BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Joe D. Casey’s Florida-bred Hola Joey was a determined winner of Sunday’s $100,00 David M. Vance Stakes at Remington Park, taking his second added-money victory of the year and improving to a 50% win rate in eight starts in 2026.

A half-dozen 3-year-olds and older raced six furlongs in the David M. Vance and Hola Joey earned $60,000 plus a $4,000 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association for breeder Ocala Stud by scoring the stakes victory outside Florida.

Ridden by Alex Birzer from the outside post six, Hola Joey angled inside after the break to race just behind leader and 9-5 favorite Heavenville through a half mile in :44.85. Heavenville took a length advantage down the lane as Yo Banana boy came from fourth and with Hola Joey went by Heavenville in the final sixteenth of a mile. Hola Joey hit the wire a head in front of Yo Banana Boy in second with Heavenville and length-and-three-quarters back in third. Perfect Magic, Ridgewood Runner and Taylor’s Version completed the order of finish. Clay’s Hatchett was scratched.

Hola Joey was the 5-2 second choice and paid $7.60 to win while finishing in 1:09.65 on the fast track.

Trained by Gene Jacquot, Hola Joey won the $50,000 Ed Skinner Memorial on June 14 and a six-furlong allowance race in his previous start on September 6, both at Prairie Meadows. Between those two races, he was fifth in a five-furlong allowance at Remington, in his only career start on grass, on August 21. He also counts a six-furlong allowance victory at Oaklawn Park on March 28 among his four wins this year.

Hola Joey has a career record of 10 win in 18 starts with two seconds and a third with earnings of $488,011. He is a 4-year-old gelded son of Ocala Stud’s Adios Charlie out of the unraced Moon mare Engaged. Casey got him for a bargain $3,000 out of the Ocala Stud consignment at the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale.

Engaged has three winners from four starters and five foals and is out of Gone West mare Elope, winner of the 2008 Dream Supreme Handicap at Churchill Downs and second in that year’s Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at Belmont Park.