BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Joe D. Casey’s Hola Joey makes his first start against stakes horses Monday when the Florida-bred gelding goes postward in the $150,000 Ozark at Oaklawn Park. Nine 3-year-olds will race six furlongs on the President’s Day card with Hola Joey tabbed at 5-1 on the morning line.
Trained by Gene Jacquot, Hola Joey has shown consistent improvement in his three career starts after finishing third over a sloppy five furlongs in his first race, a maiden special weight at Remington Park on Nov. 8.
He then excelled in a come-from-behind victory in his next start going six furlongs at Oaklawn on Dec. 7, winning by four-and-a-half lengths in a maiden special weight for horses that sold for $75,000 or less in their last auction. Casey purchased Hola Joey for a bargain $3,000 out of the consignment of breeder Ocala Stud at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale last year.
(Hola Joey’s Under Tack Video / Walking Video)
But Hola Joey proved his mettle against open company in his last race when coming from off the pace again to win a first condition allowance race by a neck going six furlongs on Feb. 1—making him two-for-two at Oaklawn.
Hola Joey is by Ocala Stud stallion Adios Charlie out of the Malibu Moon mare Engaged and has earned $126,712.
Jacquot has given the riding assignment on Hola Joey to Alberto Pusac and they have post three.
Michael Stidham trains 9-5 morning line favorite Innova, a winner last time of a first condition, $100,000 optional claiming taken off the turf and run at five-and-a-half furlongs at Fair Grounds on Jan. 12. That was his first win since breaking his maiden at Monmouth Park in August, although he finished last year with a solid second to Star’s Image in a non-winners of two, $100,000 optional claiming sprinting five-and-a-half furlongs on the Fair Grounds turf on Dec. 16.
Innova has two wins and a second in five starts while earning $81,845 for owners JJE Thoroughbreds LLC and Monkey Horse LLC. He is by Frosted out of Star Silver, by Aldebaran will be ridden by Cristian Torres from the outside post nine.
I Got Game, who was second to Innova in the Jan. 12 optional claiming, is the 5-2 second choice in the program for Take It to the Limit Stable LLC.
The Tom Amoss-trained son of Game Winner broke his maiden two starts back in his sixth career start going six furlongs at Oaklawn on Dec. 21.
Ramon Vazquez will be aboard I Got Game from post seven.
Others set for the Ozark are Waco and jockey Tyler Bacon, Farley Hall has Francisco Arrieta taking the call, Martin Garcia rides El Dandi, Catamount will have Erik Asmussen in the saddle, Rafael Bejarano rides Wildncrazynight, and Piquant will have Samy Camacho Jr. in the irons.
Return to the February 15 issue of Wire to Wire
