Bulletproof One ‘fit’ for Nevin Stakes

Before Bulletproof One won the first race of the year for 2yearolds at Golden Gate Fields by 8 lengths going 4½ furlongs, she worked 5 furlongs.

Preparing for Saturday’s $100,000 Everett Nevin Stakes going 5½ furlongs at the Alameda County Fair, Bulletproof One worked 6 furlongs there.

“I want them fit,” ownertrainer Ellen Jackson said. “We were quite optimistic before her first race because we never asked her for anything, and she never let another horse get by her. She’s small, but her stride is big, and she catches on to everything real quick.”

Jackson, who raises horses at her Victory Rose Thoroughbreds farm in Vacaville, bred Bulletproof One in partnership with Kevin and Kim Nish’s KMN Racing. She bought out the Nishes after the filly’s first race.

“He was willing to pay me half of what he thought she was worth, and I was willing to pay him half of what I thought she was worth,” Jackson said. “I thought she was worth more than he did. If I’m smiling after this race, it would have been a good choice.”

Jackson sells most of the horses she breeds to finance her farm, and she is conservative in her strategy with young ones.

“My personal opinion with 2yearolds is you run them once or twice and then turn them out until they’re 3,” she said. “After this race, she’ll probably get turned out or sold. She would get so much more of an opportunity with another trainer. I have a farm to run.”

Bulletproof One is one of three fillies in the field of 10 for Saturday’s race, which is restricted to Californiabreds. She beat males and open competition in her debut but now must switch from Golden Gate Fields’ Tapeta Footings synthetic surface to the Alameda County Fair’s dirt.

After her 6furlong workout there, she blew out 3 furlongs in a fast 34.80 seconds last Saturday.

“She skipped along it (dirt) quite nicely,” Jackson said. “It takes different muscles to run on dirt than synthetic. My filly has never had a drop of dirt in her face. If she gets behind, she may not be interested in running.”

There are four other frontrunning winners in the Everett Nevin Stakes, so Jackson’s plan for jockey Cristobal Herrera is simple: “Just get her out of the gate and stay out of trouble,” she said. Larry Stumes is a freelance writer.