BY CHURCHILL DOWNS PRESS OFFICE (Edited)
LOUISVILLE, KY—Florida-bred Roll On Big Joe is set to return to Churchill Downs next Saturday, where he’ll attempt to win his second stakes event beneath the Twin Spires this year while facing a competitive cast of seven sprinters entered in the $300,000 Bet On Sunshine (Listed).
Owned by Rancho Temescal, Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, White Fence and Richard Hale Jr., Roll On Big Joe earned a gritty three-quarter-length victory four months ago in the $220,000 Kelly’s Landing Stakes at Churchill Downs defeating Dr. Venkman. The 5-year-old gelded son of Prospective is a seven-time winner from 20 starts for trainer Bob Hess Jr. Julien Leparoux has the mount from post five.
Roll On Big Joe is out of Nina’s Gift, by Victory Gallop and was bred in Florida by Max Ubide. He has seven wins, six seconds and a third in 20 career starts with earnings of $514,525.
Another leading contender in the race is David Jacobson’s Durante, who finished third behind Roll On Big Joe in the Kelly’s Landing. The 6-year-old gelding has won 10 of 43 starts, including the Aristides Stakes (GIII) in late May. Cristian Torres will ride from post 6.
The deep field of sprinters also includes Aaron Kennedy, Toby Joseph and Doug Anderson’s top Iowa-bred Glengarry; Town and Country Racing’s recent stakes winner Mondogetsbuckets; and Murray and Sherilynn House’s Champlin, who finished a neck behind Gulfport in last year’s Bet On Sunshine.
Tyler Bacon will ride Glengarry from post two while Mondogetsbuckets will have Edgar Morales up.
The lineup for the Bet On Sunshine also includes Ajaayb and jockey Mario Gutierrez, Surveillance with Luan Machado aboard, Champlin will have Mitchell Murrill in the saddle, and Durante will be guided by Cristian Torres.
Bet On Sunshine was a multiple graded stakes-winning Florida-bred who earned $1,449,882 for owner David P. Holloway Racing Inc. Bred by Janet Gomez, Bet On Sunshine was a two-time winner of the Grade 3 Aristides Handicap in 2000 and 2001 at Churchill Downs. The 1997 Phoenix Breeders’ Cup (Listed) and 2001 Phoenix Breeders’ Cup (G3) at Keeneland were also among his 22 career wins from 47 starts.
Return to the October 25 issue of Wire to Wire
