Veteran jockey Alonso Quinonez, who began today with six winners from 109 mounts this season, hopes a pair of longshot victories will help turn his meet around.
The 42-year-old product of Guasave in Sinaloa, Mexico won the second race on 3-year-old filly Hurricane Season, who had finished 41 lengths behind the winner in her career debut here on Feb. 6. Dropped from a claiming price of $32,000 to $25,000, Hurricane Season gathered full steam through the stretch of the 6-furlong contest to post a 3 ½-length victory from fellow longshot Bella Coco, with even-money favorite Vali Vali Val third.
Hurricane Season, who is owned and trained by Gary Ellebracht, paid $93.20 to win.
Three races later, Quinonez found the magic again, employing a similar whirlwind come-from-behind rally on Mr in Personal to win the 5 ½-furlong fifth race by a neck from Royal Merit. Mr in Personal, who is owned by Charlene Gabler and Tim Padilla and trained by Padilla, paid $48.60 to win.
The longshot vibe stayed with Padilla for the seventh race, a mile-and-a-sixteenth claiming event. His 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding Holiday Fantasy rallied through the stretch under jockey Cesar Gonzalez to post a neck victory from Everdoit. Holiday Fantasy paid $56.60 to win. The victory was the second on the card for Gonzalez, who won the third race on owner-trainer Juan Arriagada’s 5-year-old mare Life Advice.
Quinonez, who is the youngest of three race-riding brothers, has ridden more than 1,200 winners. He had his best season at Tampa Bay Downs four years ago with 25 victories. He finished second last summer at Canterbury Downs in Minnesota with 53 winners.
Quinonez rode in California from 2007-2019, forging a reputation as a big-money performer. He found his “dream horse” in 2008, winning three Grade I stakes at Santa Anita, Churchill Downs and Saratoga on a 4-year-old filly named Intangaroo for trainer Gary Sherlock. Additional Grade I triumphs for the rider came in 2010 on Richard’s Kid in the Goodwood Stakes and Tell a Kelly in the Darley Debutante Stakes.
Tampa Turf Test. Ready to Fly and Crafty Collector won today’s third legs of the Tampa Turf Test starter handicap series for older horses which have started for a claiming price of $16,000 or less in 2025-26. Both races were contested on the grass at a distance of a mile-and-an-eighth.
The 8-year-old gelding Ready to Fly won the eighth race for males by a nose from late-charging betting favorite Two’s a Crowd. Owned and trained by Juan Arriagada, Ready to Fly was ridden by Samy Camacho. Israel Rodriguez, who was unseated during the running of the race when his mount Standpoint clipped heels, had a sore back and a lump on his head but was otherwise unhurt, although he planned to go to a hospital for observation. Standpoint was gathered by an outrider shortly after the incident and was being evaluated back at his barn.
The race for fillies and mares, which was the 10th race on the card, was won by 4-year-old filly Crafty Collector, who edged Tell Me Some Lies by a half-length. The winner is owned by Ad Hoc Stable and trained by Gerald Bennett and was ridden by Daniel Centeno.
Around the oval. Thoroughbred racing continues Sunday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:30 p.m. The big race is the ninth, an allowance/optional claiming event at a mile on the turf for horses 4-years-old-and-upward. The total purse is $56,500. The 3-1 morning-line favorite in the field of nine is Sherlock’s Jewel, a 6-year-old gelding trained by Claude “Shug” McGaughey, III with Samy Camacho named to ride.
As a 4-year-old, Sherlock’s Jewel finished second to Skippylongstocking here in the Grade III Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes on the main track.
Tampa Bay Downs races each Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from now through Sunday, May 3 with the exception of Easter, April 5, when the track is closed.
Otherwise, Tampa Bay Downs is open every day for simulcast wagering, no-limits action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and professional instruction and pleasure at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.
