Faction Cat, Jean Elizabeth Speed to Tampa Stakes Wins
Image:
Description:
Photo: SV Photography
Faction Cat wins the Turf Dash Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs
After her 7-year-old gelding Faction Cat toyed with five opponents in a Jan. 24 prep race at Tampa Bay Downs, trainer Georgina Baxter expected even better things in the Feb. 22, $93,750 Turf Dash Stakes.
"I said last week, the way he ran here last time and the way he's been training, I knew he would step up and turn in a big performance today," said Baxter, who thought the Tampa Bay Downs five-furlong turf course record could be in jeopardy.
Baxter experienced the exultation of having her hopes fulfilled as Faction Cat broke alertly, established a quick lead, and went into cruise-control mode up the backstretch under jockey Albin Jimenez, who was riding the Florida-bred son of Wildcat Heir—Zooming By, by Cimarron Secret, for the first time.
Faction Cat staved off a belated late run by 2-1 favorite Justaholic, winning by three-quarters of a length in course-record time of :53.97, :0.66 faster than Bold Thunder's 2015 stakes and course record. Mai Ty One On finished third, with End Play fourth in the 10-horse field.
The Turf Dash was the first of two stakes on Turf Sprint Showcase Day. Two races later, in the $82,500 Lightning City Stakes for older fillies and mares, 5-year-old mare Jean Elizabeth extended her winning streak to seven races—six black type—with a gritty half-length victory over 33-1 shot Miss Deplorable.
The grade 3-winning Jean Elizabeth, who was also ridden by Jimenez, set a stakes record of :55.09, :0.28 better than Miz Mayhem’s winning time in last season’s Lightning City.
Faction Cat improved to 8-for-33 with 13 seconds and raised his bankroll to $334,634. He paid $11.40 to win. Bred in Florida by Ann Ferrentino, he is owned by Sabrina Machado-Chin's Asterace Group, which purchased him privately after a Sept. 5 allowance optional claiming victory at Colonial Downs.
"I appreciate the opportunity to ride him today," Jimenez said. "He's a really nice horse, and he looks like he loves this turf course. It went pretty much perfect. I knew (Justaholic) was going to finish strong, but I could feel that I had plenty of horse left."
Faction Cat set fractions of :20.61 and :42.66 through a half-mile. He finished second to Turf Dash second-choice Extravagant Kid, beaten only a length, in the Dec. 28 Janus Stakes at Gulfstream Park after leading to the stretch. That race was switched from the turf to the main track, and Baxter was heartened by his effort that day.
"Jose Ortiz (the jockey on Faction Cat that day) said if that race had stayed on the grass, it would have been a different story," she said. "I was very confident today, and I told (Jimenez) this horse is a lot sharper than he used to be."
The Lightning City unfolded in similar fashion to the Turf Dash, with Jean Elizabeth breaking alertly and setting a quick pace of :20.83 and :43.57, with Escapade and R Happy Ending not letting her get too far away.
Through the stretch, Jean Elizabeth turned back R Happy Ending, then had enough in the tank to keep Miss Deplorable a half-length behind. R Happy Ending lasted for third, and Ode to Joy finished fourth.
The Lightning City was only the second turf start for Jean Elizabeth, who won the Jan. 25 Ladies' Turf Sprint at Gulfstream. She is 14-for-20 with four seconds and has never finished out of the money.
Jean Elizabeth, a gray Illinois-bred daughter of Adios Charlie out of Rooney Doodle, by Lit de Justice, is owned by breeders Larry Rivelli and Richard Ravin in partnership with Vince Foglia's Patricia's Hope. Rivelli trains the mare, who upped her earnings to $607,668.
"She's just an amazing horse. She'll run on broken glass, I guess," Rivelli said from Chicago, where he was planning to attend son Dominick's hockey game. "It's been a total team effort with her from day one, and you just pinch yourself with a horse like this.
"I thought she made the lead pretty easy, and (Jimenez) didn't send her, but then I saw the fractions and they were flying. It looked like those others were taking a shot at her in the stretch, but (Jimenez) kind of angled her out and she took off again."
Jimenez sensed her determination to not get beat.
"I knew when I asked her, she would take me there. She is a game mare, and she has a big heart," Jimenez said. "She keeps improving every race."
Video: Turf Dash S. (BT)