David Anderson, Jake Olesiak Win Milestones at Fonner
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Jockey Jake Olesiak and trainer David Anderson helped propel each other to milestone victories at Fonner Park April 20, with Olesiak riding his 1,000th winner and Anderson saddling his 2,000th.
Olesiak, a 31-year-old native of Minnesota, captured his major victory in the second race aboard Garald Wollesen's He's a Rockstar, trained by Anderson. The 9-year-old Rockport Harbor gelding was favored in the six-furlong claiming event, and Olesiak made an inside bid to get up by half a length. The final time was 1:14.20.
Olesiak and Anderson teamed again to win Race 4 with Anderson Racing's Tiz On Fire. The 4-year-old Tizdejavu filly broke near the lead and only needed hand urging from Olesiak to score a three-length victory. She completed the half-mile claiming race in :47.20 and placed Anderson within one victory of notching his own milestone.
In Race 6, the Fonner Park Special Stakes for 3-year-old Nebraska-bred colts and geldings going six furlongs, Anderson sent out his homebred Phlash Drive with jockey Freddy Manrrique aboard. The Cougar Cat gelding's debut became win No. 2,000 for Anderson. Phlash Drive led every step and strode away to a nine-length victory, stopping the clock in 1:15.00.
Olesiak also pulled a hat trick Saturday, scoring a frontrunning victory aboard owner/trainer Milton Gaede's Natchez Pass. The 5-year-old Albertus Maximus mare pulled away by 11 lengths to win the optional-claiming allowance event and completed six furlongs in 1:14.20.
As of Saturday, Olesiak's mounts have earned $6,368,797 since he began riding in 2003. Anderson, a member of the Nebraska Racing Hall of Fame, sent out his first runner in 1984. His trainees have amassed $12,666,478.
In the past decade, Anderson's biggest earner has been Tom Baxter's homebred Hero On Saturday, a 7-year-old Any Given Saturday mare who last raced in 2017. She won two non-black-type stakes during her 25-race career—the Careless Navigator Overnight Stakes at Canterbury Park and the Runza Stakes at Fonner Park—and made $142,355 on the track. Going farther back, Anderson's chief earner was Nebraska-bred Roman Astro, who raced through his 8-year-old season in 1993. The multiple stakes winner earned $208,369 from 59 starts.
Olesiak found the most success aboard Diamond Joe, another Nebraska-bred stakes winner who won 24 of 56 races. Diamond Joe last raced in 2017 and earned $507,482. The jockey was also a big part of Spice Swirl's career. The mare last raced three years ago and earned $251,266 from 48 starts.