Jaxon Traveler Wires Bachelor Stakes
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Photo: Coady Photography
Jaxon Traveler wins the Bachelor Stakes at Oaklawn Park
The results of the April 24 Bachelor Stakes at Oaklawn Park underscored why trainer Steve Asmussen is closing in on his 11th leading trainer title at the Hot Springs racetrack.
Runners from Asmussen's stable finished 1-2 in the six-furlong $200,000 stakes for 3-year-olds. First came 8-5 favorite Jaxon Traveler , who led gate to wire and won his first black-type stakes, then came 7-2 third-choice Cazadero , who overcame a wide trip to close for second by half a length over Bob's Edge .
Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Marvin Delfiner, Jaxon Traveler now has four wins from five lifetime starts. He just missed staying undefeated in his previous start March 20, finishing second by a head to Sir Wellington in the Gazebo Stakes.
"He got into a little trouble the last time out," said jockey Francisco Arrieta, who is riding his first meet at Oaklawn. "He jumped out pretty good today. I just let him get clear on the lead. I got a little pressure and I just let him run. He's a really nice horse and he did his job great."
Jaxon Traveler led the field though honest fractions of :22.41, :45.89, and :57.94. At the top the stretch is when he got his greatest challenge as horses lined up a length behind him, but none of his five competitors launched a serious bid and pulled away to win by 2 3/4 lengths.
Racing three-four wide almost the entire race, jockey Richardo Santana Jr. swung Cazadero into the middle of the track coming off the turn and unleashed a rally that carried him past a hard-trying Bob's Edge. The final time was 1:10.07.
Jaxon Traveler paid $5.40, $3.60, and $2.40. Cazadero paid $4.80 and $2.80, while Bob's Edge paid $2.80.
Dr. and Mrs. A. Leonard Pineau bred Jaxon Traveler in Maryland. The colt is by Munnings out of After Market 's stakes-placed, winning daughter Listen Boy. Eaton Sales sold Jaxon Traveler as a yearling at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $80,000 to Grassroots Training & Sales. West Point bought Jaxon Traveler from Grassroots for $140,000 at last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. The colt became Listen Boy's first stakes winner in the Bachelor and his career earnings are now $270,762.
Listen Boy has a 2-year-old filly by Street Boss named Sullivan Street that has not started. She did not have a foal last year and is carrying a foal this year by Cross Traffic. The mare has produced three other winners, including her 6-year-old gelded son Nuclear Option (by First Defence ), who has earned $328,918 so far and has been racing this year at Oaklawn.
Cazadero is a Stonestreet Stables' homebred who won twice out of three starts last year, which included a win in the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. He made his 2021 debut in the Gazebo Stakes, where he finished fourth. Cazadero is a son of Street Sense out of the grade 3-winning Forest Wildcat daughter Wild Gams.