Veteran Quijote Seeks Breakthrough Win at Gulfstream

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Veteran Quijote Seeks Breakthrough Win at Gulfstream
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Quijote wins the Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream Park

At 6 years old, Quijote seems well-positioned to earn the first graded stakes win of his career March 2 when the Florida-bred faces an expected seven rivals in the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes (G3).

A son of Pomeroy, Quijote enters the six-furlong Gulfstream Park Sprint off arguably the best performance of his career: a 3 3/4-length upset over five other state-breds in the Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes Jan. 19 at Gulfstream Park. Midwest Thoroughbreds' Quijote completed that six-furlong test in 1:09.98 to earn an Equibase Speed Figure of 113, a career high.

The Sunshine Millions Sprint marked the seasonal debut for Quijote and his first start for trainer Georgina Baxter, who began training in 2018. Quijote rallied from fifth after favorite X Y Jet and Ray'swarrior engaged in an early duel in which they sizzled a half-mile in :43.54.

            

"We actually knew there was going to be a lot of speed, and he's a closing type. It's nice when things go to plan," Baxter said after securing the second stakes win of her career. "The plan was that they were going to go at each other's throats, and we would pick up the pieces in the end."

Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard for the upset that day and has the mount Saturday.

Quijote will have speed inside him as multiple stakes winner Recruiting Ready drew the rail and My Chinumado starts alongside him. After closing 2018 with a gate-to-wire score in the Gravesend Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, Recruiting Ready chased World of Trouble in an off-the-turf edition of the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Stakes Jan. 26. My Chinumado, likely a longshot Saturday, has led through the first call in four of his past five races—all sprints.


Entries: Gulfstream Park Sprint S. (G3)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 02, 2019, Race 6

  • Grade III
  • 6f
  • Dirt
  • $100,000
  • 4 yo's & up
  • 2:00 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Recruiting Ready (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Luis Saez 121 Stanley M. Hough 6/5
2 2My Chinumado (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jorge Solorzano 117 Jaime Mejia 30/1
3 3Millionaire Runner (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose A. Batista 117 Jaime Mejia 30/1
4 4Quijote (FL) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 121 Georgina Baxter 3/1
5 5Santiamen (FL) Tyler Gaffalione 117 Antonio Sano 12/1
6 6Sweetontheladies (FL) Marcos Meneses 119 Henry Collazo 6/1
7 7Pass the Butter (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Andre R. Ramgeet 117 Odin J. Londono, Jr. 30/1
8 8Storm Advisory (PA) Robby Albarado 119 Anthony T. Quartarolo 4/1