August 15 racing highlights: Joya Real wins Blue Sparkler
Just Jack took a Laurel Park allowance on July 29. Photo by The Racing Biz.
From Staff Reports
YESTERDAY’S NEWS: Joya Real wins second straight Blue Sparkler
Pewter Stable’s Joya Real sat off the early pace of Nite Delite, took the lead in the middle of the stretch and never looked back, posting a head victory in Sunday’s $60,000 Blue Sparkler Stakes at Monmouth Park. It marked the second consecutive year that Joya Real won the Monmouth Park fixture.
Joya Real covered the five and a half furlongs over the firm turf course in 1:02.89 and paid $11.20, $4.60 and $3.40. The 8/5 favorite Nite Delite held on to complete the $47.20 exacta and paid $3.40 and $2.80. It was just a half-length back to Cali Thirty Seven along the rail, who paid $5.20 for show.
“She broke really well and was forwardly placed,” said winning rider Frankie Pennington. “There was so much speed in there that it set up perfect. We got the inside trip and when I asked her, she took off. When the horse came to her outside, she fought her off.”
The 7-year-old mare by Eddington out of the Regal Classic mare Regal Locket boosted her lifetime record to 10-8-3 in 29 starts, good for earnings of $452,799.
“We’ve had this race picked out for her the whole time,” said winning conditioner Kathleen Demasi. “I thought it came up very tough, but she ran great. Last time she didn’t seem to have her head in the game after taking on Lady Shipman, but today she was perfect. Frankie (jockey Pennington) rode a great race. She really likes this track. We’ll point for the Turf Amazon next (Sept. 5 at Parx).”
LOOK AHEAD: TODAY’S ACTION
- Tracks in action today: Delaware Park
- Trainer Christophe Clement looks to be loaded for bear in Delaware Park’s seventh race this afternoon, a $36,000 turf allowance contested at 1 1/16 miles. The New York-based conditioner has an uncoupled pair of horses entered, and they are the top two horses on the morning line. Blame It On Me (7-2) is the morning line favorite; the sophomore Blame filly won at first asking in April at Tampa Bay Downs and has been fourth (at Belmont) and fifth (at Monmouth Park) in two subsequent tries. Alex Cintron will ride. Clement’s other runner here, Amnicalola (9-2), cuts almost exactly the same profile: a debut win at Tampa, followed by fourth- and sixth-place finishes at Keeneland and Belmont, respectively. The three-year-old Arch filly will have Gabriel Saez up.
- Just seven are slated to go to the post in Delaware Park’s eighth race, a $36,000 allowance on the main track, but it’s an evenly matched group with no horse having a morning line above 10-1. Kathleen O’Connell ships in the favorite from Monmouth Park in the form of Gone Local (2-1), who made a disastrous trip to Saratoga (beaten by 28 lengths on July 28) but prior to that had thrashed three-year-old allowance foes at Monmouth Park. Sheldon Russell will ride. Delaware Park-based Comic Bird (3-1) has been second and third in two tries against similar over the strip and will have Diego Gomez aboard.
