Two-year-old filly Fallen Leaf all business in Saturday's maiden win
Fallen Leaf, who was well on her way to breaking her maiden before suddenly veering into the inside rail and unseating her rider nearing the finish line Aug. 20, made it all the way into the winner's circle in Saturday's 11th race at Gulfstream Park.
The 2-year-old filly, who appeared to veer away from the sight of her rider's whip last time out and had demonstrated erratic behavior in previous starts, was all business Saturday. The Florida-bred filly broke alertly to open up a clear lead on the backstretch that she maintained around the turn and into the stretch. Although tiring late after setting swift early fractions of 21.63 (seconds) and 44.54 for the first half-mile of the five-furlong turf race, the even-money favorite maintained a straight course and had enough left to hold off a late-running Ivy Lovely by a neck.
"It's nice to get the monkey off my back," trainer Gary Jackson, who owns the daughter of A.P. Warrior with M and G Stables and Katherine Nielsen. "She's a really quick filly. We're so happy to have her."
Fallen Leaf, who was equipped with blinkers for the first time, was ridden by Jocy Gomez, who did not carry a whip in her first race aboard the filly who had received national attention because of her antics.
"I don't know if the blinkers made any difference. We just wanted to make sure she didn't see anything else," said Jackson, whose filly ran five furlongs in 57.78 seconds to win her first race in four starts. "She'll shy to anyone's whip, not just her rider's."
Earlier on the card, jockey Marcos Meneses also enjoyed a much less eventful journey to Gulfstream Park’s winner’s circle Saturday than he had in his last race.
Meneses, who amazingly guided Chia Ghost to victory after both of his reins had broken earlier in Friday’s first race, made a late outside rally aboard Spinos ($12.80) to capture Saturday’s third race by a neck.
The 30-year-old jockey, who ventured from his native Venezuela to South Florida last year, had been sidelined with an injury for more than a week before returning to the Gulfstream winner’s circle Friday with his only mount. Spinos, who captured a 7 ½-furlong turf race for $25,000 maidens, was also the comebacking jockey’s only mount on Saturday’s card.
Meneses, who has won 14 races from 81 mounts during the Summer Meet, has three scheduled mounts Sunday.
In Saturday’s featured ninth race, a mile optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares at a mile, Maid On a Mission ($8.60) eked out a nose decision over a last-charging Little Alexandra. The Peter Walder-trained 7-year-old mare ran the mile in 1:37.21 under Emisael Jaramillo.
"She had a little issue. We needed a little time off . We did the right thing, and she's responded," said Walder, whose 7-year-old trainee was coming off a victory in a $30,000 claiming race.
Source: Gulfstream Park