HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – ADR Racing Stable’s Jeltrin ruined the much-anticipated 2019 debut of Jaywalk, the defending Eclipse Award Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, and blew up the tote at 50/1 to win Saturday’s Davona Dale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park.
Breaking from post 5 under Luis Saez as the biggest longshot in the field of seven, Jeltrin settled into mid-pack early while Jaywalk chased Cookie Dough through opening fractions of :24.21, :47.41, and 1:12.00. Heading into the far turn, Jeltrin made her move running three-wide, and though Jaywalk began drawing alongside Cookie Dough midway through, she seemed to hit a wall at the top of the stretch and began retreating. This gave Jeltrin enough space to close in on Cookie Dough. Meeting the pacesetter’s throat latch at the 1/16 pole, Jeltrin dug in and was able to just sneak past Cookie Dough at the wire. The Alexis Delgado trainee crossed with a head advantage in a final time of 1:36.83 for the mile-long event over the fast main track.
“Everything came like we planned,” Saez said. “We did well. I was right there, and we hit the 3/8 (pole) and I started asking, and she responded. When I saw I can beat the horse in front of me, I just tried so hard and we got it done.”
Well behind the top pair, Champagne Anyone grinded her way up the middle of the track and took third by a length over an empty Jaywalk. Bold Script, Another Time, and High Regard – who went to her knees out of the gate and never recovered – completed the order of finish.
“She just needed the race,” trainer John Servis said of Jaywalk, winner of both the Frizette Stakes (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes (G1) last fall. “She just came up a little bit empty, that’s all. She pulled up fine and looks fine. (Jockey Joel Rosario) didn’t want to beat her up. I told him that if she comes up empty, don’t beat her up. We’ll be fine. We’ve still got a few months until May.”
The Davona Dale is part of the Road to the 2019 Kentucky Oaks prep race season. Jeltrin earned 50 points for the win, with Cookie Dough receiving 20 for second, Champagne Anyone 10 for third, and Jaywalk 5 for fourth.
Jeltrin’s win was her first since breaking her maiden for a $50,000 tag at Gulfstream Park West on October 25 and improved her overall record to 6-2-1-1. The 3-year-old daughter of Tapizar, who went unplaced in her previous two stakes attempts, has now earned $158,588.
“I’m very happy, it’s a good feeling – a dream,” Delgado said. “We’ve been working for three months leading up to this race. Congratulations to my staff and to Luis Saez, it was perfect today, what a great race. I was happy when they were coming down the stretch. It was three months of hard work, all preparation for the Davona Dale. It was great.”
Jeltrin returned $105 to win, $33.20 to place, and $34 to show. Cookie Dough brought back $13.40 to place and $22.60 to show, while Champagne Anyone paid $15.40 to show.
