|
Jockey Eric Camacho
Photo Credit: Jim McCue/MJC
|
BALTIMORE, 04-23-08---Jockey Eric Camacho was in Louisville this morning to work Cloverleaf Farm’s Bsharpsonata, from the Tim Salzman stable, one of the favorites in next Friday’s $1 million Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) at Churchill Downs. The daughter of Pulpit was sharp in her five-furlong breeze, stopping the clock in 59.80 seconds, the third fastest drill of the morning at the famed Kentucky oval.
“She worked really well this morning,” said Camacho, who captured the 2005 Laurel Park winter riding title. “They were very pleased with the way she worked. We were just trying to set her up, get her ready for the big one – a maintenance work. She handled the track well, just floating over it. You would think that would take a lot out of a horse but she’s was eating grass not 25 minutes after the work. I am looking for a big outcome.”
Since winning the Selima Stakes at Laurel Park on her home track on the De Francis Dash undercard last November, Bsharpsonata reeled off three consecutive stakes victories in Florida: Tropical Park Oaks (Jan 1 at Calder), Grade II Forward Gal Stakes (Feb 9 at Gulfstream Park) and Grade II Davona Dale Stakes (March 2 at Gulfstream) and then finished a game second in the Grade I Ashland at Keeneland on April 5. Camacho, who rides first call for all the Salzman horses, has teamed up with Bsharpsonata for five stakes victories in her last seven starts.
“She’s so versatile. You can do anything you want with her,” added Camacho, who will have his wife Lisa and four other relatives with him in Kentucky next week. “There’s always something there when I ask. She is by far the best horse I have ever ridden and what makes her special is how consistent she is and how easy she does things.”
|
Essenceofthemoon
Photo Credit: Jerry Dzierwinski
|
The 24-year-old will make his Churchill Downs debut aboard 2-year-old Essenceofthemoon, who broke his maiden at Laurel Park earlier this month, in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile on Thursday, May 1.
The Baltimore native, who has 389 career winners, has three mounts at Pimlico Race Course on Thursday afternoon.
-MJC-