Jeltrin Upsets Jaywalk in Davona Dale
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Leslie Martin
Jeltrin edges Cookie Dough in the Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Jeltrin defied her 51-1 odds and galloped past champion Jaywalk with ease to win the $200,000 Davona Dale Stakes (G2) March 2 at Gulfstream Park.
In her third start of 2019, ADR Racing Stable's daughter of Tapizar upset the season debut of last year's Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old filly, who was a 1-5 favorite in a field of seven but faded to fourth after pressing the pace.
Instead of Jaywalk, it was two-time Florida Sire Stakes winner Cookie Dough who proved the strongest rival in the one-mile Davona Dale. While Jeltrin rated third three wide, Cookie Dough grabbed the early lead and posted reasonable fractions of :24.21 and :47.41. Jaywalk was still second through three-quarters in 1:12, but on the turn for home, it was Jeltrin who had more to give.
Under heavy urging from jockey Luis Saez, the Alexis Delgado trainee mounted a long, grinding drive and edged Cookie Dough by a head in a final time of 1:36.83. She returned $105 on a $2 win ticket as the longest shot in the field.
The win was the first graded score for Delgado, a native of Venezuela who saddled his first U.S. winner in August 2017 at Gulfstream.
"I'm very happy. It's a good feeling—a dream," Delgado said. "We've been working for three months leading up to this race. Congratulations to my staff and to Luis Saez. It was perfect today; what a great race. I was happy when they were coming down the stretch. It was three months of hard work, all preparation for the Davona Dale. It was great."
The Davona Dale marked the first graded stakes score for Jeltrin, who was fourth in the Feb. 2 Forward Gal Stakes (G3) and the Jan. 5 Glitter Woman Stakes. She was bred in Kentucky by C. Kidder, N. Cole, J. K. Griggs, and Linda Griggs out of the Successful Appeal mare Song to the Moon and improved her record to 2-1-1 from six starts, with earnings of $158.588. She also picked up 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, and now ranks second on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 51 points overall.
Jeltrin failed to meet her reserve last year at $27,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. She was a $7,000 purchase by Juan C. Sanchez's C & J Stable from Gainesway's consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She is the most accomplished foal from four to race for her dam, who produced an Anchor Down colt in 2018 and was bred to American Freedom for 2019.
"Everything came together like we planned," said Saez, a late replacement for the injured Leonel Reyes. "We did well. I was right there, and we hit the three-eighths (pole) and I started asking, and she responded. When I saw I could beat the horse in front of me, I just tried so hard, and we got it done."
Cookie Dough, making her first start since late September, finished 4 1/2 lengths in front of Champagne Anyone. Jaywalk, winner of the Frizette Stakes (G1) and Tito's Handmade Vodka Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at the end of her 2-year-old season, saw her four-race win streak snapped for trainer John Servis. But the May 3 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) remains the goal for the Cross Traffic filly, who could run next in either the March 30 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) or the April 6 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.
"She just needed the race," Servis said. "She just came up a little bit empty, that's all. She pulled up fine and looks fine. I thought she was tight enough, but obviously she wasn't. I'm not happy that she didn't win. I thought she'd win. Shame on me for thinking that she was good enough to beat these horses anyway, but she'll be fine. We've still got a few months until May."