Sunday, October 03, 2010
Brian Mundell’s Race For Jake rallied through the homestretch to win Sunday’s $30,000 A.C. Kemp Stakes for 2-year-olds at The Downs at Albuquerque.
Ridden by Jorge Gonzalez for trainer Jon Arnett, Race For Jake closed off of the fractions of :23.43, :46.14, and 1:10.44 before reaching the wire in 1:24.59 for seven furlongs. His margin of victory was three-quarters of a length from pacesetter Forest Mouse, the even-money favorite.
Race For Jake was bred in Kentucky by Shields Thoroughbreds Inc., and the dark bay or brown gelding is one of 630 winners from 883 starters sired by Grand Slam, a 15-year-old son of the Mr. Prospector stallion Gone West and winner of the 1997 Moet Champagne Stakes (G1) and Futurity Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. A Kentucky-bred and half brother to stakes winner Leestown, Grand Slam has sired the earners of more than $53.6 million from nine crops, including Cafe Olympus, a three-time stakes winner in Japan from 2004-06. He stands for a $17,500 fee at Ashford Stud at Versailles, Kentucky.
Race For Jake’s dam, Charming Gal, is a winning 17-year-old daughter of Slew’s Royalty who ran second in the 1998 Watch Wendy Handicap (R) on the turf at Golden Gate Fields. The gelding’s second dam, the Reb’s Policy mare Westward Gal, won the 1981 Terlingua Stakes for 2-year-olds at Hollywood Park.
A 1979 foal, Westward Gal produced two stakes winners, both of whom are half siblings to Charming Gal – Reb’s Natural, a colt by L’Natural who won the ’87 Gateway to Glory Stakes at Fairplex Park, and Ballerina Gal, a daughter of Moscow Ballet and winner of the 1995 Very Subtle Stakes (R) at Santa Anita Park.
Westward Gal, who died 11 years ago, was a full sister to Westward Sal, a daughter of Reb’s Policy who won three stakes in California from 1978-79, including the ’78 CTBA Marian Stakes (R) at the Los Angeles County Fair meet at Pomona.
Race For Jake’s third dam, the unraced Sunny Boy (FR) mare Pure, produced Idealistic, a filly by Mister Gus who won the 1967 Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga Racecourse in New York.
Race For Jake’s victory was his second in as many starts, and the $18,000 winner’s share of the A.C. Kemp purse increased his bankroll to $27,390. A $6,000 buy at this year’s Barrett’s Equine Limited Mixed Sale, the gelding broke his maiden in his career debut, winning a 5-furlong maiden $12,500 claiming sprint by four lengths at Zia Park on September 19.
No It Ain’t ran third, 5 ½ lengths behind runner-up Forest Mouse. Securitysnightmare and Willy Jo Hunter completed the order of finish.
Forest Mouse earned $6,300 for his owner, Mark Jensen, who also trains the Kentucky-bred colt by Teton Forest. A $1,200 buy at the 2009 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, Forest Mouse has banked $14,940 from one win in four outs.
No It Ain’t was coming off of a 3 ½-length maiden win going 5 furlongs at Albuquerque on September 20. The chestnut colt by Yes It’s True has earned $7,955 from three starts for his owners, Vance Alfrey and Stuart Eskew.