In its relatively brief history, horses making the trek from South Florida, across the panhandle and over to Vinton, Louisiana, have featured prominently in the GIII Delta Downs Jackpot S. In 2008, future GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Big Drama (Montbrook) completed a six-for-six season in the Jackpot, while two years later, Gourmet Dinner (Trippi), a 20-1 chance, got the better of 48-1 Decisive Moment (With Distinction), keying a Florida-bred exacta that paid nearly $760 and a triple that was worth better than $9700.
There were no such exotics payoffs Saturday afternoon down on the Bayou, as Gunnevera (Dialed In) exploded around the field on the second of Delta Downs's two sharp turns and blew the field away in the stretch for a 5 3/4-length defeat of California shipper Hot Sean (Flatter). A second Golden State raider, Dangerfield (Into Mischief), added some pari-mutuel spice on the bottom at 18-1.
“I really liked the way he did it today, it was a great performance,” commented winning jockey Javier Castellano. “He got it going on the backside and I was very impressed with the way he finished.”
Saturday, Delta Downs
$1,000,000 DELTA DOWNS JACKPOT S.-GIII, $1,000,000, DED, 11-19, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:45.15, ft.
1–GUNNEVERA, 122, c, 2, by Dialed In
1st Dam: Unbridled Rage, by Unbridled
2nd Dam: Suite, by Graustark
3rd Dam: Minstrel Princess, by The Minstrel
($16,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Peacock Racing Stables, LLC;
B-Brandywine Farm & Stephen Upchurch (KY); T-Antonio
Sano; J-Javier Castellano. $600,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-0,
$771,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”brandywine-congrats”][bullet ad=”altamira-stable”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”legacy-bloodstock-keejan-mare”]2–Hot Sean, 117, c, 2, Flatter–Stormy B, by Cherokee Run.($80,000 Wlg '14 KEENOV; $550,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman; B-Brookfield
Stud (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $180,000.[bullet ad=”bluewater-shell-big-fish”][bullet ad=”elmtree-salesgrad”]3–Dangerfield, 119, c, 2, Into Mischief–Amusingly, by Distorted
Humor. ($92,000 Wlg '14 KEENOV; $450,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP).
O-W. C. Racing & Zayat Stables, LLC; B-Joe B Murphy (KY);
T-Doug F. O'Neill. $100,000.[bullet ad=”mcelroy-equine-weanling-purchase”][bullet ad=”warrendale-sold-congratulations-to-all-the-connections”][bullet ad=”stgeorge-salesgrad”][bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”]Margins: 5 3/4, 4, HF. Odds: 2.90, 4.20, 18.80.
Also Ran: J Boys Echo, Balandeen, Pat On the Back, Thirstforlife, Tip Tap Tapizar, Line Judge, Our Stormin Norman. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Second to the talented Three Rules (Gone Astray) over a sloppy Gulfstream strip on debut June 10 and fourth to that rival in the July 2 Birdonthewire S., Gunnevera broke through by 3/4 of a length two weeks later. Given a stern test for class in the GII Saratoga Special S., Gunnevera was piloted that day by Javier Castellano, who settled the $16,000 Keeneland September graduate in a distant last of five, rallied wide into the lane and ran down a tiring and subsequently demoted 'TDN Rising Star' Recruiting Ready (Algorithms) for the victory. Sent away from Florida once more for the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity Oct. 8, Gunnevera once again went back off a sharp early pace and improved inside leaving the half-mile pole. Switched wide into the stretch, he stayed on fairly to finish fifth, beaten just under seven lengths by subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile).
Immediately out the back of the pack with Castellano at the controls once more, Gunnevera caboosed the field into the first bend behind an opening two furlongs in :23.18. Steered out into the clear down the back, Gunnevera remained in a detached last, but he was asked to pick up the bit three-eighths from home and commenced a looping rally some five or side wide around the entire field. Hot Sean emerged the leader inside the final quarter-mile, but Gunnevera descended on that one at the top of the lane and ran out a convincing winner before galloping out well ahead his rivals.
Pedigree Notes:
Bred on the same A. P. Indy/Unbridled cross responsible for leading sire Tapit, Gunnevera is the last listed produce for his dam, a daughter of MSP Suite, who is the second dam of Sovereign Award-winning 2-year-old filly Van Lear Rose (Stroll), a paternal granddaughter of A. P. Indy.
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