Page 142 - Speedhorse June 2020

RACING NEWS
Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G2
LA JOCONDE
by Tracy Gantz
Trainer Jaime Gomez credits his entire
team when he wins. So when he captured the $279,200 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G2 at Los Alamitos on May 17 with La Jaconde, for a record eighth victory in that stakes for him, Gomez did just that.
“I’ve been saying all along that I am very fortunate to have a tremendous team and talented horses,” Gomez said after the race. “It is a team effort. I was lucky to have three horses in the final. You need great horses and a great team. I feel blessed to enjoy a win like this once again.”
Gomez saddled the fastest qualifier in La Jaconde as well as PYC Powerglide and Jeanetics, the fourth- and fifth-fastest quali- fiers, respectively.
La Jaconde, bred and owned by the Balgo Racing Team Inc., went off as the 3-1 second choice, but she immediately encountered trouble that would have ended the chances of most horses.
Breaking from the two-post, the sorrel filly and regular rider Oscar Peinado received bumps from horses on either side of them. La Jaconde came away from the gates in seventh place after the trouble.
“We got hit at the start,” said Peinado. “Then she came flying. She had so much power at the end.”
La Jaconde bulleted to the front, garnering the description “exploded” from the chartcaller. Five horses came to the wire together, La Jaconde winning by a head and the other four separated by necks. La Jaconde com- pleted 300 yards in :15.477 for a 91 speed index.
“La Jaconde ran super after a rough begin- ning to the race,” said Gomez. “What a beauti- ful finish for her in this race.”
Unfortunately, with the safety protocols in place at Los Alamitos because of the coronavi- rus, no spectators were allowed in the grand- stand. Thus, Gomez couldn’t enjoy his record victory with others.
“I wish my family could be here with me, but it is not possible right now,” Gomez stated.
“I do feel so fortunate and so thankful to Dr. Ed Allred that we have been able to keep racing here at Los Alamitos,” he continued.
“I’m going to go straight home and celebrate with a glass of chia water.”
Balgo Racing was win- ning its second Kindergarten Futurity, following West Coast Hawk in 2010. Gomez didn’t train that runner, but he had won the race seven times previously, which had tied him with the late Blane Schvaneveldt.
“I won this race for the first time in 1996 with Corona Cartel, and my
last win came in 2009 with Dutch Master’s Twin Spires,” said Gomez.
Corona Cartel appears twice in La Jaconde’s pedigree. The stallion is the broodmare sire of Favorite Cartel, the sire of La Jaconde, and he is also the broodmare sire of Jess And Molly, the filly’s dam.
Since Gomez’s last Kindergarten win, the race has been renamed for the late jockey Bobby Adair.
“I have been trying to win one more Kindergarten,” said Gomez. “There’s nothing easy when it comes to winning these races.”
Los Alamitos $279,200 • 300 yards :15.477 • si 91
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
Shenoshercorona
LA JACONDE, ‘18-f.
Mr Jess Perry
Jess And Molly
Mollys Cartel
140 SPEEDHORSE June 2020
La Jaconde wins the $279,200 Grade 2 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity by a head.
Los Alamitos