Barn Notes 12/14/24
Compiled by Robert Yates
It appears trainer Gene Jacquot won’t be saying adios to Hola Joey.
Jacquot said Friday morning that owner Joe D. Casey has a “six-figure” offer to sell Hola Joey, but he is inclined to keep the gelding following his sharp Dec. 7 victory at Oaklawn, a maiden special weight sprint for 2-year-olds.
“I think we will,” Jacquot said. “The guy that owns him is older and he just wants to have fun. He told me: ‘I’ve got faith in you. We’re going to have some fun with this horse.’”
Making his second career start, Hola Joey ($21.80) came from off the pace to score by 4 ¼ lengths under Alberto Pusac. Racing over a fast track, Hola Joey covered 6 furlongs in 1:13.30 to earn an 87 Equibase Speed Figure, 25
points higher than when he ran third in his Nov. 8 career debut at Remington Park.
“He handled them pretty easily,” Jacquot said.
Hola Joey’s victory was in restricted conditions – “horses which sold for $75,000 or less or RNA (reserve not attained) for $75,000 or less in their last auction.” The purse was $75,000, $35,000 less than Oaklawn’s base level for open maiden special weight races to begin the 2024-2025 season.
Maiden-auction races are growing in popularity because horses like Hola Joey, a son of Grade 2 winner Adios Charlie, aren’t hooking six- and seven-figure rivals. Hola Joey sold for just $3,000 at the OBS June Sale. Oaklawn began carding maiden-auction races in 2021.
Hola Joey’s victory came roughly 21 months after Jacquot’s longtime significant other, trainer Lynn Chleborad, won a maiden-auction race at Oaklawn with Sacred Wish, a 3-year-old filly who broke her maiden in her second lifetime start. Sacred Wish was sold privately following that victory and transferred to trainer George Weaver. Sacred Wish, approaching $1 million career earnings, has sold twice at public auction ($80,000 and $50,000).
Sacred Wish became Oaklawn’s first maiden-auction graduate to capture a Grade 1 stakes race in the one-mile $300,000 Matriarch on the turf Dec. 1 at Del Mar.
“We’re very proud of that,” Jacquot said.
Jacquot said Hola Joey could resurface in an allowance sprint Dec. 29, Oaklawn’s annual program exclusively for 2-year-olds.
“I want to run him one more time three-quarters before I go two turns,” Jacquot said.
Jacquot said Casey, 87, resides in suburban Tulsa, and rose to prominence as a polo player. His son, Joey, the horse’s namesake, was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 2020.
“We’ve been friends for 50 years,” Jacquot said, referring to Joe Casey. “I’ve trained quite a few for him over the last 10 years, several for him, off and on.”
Hola Joey represented Jacquot’s 395th career North American victory, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization.
Finish Lines
Oaklawn’s racing surface was rated muddy to open Saturday. It had been fast for the first three days of racing this season. … Two-time defending Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres rode three winners Friday, including favored Sandman ($5.20) in the seventh race, a $130,000 one-mile allowance for 2-year-olds. Sandman, a $1.2 million son of Tapit, was the second winner on the card for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. … Helen's Revenge ($15.80), trainer Kelly Bainum's first career United States starter outside California or Arizona, won Friday’s fifth race at Oaklawn. It was the 51st career North American winner for Bainum, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. … Authentic Gallop ($20.20) broke his maiden in Friday’s second race, a $110,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, to become the first Oaklawn winner sired by 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic. Fair Grounds-based Tom Amoss, who has a string this season at Oaklawn, trains Authentic Gallop. … Coal Battle ($15.80) and Speed King, who have been training at Oaklawn, finished first and second, respectively, in the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes for 2-year-olds Friday night at Remington Park.
