Horse Racing - Patrick Valenzuela shines once more, wins Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar
Horse Racing fans have been waiting for this for years now, waiting for Patrick Valenzuela to dazzle the crowds in a major race. Valenzuela has finally delivered his fans with much awaited glory, when he won the $150,000 grade II Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar. This was his first stakes win in California since 2007. His first-ever stakes win in California came more than 30 years ago.
Valenzuela’s license to race in California had been suspended by the authorities for the umpteenth time late in 2007. The authorities said that his banishment from the Californian horse racing was permanent but thankfully it wasn’t and Valenzuela was reinstated just before this year’s Del Mar racing season.
Patrick has been racing in Louisiana since 2007 and was in a good form when he returned to California. He had reasonable success when the season began but nothing on the stakes level.
Aboard J P’s Gusto, Valenzuela, 47, rode into victory in a race that he wasn’t even scheduled to take part in. Joe Talamo was originally scheduled to be riding in J P’s Gusto in Best Pal stakes but his injury opened up the spots for Patrick Valenzuela. Joe broke his wrist in a fall last week. Following the injury Hoffman chose Valenzuela to fill the spot. "We have a long history," he said adding that Patrick’s riding style matched perfectly with the kind of horse J P’s Gusto was, a front-runner.
This wasn’t the first time Valenzuela won this particular race, in fact his third time winning it. Patrick is one of the most accomplished and the most experienced riders at Del Mar. The last time he won this race was in 2003, and the first time he won the stakes (known as the Balboa Stakes at the time) was two decades ago in 1990 aboard the horse, Best Pal.
The horse in whose honour the race was renamed is to be inducted into the Hall of fame a few days from today. "Being here today and doing this almost makes me want to cry," Valenzuela said. He also said that Best Pal had been big part of his life. “I'm sorry Joe had to get hurt for me to get the mount.”
J P’s Gusto has seen some success lately but the favourites for the race were Western Mood, with jockey Joel Rosario, and more importantly Sway Away with jockey Rafael Bejarano. Although Sway Away was beaten by half a length in the end but good money was on the horse to win.
Sway Away’s trainer Jeff Bonde was part of the chorus singing the Sway Away song. “He's a big, good-looking horse,” Bonde said. “He looks like a 3-year-old. He acts that way, too.” Jockey Bejarano, who had been with Sway Away during trainings said that the horse had been working well. “He'll come from behind, with one big run.” Of course that didn’t happen on Valenzuela’s watch.
Right out of the gates J P’s Gusto set the pace and took to the front of the field just off the rail. Valenzuela said that he didn’t want to take the lead but J P’s Gusto felt good that day and ran the six and half furlongs flawlessly. Sway Away a close second just behind Valenzuela was inching closer and looked like he would take the lead but there were issues.
Jockey Bejarano said that Sway Away was throwing his head against kickbacks from the race leader and he had to take him wide. “When we turned for home I thought he'd fire and we'd go by, but the winner had a real easy lead. Nobody put pressure on him.” Sway Away finished in second place ahead of Western Mood in third place.
J P’s Gusto has so far won all 3 of his stakes races and his earning stand at $187,360.
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