TAMPA BAY: R ADIOS JERSEY MAKES SUCCESSFUL RETURN

By Mike Henry —-

R ADIOS JERSEY MAKES SUCCESSFUL RETURN; OCTANE UPSETS WILLY BOI

OLDSMAR, FL. – When R Adios Jersey is at her best, it’s like watching poetry in motion. And although the 4-year-old filly might not have been 100-percent fit after a layoff of almost seven months, trainer Gerald Bennett had her close enough to peak form to dominate five foes in the $100,000 Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

“You always worry coming in off a layoff, but I’m glad to see her back running,” co-owner Rich Averill of Bradenton, Fla., said after R Adios Jersey posted a 1 ¾-length victory from Restofthestory in 1:23.59 for the 7-furlong distance. “Hopefully she comes back from it good, and she can go on to something a little better, maybe.”

Averill (through Averill Racing) owns R Adios Jersey in partnership with former major league baseball outfielder Jayson Werth, who left earlier Saturday for a fishing trip in the Bahamas while Averill landed the big one at the Oldsmar oval.

Antonio Gallardo rode R Adios Jersey, then added a second stakes victory three races later when 3-year-old gelding Octane upset 1-2 favorite Willy Boi in the $100,000 FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes for males in a time of 1:23 for the 7 furlongs. Both races were for FTBOA-registered Florida-breds sired by an FTBOA-registered Florida stallion.

The Marion County triumph was the fifth in nine starts for Octane, bred and owned by Alan Cohen’s Arindel racing operation. Carlos David trains Octane, as well as third-place finisher Gatsby.

The 4-year-old Willy Boi, a Grade III winner who is Grade I-placed, broke on top under jockey Chantal Sutherland, but Gallardo urged Octane to the lead from the No. 1 post to take control heading up the backstretch and into the turn.

“He (Octane) broke a step slow, but he got up there and got the lead, which is what we wanted,” David said. “I think Chantal knew Gatsby was back there stalking and was going to try to hold back a little, but speed was holding today and my horse can go a distance.”

With the late scratch of Cattin, Octane and sixth-place finisher Morgan Point were the only 3-year-olds in the seven-horse field. “He’s a great 3-year-old who has a bright future ahead of him,” David said.

Gallardo felt the race was his for the taking when Willy Boi drew even with him approaching the quarter-mile pole but couldn’t get past. ”I was thinking I’m in the game, and I started getting a little more excited,” he said.

It was the third stakes victory for Octane, who won two legs of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park as a 2-year-old. The son of Brethren out of Star Recruit, by Aldebaran, has career earnings of $518,480.

There was plenty of excitement during and after the City of Ocala, as Averill, family members and dozens of friends from nearby Bradenton celebrated the victory.

It was the sixth triumph in nine lifetime starts for the daughter of Adios Charlie-Marion Theatre, by Montbrook, who paid $3.60 to win as the heavy betting favorite. Sassy Beast finished third in the six-horse field comprised of Florida-bred fillies and mares.

First-place money of $60,000 raised R Adios Jersey’s career bankroll to $270,250. R Adios Jersey set all the fractions on a fast track, tooling the first quarter-mile in 22.42 seconds, the half in 44.99 and 6 furlongs in 1:10.36.

A year ago, Averill watched R Adios Jersey stroll to an 11-length victory in the same event, and he was hopeful she might open up a bigger margin early in the race. But Gallardo, who had worked her out a couple of times, most recently in company, but was riding her in a race for the first time, let her do her own thing until 4-year-old filly Restofthestory and jockey Daniel Centeno posed a major threat in the final furlong.

“I could see from working her that she is a free-going filly who knows what she is doing, and you don’t have to tell her much,” Gallardo said. “She has speed and she has a long stride, so you don’t want to get too smart and take her back or lay second because she wants to be free.

“I could hear somebody (Restofthestory) coming late, but I could feel my filly was not done. She’s not going to give up, and that gives you a good feeling when your horse tells you ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got you.’ ”

Bennett sensed his Ocala Stud and J. Michael O’Farrell Jr.-bred charge was tiring late. “It was class. Class got it done,” Bennett said.

“She put on about 50-to-75 pounds (during the layoff), but they all need that time off,” Bennett said. “She was trying to bear in a little late, but Tony got her to change leads and she came back.”

Around the oval. In addition to his victory with R Adios Jersey, Bennett won the second race with Foolish Heart, a 4-year-old Florida-bred filly owned by CCF Racing Stable and ridden by Samuel Marin.

Jesus Castanon rode two winners today. He captured the third race on the turf on Bali Kuta, a 3-year-old filly owned by Jett North and trained by Kerri Raven. Castanon added the seventh, the Lambholm South Race of the Week, with Rhumjar, a 3-year-old gelding owned by Wasabi Ventures Stables and trained by Jesse Cruz.

Thoroughbred racing continues Wednesday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:30 p.m. Tampa Bay Downs races each Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with Sundays added to the mix on Jan. 1. The track is open every day except Christmas, Dec. 25, for simulcast wagering, no-limits action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and golf fun and instruction at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.

Photos by SV Photography