Calimonco finishing better after being saddled by trainer John Sadler in the Wickerr Stakes
The 5-year-old son of Storm Cat, Calimonco, is trailing way behind his older sisters, Life is Sweet and Sweet Catomine, in terms of credentials, since his older sisters were millionaire Breeders’ Cup winners. The 5-year-old, though several milestones away,
placed in his first graded stakes win in the $92,040 Wickerr Stakes on 27 July, 2011, at Del Mar.
Calimonco took on a field of 10 three-year-old and above males, ridden under jockey, Victor Espinoza, for trainer, John Sadler, over a distance of 1 mile on the Del Mar turf.
Victor Espinoza combining with Calimonco broke well out of the gates and got in to top gear just before the turn.
It was a hard fought rally, but went wide on the turn and continues a second rally with the pace setter John Johny Jak.
The two horses battled it out for the first place finish, but on the day Calimonco had a little more in the tank than John Johny Jak, who defeated his rival by a narrow nose to win his first stakes win, the Wickerr Stakes.
The pair was timed 1 minute and 34.07 seconds. The win was a much needed one for Calimonco as he placed his fourth career win in his 24th career start with the mild earnings of $240,466.
Owned by Martin J. Wygod and Pam Wygod, Calimonco has only run in allowance races throughout his career, and an upgrade was needed to which he responded in emphatic style, sending a message to rest of the older horses.
Calimonco redeemed himself from his first start for trainer John Sadler, when he started in an allowance claimer and finished a disappointed fifth in the race.
He got his head turned out in the beginning of the race and couldn’t snap out of the early stutter as it caught him unprepared. Calimonco tracked leaders for the rest of the race, hung back as if lost the will to keep on pushing.
The 1 1/16 mile distance at Hollywood Park turf proved to be a long one after a bad start. The 5-year-old started for John Sadler on 3 June, 2011.
The Wickerr Stakes reeled in the likes of Victory Pete, Blue Chagall, and Buenos Dias. Jockey Victory Espinoza had Calimonco in the fifth, sixth position reaching the half mile mark. The pair were tracking the pace setter John Johny Jak and making acceptable
fractions, just holding back waiting for their cue.
Calimonco was behind the lot before the turn, but turned the race on its head when he got past three on the turn and assumed the leaders position in the stretch.
In the final sixteenth, the pair didn’t let anyone touch them and went through and through for the win.
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