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Pomona, Calif. (Sept. 19, 2008) – Wickednwackyingrid’s running style is no secret. The 3-year-old daughter of High Yield likes to go to the front and stay there for as long as she can.
Those tactics have earned her $143,920 during her 10 race career, while compiling a race record of 10-3-3-1. Trainer Jack Carava, who bought her for his principle client, La Canada Stables, after her first race for $90,000, is hoping for more gold and glory in Sunday’s $100,000 Las Madrinas Handicap, a 1 1/16 mile jaunt for fillies and mares.
Fairplex Park’s leading jockey Martin Pedroza, who has ridden Wickednwackyingrid in every one of her races except her debut, will be back aboard on Sunday.
“Martin knows her really well,” said Carava. “He always thought she would like the Pomona track with its tight turns because she hugs the rail, whether it’s on the turf course, or the main track.”
Wickednwackyingrind has competed on grass six times and a synthetic surface four times, handling both equally well, but has never competed over a conventional dirt track like Fairplex.
“That’s an unknown, running on dirt,” said Carava with a bit of concern in his voice. “But I’ve found that turf horses switching to the dirt at Pomona have done really well. So, going into the race, I think she’ll do just fine.
“For her the pace scenario is the key. She has the stamina to go 1 1/16 miles, it just a question of how fast they push her early.”
Race strategy is always important in a horse race, but Wickednwackyingrid, along with Las Madrinas starter Aunt Pink, an also-ran sprinting in the Pio Pico Stakes earlier this month, would appear to be front runners, while Lemon Chiffon, the 5-2 morning line favorite, and Dona Amelia, the second choice at 3-1, do there best running from off the pace.
Also set to start in the richest race of the season for fillies and mares are Accopela Choir, Homemade Brew, Hawaiian Afleet, Swiss Current and Vanguarda.
FLORES RECORDS FIRST VICTORY OF MEET
Jockey David Flores, who has been riding selectively at Fairplex this season, registered his first victory on Thursday, winning a three-way photo with Zetterberg for trainer Craig Dollase in an allowance-optional claiming sprint with a $40,000 purse. It was only Flores’ seventh ride of the meet.
The 40-year-old native of Tijuana, Mexico, won his first Fairplex riding title in 1989 when he wound up in a three-way tie with Martin Pedroza and Corey Black.
Flores then proceeded to dominate the Pomona oval, capturing the riding championship for five consecutive years (1990-94). He has ridden six winners on a single program twice at Fairplex, accomplishing the feat on Sept. 20 and Sept. 30 in 1992.
He still remains atop the all-time list of stakes winning jockeys at Fairplex with 62 victories.
SEVEN VIE IN SATURDAY’S POMONA DERBY
Bingham, a wire-to-wire winner over allowance horses on the Del Mar turf course early last month, has been installed as the 9-5 favorite for Saturday’s 54th edition of the $100,000 Pomona Derby at 1 1/8 miles.
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