OLDSMAR, Fla. (January 19, 2007) Tomorrow’s Gasparilla Stakes, a $60,000 test for three-year-old fillies over seven furlongs, will have a full field of ten contenders. Some notable entries in the race include Foret, a lightly raced filly whose only race at Tampa Bay Downs was The Sandpiper Stakes in December, in which she missed the win my a mere half a length while closing. Purchased for $240,000 in the Keeneland September Yearling Sales, this is her debut race for 2007 and she might profit from the added distance of The Gasparilla. She also retains red-hot reinsman Daniel Centeno as her pilot and comes out of the stable of Dale Bennett, the second leading trainer at Tampa Bay Downs for the current meet.
Padua Stable’s Bianco will look for her first stakes win after two near misses in stakes at Calder over the fall. She’ll have Jose Lezcano aboard, and the filly is coming off of a bullet work on January 12. The Gasparilla distance of seven furlongs will be nothing new to Bianco, as she placed second in a stake at Calder going 7/8s. She’s never finished out of the money in her career and looks to be tough in a talented field.
Pretoria Light’s last race was an allowance test going 6 ½ furlongs at Calder; she cruised home 2 ¾ lengths ahead of the field after going wire-to-wire, earning her an 83 Beyer. She’s never lost on the dirt and has a new jockey with Luis Gonzalez in the irons. Runway Queen earned the field’s highest Beyer two races ago going a mile at Churchill Downs. Her last race was December’s The Sandpiper Stakes here, where she finished a driving fifth while passing horses.
Racing Resumes tomorrow, January 20, with an eleven race card. Tomorrow is Hat Giveaway Day, with 7,500 Tampa Bay Downs caps to be given away with paid admission. Gates will open at 11:00 AM and the approximate time of the first race is 12:25. The Silks Card Room will be open from 12:00 PM through 12:00 AM.
OTHER NOTES:
Jose Olivares, who is a member of the Finger Lakes Race Track’s Hall of Fame as well as Oriental Park Hall of Fame at Calder Race Course, passed away on Wednesday night at his home in Tampa. Jose Olivares, a native of Cuba, began his riding career at the age of 16, and was named “Most Courageous Athlete” by Rochester Press-Radio Club in 1971. Six times in a span of seven years between 1964 and 1970 Olivares was the leading rider at Finger Lakes, and was also a top rider at Tampa Bay Downs, Thistledown, Waterford Park, and Florida Downs. Tragically, at the age of 29, Olivares’ career was cut short when he was paralyzed during a racing accident at Finger Lakes on September 17, 1970. At the time, he was the sixth leading rider in the nation with 114 victories.
In addition to his tremendous riding talents, Olivares exhibited enormous personal qualities as shown by his commitment to his family, friends and fellow riders. As he climbed the ladder of success in his riding career, he used his earnings to move his family from Cuba, one by one. Furthermore, just two weeks before the accident that ended his riding career, he saved two other riders on the same racing day from possible major injuries. First, Dave Zambrana’s mount lost his bridle coming out of the starting gate; and with Zambrana hanging on to only the horse’s mane, Olivares escorted them around the racetrack to the finish line. Later that day, Joel McCullar’s horse bobbled badly coming out of the gate and Olivares, who was breaking next to McCullar, lifted him safely back into his saddle.
Olivares is survived by his wife Gladys and brother Luis. A memorial service will be held at the Tampa Bay Downs winners’ circle on Sunday at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund at 2525 Harrodsburg Rd., Lexington, KY 40504 or the NTRA Charities on the web.