Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Mexican filly beats the boys
HALLANDALE — The Clasico Internacional del Caribe was staged at Gulfstream on Saturday under cool and occasionally blustery conditions more suitable for coffee and hot chocolate than rum punch and mojitos. However the unseasonable and un-Caribbean-like weather for the 50th running of the five-race series that was held outside of Latin America for the first time did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of fans. They came to party and root on horses representing their homelands and did so raucously.
Fans, many wearing their nation’s colors on hats and shirts and waving national flags, started cheering and calling out the names of their favorites as the horses entered the walking ring and kept it up until they disappeared through the tunnel en route to the track. Then fans out front picked up the chants. They roared when the starting gate sprung and continued until the winners came back to be unsaddled.
Winner’s circle chants of the victorious nation accompanied by “Ole, ole,” more often heard at international soccer matches, erupted after each race. This was not your typical day at the races.
The track apron was packed from the rail to the back wall, as it is only on special occasions such as the Florida Derby and Pegasus. (Admission was free so an accurate crowd count was unavailable.)
Concession stands hawking Clasico jackets, caps, T-shirts, coffee mugs and lapel pins were two and three deep. It was difficult to get close enough to bars to call out a drink order.
ESPN Desportes televised the races throughout Latin America. Furthering the spirit of the day, races were called over the public address system in Spanish with the English version on closed-circuit TVs.
Mexican horses and Puerto Rican jockeys were the big winners. Mexican bred Jala Jala ran nine male horses and two other fillies off their feet in the feature, The Clasico del Caribe, which is often called the Kentucky Derby of Latin America.
Puerto Rican born Irad Ortiz reserved her in midpack down the backstretch before asking for her run. Jala Jala, overlooked at 10-1, responded like a Porsche going past golf carts. She rocketed by the early leaders around the turn and by the time she straightened out, she had blown the race open. Her final margin was a dazzling nine lengths as she completed a mile and an eighth in 1:52.14 over a sloppy track.
The victory completed a series triple for Ortiz. He also won the Lady Caribbean Cup aboard another Mexican-bred, Jaguaryu, and the Invitational Cup with Coltimus Prime, representing Panama. The latter was the feel good story of the day, as Coltimus Prime is owned by former jockey Rene Douglas, a three-time riding champion at Calder and Hialeah Park, who is paralyzed as a result of a riding accident at Arlington Park in 2009.
John Velazquez, also Puerto Rican born, won the other two Clasico races. He guided Panama’s El Tigre Mono to a come-from-behind score in the mile-anda-quarter Confraternity Caribbean Cup then put Venezuela’s Master Supreme on the lead all the way in the 6-furlong Caribbean Cup Speed.
Even though he has won numerous richer races in the United States, Ortiz said the Clasico del Caribe score was one of the most thrilling of his career. “I followed the Clasico every year since I was 6 and I always hoped one day I would win it. Now I’ve done it.”