Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Gutierrez entrenched among the region’s go-to jockeys
Jockey Reylu Gutierrez, who earlier this year moved his tack from New York to Texas, is sitting on a busy summer. He has mounts in all four stakes being run Sunday at Lone Star Park, and after the meet closes on July 11 he will head to Colonial Downs in Virginia.
Gutierrez said he will ride the Colonial meet, then base at Remington in Oklahoma City.
Gutierrez came to this region in January. He finished fifth in the standings at Sam Houston Race Park, and through Wednesday ranks second at Lone Star. Gutierrez is riding for some of the strongest barns in the region, and said he intends to spend most of the year in the Southwest for the foreseeable future.
“This looks like it’s going to be home for a little bit,” he said. “As long as they would like to have me, I’m definitely not leaving.”
Gutierrez on Sunday will ride Grade 1 winner Henley’s Joy in the $75,000 Singletary for trainer Steve Asmussen. He also has been named to ride Elle’s Town and Quarky in separate stakes for trainer Karl Broberg.
“I would love to win a stakes for Karl,” Gutierrez said. “He’s supported me since the beginning of the meet. I rode in the Belmont Stakes last year for Steve. That’s always meant a lot to me. I’m really glad they’re in my corner. We’ll see what happens.”
Gutierrez won his first Lone Star stakes earlier this month with Tengo Mis Papeles. The 2-year-old trained by Bret Calhoun rolled by 9 3/4 lengths in his debut in the $75,000 Texas Stallion Stakes.
“I really am fond of that horse,” Gutierrez said. “He worked very good in the mornings, worked very professionally. He’s very mature. He doesn’t act like a 2-year-old. Some are very talented, but their mind is not present yet. He’s there. He’s all there.”
Gutierrez, who has had a pair of four-win days at Lone Star, is sitting on the sidelines this week as he serves days for a riding infraction. He had won 39 races at the meet through Wednesday, nine behind leader Stewart Elliott.
Gutierrez is a 25-year-old native of Rochester, N.Y. He is the son of trainer Luis Gutierrez. The younger Gutierrez holds a degree in exercise physiology from the State University of New York at Cortland. He was an Eclipse Award finalist for apprentice jockey of 2018.
Fair Grounds opens earlier
Fair Grounds in New Orleans will have its traditional Thanksgiving start date later this year after the Louisiana Racing Commission approved an amended calendar for the track’s upcoming meet.
The original request was to open Dec. 2, but the commission at a meeting approved an updated request for an 80-date meet starting Nov. 25, according to Charles Gardiner, the commission’s executive director. He said the meet will run through March 27.
Fair Grounds is opening about a week before regional neighbor Oaklawn Park, which has received Arkansas Racing Commission approval to open Dec. 3 rather than its typical late January. Oaklawn will race through May 8.
Fair Grounds in October will be the site of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, a big economic event for New Orleans, which is normally held in April, after the meet’s end. With thousands of festival visitors flocking to the music stages set up in the infield, the turf course will not be ready for racing at the start of the meet. Officials are hoping the turf course will be in use in early January, Gardiner said.
Gardiner said a Fair Grounds official told commissioners of plans to conduct a 2-year-old race that would carry points for the Kentucky Derby.
Also at the meeting, representatives of the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association discussed their desire to require hair testing for drugs for the bigger Quarter Horse races and require finalists for those races to remain on the grounds between the trials and finals, Gardiner said. The commission at its meeting took initial steps to ban albuterol use for Quarter Horses.
Direct Dial faster than ever
The top Texas-bred runner Direct Dial earned a careerhigh Beyer Speed Figure for his win over Mr Money Bags in the $75,000 Wayne Hanks Memorial earlier this month at Lone Star Park. The 6-year-old earned a Beyer Figure of 91 for his half-length victory. Direct Dial covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.37.
“It was as good a race as he’s ever run,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Direct Dial. “It was a solid time and it was a quality field. It was his ninth stakes win and it put him over $500,000 in earnings. It was a very significant win.”
Direct Dial matched strides with Mr Money Bags in the stretch before proving best. The horses each have won Texas-bred of the year titles. Mr Money Bags runs back in an allowance Sunday at Lone Star, while plans are pending for Direct Dial.
“I haven’t seen anything obvious for him,” Asmussen said.
There are no more stakes for the horse’s division this meet at Lone Star. Direct Dial races for his breeder, Will Farish.
“We’re very proud of him,” Asmussen said. “There’s a lot of Texas pride and joy there.”
◗ Louisiana Downs announced that its annual charity golf tournament benefiting the local racetrack chaplaincy program will be held Sept. 1. Those wishing to play should contact the racing office by Aug. 25.