Temple, Virginia Joy Shine on Gulfstream Park Lawn
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Nicole Thomas
Temple captures the Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Under a heady ride from jockey Jose Ortiz, Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s well-traveled Temple broke through with his first graded-stakes victory and gave trainer Mike Maker a piece of history in the $200,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) March 5 at Gulfstream Park.
Now a seven-time winner from 34 career starts, Temple had placed in three previous graded stakes including a second in the W.L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) in his start before the Mac Diarmida. The Temple City gelding made Maker the first trainer ever to win the Mac Diarmida three times, having captured back-to-back editions with Zulu Alpha in 2019 and 2020.
Fourth in last year’s Mac Diarmida, Temple settled in third as 60-1 long shot Safe Conduct led the way through the stretch the first time and into the backstretch, with Temple’s Maker-trained stablemate Tide of the Sea , the 2021 Mac Diarmida runner-up, in second. The Todd Pletcher trained-Abaan , the 3-5 favorite after three straight wins including the McKnight, got shuffled back from his typical front-running position and trailed the field early.
Ortiz tipped Temple to the outside for a clear run and they took over the top spot rounding the far turn. With Abaan and Shamrocket giving chase, Temple quickly accelerated away from his foes through the lane, holding Shamrocket at bay a length under the wire. Temple's stablemate, longshot Media Blitz , passed Abaan late for third.
"It went great. We were clear on the first turn and I was able to gather him up," said Ortiz. "He was very relaxed the whole time. I had a good rhythm with him the whole way around there. At the three-eighths pole, I put him in the clear and he was there for me.”
The winning time for the 1 3/8-miles on a firm turf course was hand-timed in 2:15.30. No splits were published in the official chart by Gulfstream, which has experienced numerous timing malfunctions in its turf races this winter.
“He didn’t get away as good as he should have last time," said Maker. "Got a wide trip. All that went to the wayside today and he got the job done. He’s as honest as the day is long. Very easy to train and shows up every race.”
The consistent gelding sports an overall record of 7-8-7 from 34 starts. He has bankrolled $598,563.
Temple was bred in Kentucky by Mark Toothaker and Dan White. The gelding is the second foal out of the unraced Quiet American mare Desant, who has a yearling colt by Coal Front . He sold as a yearling to agent Tom McCrockin at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Turf Showcase Yearling Sale for $75,000 out of the Paramount Sales consignment.
Video: Mac Diarmida S. (G2T)
Virginia Joy Rallies to Take The Very One
Peter Brant's Virginia Joy posted her first U.S. stakes March 5 in the $150,000 The Very One Stakes (G3T) when the 5-year-old German-bred mare rallied in the stretch for a length victory over Family Way .
Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Virginia Joy settled comfortably in mid-pack as La Prevoyante Stakes (G3T) winner Beautiful Lover set a slow early tempo of :25.38 and :50.86. After leading through a mile in 1:41.08, Beautiful Lover was overtaken by Family Way as the field wheeled into the homestretch. Launching a five-wide bid turning for home, Virginia Joy unleashed a powerful late charge to collar Family Way in the final strides.
Harajuku ran on for third, a half-length behind Family Way.
Virginia Joy clocked the 1 3/8-miles in 2:15.92 on a firm turf course. She paid $3.60 as the favorite.
Virginia Joy rallies to take The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park
“I got a good trip. Everything went perfect," said Ortiz Jr. "She came from a long way out. I just had to wait and save some ground and wait as long as I can. She did everything right.”
The daughter of Soldier Hollow was a group 3 winner and placed in the Henkel-Preis der Diana - German Oaks (G1) as a 3-year-old before being sent to the U.S. last year as a 4-year-old. Following a win against allowance optional claiming company last June at Belmont Park in her North American debut, she was unsuccessful in a pair of stakes tries in New York last summer. Her victory Saturday followed a seven-month layoff.
“We’re really pleased with her. I want to thank Mr. Brant for being so patient with her and keeping her in training," said trainer Chad Brown. "We’ve been training her up at Payson Park. We turned her out for a while.
"She had trouble keeping weight last year so we finally pulled the plug and turned her out and she came back a different horse. I also want to add I think the firmer ground helped her. I caught soft ground three times in a row with her and I could just tell training her that she wanted it firm. I never could find it, and you’re going to find it at Gulfstream."
Virginia Joy was bred in Germany by Gestut Auenquelle. A daughter of the group 3-winning Doyen mare Virginia Sun , Virginia Joy sold as a 3-year-old to Oceanic Bloodstock for the equivalent of $1,142,388 at the 2020 Arqana Saint-Cloud "The Arc" Sale when consigned by her breeder. Her 4-year-old full brother Virginia Storm is twice group-placed in Germany.