,000 King's Swan before picking up the mount aboard a triumphant Taris in the Grade 3, $300,000 Go for Wand.
Trailing his four rivals by more than 10 lengths in the early going of the King's Swan, Rosario waited patiently aboard Jan's Reserve, who was making his first start on a fast dirt track, as post-time heavyweights Mo for the Money and Spooked Out duked it out through an opening quarter-mile in 22.51 seconds and half in 45.68.
Rosario moved into contention as the leaders covered five-eighths of a mile in 58.48, clearing his rivals by 7 ½ lengths at the wire to complete the six-furlong sprint in 1:10.43.
"The two horses on the lead had a lot of speed of up front and that helped my horse, but he really finished well. He did everything easy," Rosario said. "My plan going into the race was to come from off the pace because on paper he looked like he would come with a run at the end."
As the second-longest shot on the board, Jan's Reserve returned $44.40 for a $2 win wager.
"In his last race, there were slow early fractions but he was close to the pace which allowed him to quicken at the end," said winning trainer Michael Dilger. "Given the style of that race and the pace scenario today, we said we'd try those tactics again. He's just been training fantastic and handling [the dirt] way better in the fall than in the spring."
Sallisaw checked in second, five lengths ahead of Mo for the Money in third. Spooked Out and In R Defence completed the order of finish.
In the Go for Wand, Rosario found himself in a fortuitous position as the late-notice jockey for the featured race's morning-line favorite after Taris' regular rider, Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, took off his mount due to a mild illness.
Owned by Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith, and shipping in from trainer Simon Callaghan's Southern California base, multiple graded stakes winner Taris most recently turned in a solid third-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on October 31.
"I looked at the Form, saw her running style and I had an idea what she'd like to do, what she wouldn't like to do," Rosario said about preparing for the race. "I watched replays and all that, so I was very confident. I watched her last time when she ran in the Breeders' Cup. She's a nice horse."
Rosario settled just off Spelling Again, who led the field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.80, a half in 47.49 and three-quarters in 1:11.46. Turning for home, Rosario angled his charge off the rail, sweeping five-wide into the stretch to edge clear by 2 ½ lengths.
"I tried to get off the rail a little bit, just let her build a little confidence. She looked like she was really happy in the middle of the track, so I just let her be," Rosario said. "She knew exactly what she liked to do.
"I could've been on the lead, I just didn't want to let her go too quick probably," he added. "The horse on the inside looked like she wanted the lead, so I thought I should go with [Luis Saez, aboard Spelling Again] so we wouldn't go too fast, just sit a little bit behind him, let him set up the pace and come again."
Sent to post at 4-5, Taris returned $3.80 for the win.
"It was a nice race with a solid field and we're glad she performed today," Callaghan said by phone. "Gary was dehydrated and we ended up with Joel, who's also a terrific rider and I was pleased with his performance."
Taris' winning time for the one-turn mile was 1:36.10. Mei Ling finished second, ahead of Spelling Again in third. Kiss to Remember, America, Willet, Playful Love completed the order of finish.
Rosario's likely final riding engagements in 2015 at Aqueduct include a trio of stakes contenders on Cigar Mile Day, with mounts aboard Sail Ahoy in the Grade 2 Remsen, Peace and War in the Grade 3 Comely and Red Vine in Saturday'sfeature race, the Grade 1, $500,000 Cigar Mile, before he moves his tack to his winter base at Gulfstream Park.
Source: NYRA Communications
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