Jockey Patrick Valenzuela wasn’t even involved in the nearly
catastrophic incident on the backstretch, but he was as upset as anyone
near the winner’s circle after the Del Mar Fiasco, make that Derby,
finished on Sunday.
Valenzuela was aboard the 33-1 long-shot Jairzihno, who finished
second to the 1-5 favorite, the super-talented and undefeated Twirling
Candy in the Grade II, $300,000 Del Mar Derby at Del Mar.
But Valenzuela saw jockey Joel Rosario lose control of Twirling
Candy near the ¾-mile mark of the 1 1/8 miles race. Twirling Candy was
leading, but Valenzuela saw jockey Victor Espinoza have to pull up his
horse, Summer Movie, a 12-1 long-shot that was racing second to
Twirling Candy. Espinoza pulled Summer Movie away from a lugging
Twirling Candy and prevented a catastrophe on the backstretch.
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