Jimenez, Maker, Loooch Racing Tops at Turfway
Image:
Description:
Turfway Park concluded its 46th winter/spring meet March 30 with Albin Jimenez and Mike Maker repeating their respective leading rider and trainer titles. Ron Paolucci's Loooch Racing Stable topped the owner standings for the first time.
After ranking second among owners for the 2013 holiday meet, Loooch Racing had 13 winners from 27 starters since the meet began Jan. 1. All of Loooch Racing's starters were saddled by trainer Jeff Radosevich.
Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who hold nine leading owner titles from Turfway, were second with nine wins from 25 starters, and Olivo Inirio was third with five wins from 42 starters.
Maker won his second consecutive training title and his 14th overall at Turfway, saddling 17 winners from 56 starters. Among his wins were the 96ROCK Stakes with Harry's Holiday, who later was second to We Miss Artie in the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes (gr. III), and the inaugural running of the Hansen Starter Handicap with Ghost Is Clear.
Radosevich, who returned to Turfway with a string in December after an absence of several years, ended the winter/spring meet with 14 wins from 42 starters to rank second. Kellyn Gorder was third with 10 wins from 31 starters.
Jimenez won his first Turfway riding title at the 2013 holiday meet and immediately backed it up with his second, leading the ranks for the winter/spring meet with 55 wins from 247 mounts.
Perry Ouzts was second with 25 wins from 175 mounts. Jeremy Rose, riding the Kentucky circuit for the first time, finished third with 23 wins from 98 mounts.
Turfway completed 30 1/2 days of its scheduled 37 days of racing amid some of the harshest winter weather in two decades. By adding races to existing cards and running two optional Sundays, however, the track was able to present all but nine of the 304 races on its original schedule despite the cancellations.
"We very much appreciate our horsemen, riders, and fans hanging in there with us," said Turfway general manager Chip Bach. "Our Polytrack performed well, considering the burden of ice and snow it bore through a nearly month-long stretch of sub-freezing weather. And our Friday night parties, with the fun of live racing, great bands, and drink specials, continued to pack the grandstand despite Mother Nature."