Jacaranda Has Big Shoes to Fill
By Christie DeBernardis
Barry Schwartz’s undefeated Jacaranda (Congrats) has some pretty big shoes to fill, but the talented sophomore is already well on her way.
A half-sister to GI Donn H. and GI Florida Derby hero Constitution (Tapit), the chestnut is set to make her seasonal bow in Saturday’s GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream.
“It was a great thing to see when [Constitution] won the Florida Derby and his win [in the Donn] sets him up as one of the top handicap horses in the country,” Schwartz said. “It’s very nice to have in the pedigree. I have a lot of confidence in Jacaranda and [her dam Baffled] is obviously quite a producer.”
Schwartz’s Three Ring (Notebook) went from winning the 1996 Davona Dale to running in the GI Kentucky Derby. The chestnut finished 19th to the talented Charismatic in the Run for the Roses, but captured the GI Acorn S. next time out.
“We have nominated Jacaranda to the Triple Crown because we thought that highly of her,” Schwartz said. “The last horse I won the Davona Dale with, Three Ring, I ran in the Derby. She didn’t do well [in the Derby], but won the Acorn next out.”
Schwartz, who owns Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, New York, purchased Jacaranda for $250,000 as a yearling at the 2013 Keeneland September sale. That price seemed like a steal a few months later when Constitution was tabbed a “TDN Rising Star” following his good-looking debut at Gulfstream last January. He followed up that effort with an impressive allowance tally over eventual Grade I winners Tonalist (Tapit) and Wicked Strong (Hard Spun), and a Grade I victory.
“We look at a lot of horses,” Schwartz said. “We go as a group. I go with my trainer Mike Hushion, my farm manager Peter Moore, Black Swan Stables’ John Destefano, who is a former trainer, and my wife. [Jacaranda] was a very attractive filly. We have to all agree before we buy and everybody liked her.”
The former CEO and co-founder of Calvin Klein added, “Hushion was really always very high on her. When we have a good one, he usually knows early on and he has a good record of always being right.”
Jacaranda proved Hushion correct from the get go with an impressive victory in her 6 1/2-furlong unveiling over a muddy strip at Belmont Sept. 21. Let go at odds of 5-1, the chestnut got off to a rough beginning and fought rider Jose Ortiz to tug her way to the lead after a first quarter in :22.21. Once in the clear, she rolled home under a hand ride to graduate by five lengths.
The filly was equally impressive next out when scoring a front-running 3 1/2-length victory in the one-mile GIII Tempted S. at Aqueduct Nov. 2.
“The big surprise was her maiden race because she had a terrible start and a really bad trip, and just blew those horses away,” Schwartz commented. “In the Tempted, she just jumped right out of there and went wire to wire.”
Jacaranda was scheduled to make her next start in Aqueduct’s 1 1/8-mile GII Demoiselle S. Nov. 29, but was scratched when she spiked a fever the day before the race.
“She spiked a fever the day before the Demoiselle and that was it for her 2-year-old year,” Schwartz remarked. “Unfortunately the timing was bad. It was late in the year and there was nowhere else to run. Mike headed down to Florida kind of early in December and she has been there with him since.”
Jacaranda has been working lights out at Palm Meadows Training Center this year, including several bullet works. The chestnut breezed a best-of-27 five panels in 1:00 Feb. 9 and completed a half-mile in :51.50 last time Feb. 16.
“She has trained very well in Florida and we are expecting a very big effort out of her Saturday,” Schwartz enthused.
If her pedigree, past performances, recent works and owner’s confidence are any indication, Jacaranda could be poised to take her record to three-for-three Saturday.