Sunny Ridge takes Jazil Stakes

by | Jan 15, 2017 | Breaking, Breeding, New Jersey, NJ Breeding, Racing

Sunny Ridge winning in 2016. Photo by Joe Labozzetta/NYRA.

From a NYRA release

Dennis A. Drazin’s Sunny Ridge overtook Doyouknowsomething out of the final turn to capture the $125,000 Jazil for 4-year-olds and up at one mile and 70 yards on the inner dirt track on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Res Judicata set the early fractions in going 23:32 seconds for a quarter-mile and a half in 46.87. Sunny Ridge stalked the pace and jockey Manny Franco urged him near the three-sixteenths pole to take the lead entering the stretch and outkicked Grasshoppin for a 4 ¾-length victory. The 4-year-old gelding hit the wire in 1:42.45 for his first victory in six starts.

“The plan going in was to stay as close to the rail as possible,” Franco said. “We were able to get there and from the half-mile to the quarter-pole, he took me. I didn’t have to urge him. He was ready and did it easy today.”

Sunny Ridge, off at 5-2, paid $7 on a $2 win bet and improved his career earnings to $758,002. The Jason Servis trainee won his first stakes since the 2016 Grade 3 Withers on January 30 at the Big A.

Grasshoppin railed for second and Doyouknowsomething, Royal Posse, Res Judicata and Bay of Plenty completed the order of finish.

Sunny Ridge, a Holy Bull colt, was bred in New Jersey by his owner.  He has four wins from 12 career starts and enjoyed his best win — just about one year ago — when winning the Grade 3 Withers, also over the Aqueduct inner.