Jakarta Wires Powder Break in Stakes Debut
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Jakarta wins the Powder Break Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Jakarta rewarded Three Diamonds Farm and trainer Mike Maker with a victory in the $75,000 Powder Break Stakes May 16 at Gulfstream Park, her second win in two starts for the connections. The 5-year-old Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Bustin Stones who was purchased for $35,000 in December made her stakes debut count after the race was moved off the turf.
Her success in the Powder Break, a one-mile event for fillies and mares 3 years old and up, followed a 2 3/4-length win March 18 sprinting five furlongs on Gulfstream's turf in a second-level allowance. On Saturday, the bay mare was sent off at 11-1 in the seven-horse field. Jockey Edgard Zayas was aboard Jakarta as she set fractions of :23.26, :46.30, and 1:10.48 through three-quarters of a mile.
Grade 3 winner Valedictorian stalked in third the first half of the race, then moved up into second and narrowed Jakarta’s lead to a head at the quarter pole but could not keep up down the stretch. Jakarta pulled away to win by 2 1/4 lengths on a fast track in 1:36.37.
"I knew she was going to be on the lead; it was a matter of if they let her go comfortable enough that she could hold on," Zayas said. "She fought back. At the three-eighths pole, she got a little pressure, and I thought at the quarter pole she was about to be done, and I started riding her and she kept digging in. It was an off-the-turf race, and a lot of horses didn't finish, and she got lucky."
Valedictorian was caught late by Bella Ciao, who rallied from last to finish second by half a length over Valedictorian in third. Valiance was fourth.
Three Diamonds Farm purchased Jakarta at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed and Horses of Racing Age Sale from Joseph Besecker's dispersal through consignor Northview Stallion Station. Besecker claimed Jakarta for $16,000 in August at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course. Jakarta won three of four races for Besecker, placing second in the other.
From 11 starts, Jakarta has a 6-2-1 record and earnings of $159,986. She was bred in Pennsylvania by Arrowwood Farm out of the Stormello mare T J's Stormy Wit.
Gary Barber's dual grade 1 winner Got Stormy was a notable scratch from the Powder Break, with trainer Mark Casse choosing not to run the 5-year-old Get Stormy mare because the race was taken off the turf. No alternative race plans have been decided yet.