Michael Langford’s JONESBORO (Sefapiano) ran four and five wide around both
turns of Saturday’s $300,000
Texas
Mile S. (G3), set his sight on leader King Dan (Include) in the stretch and
got up to secure a half-length victory under jockey Cliff Berry. The winner’s
share of the purse boosted the Randy Morse trainee’s earnings to $1,123,575,
making him racing’s newest millionaire.
Sent off the 2-1 second choice in the field of seven, Jonesboro paid $6.40,
$3.40 and $2.60 while starting the $35.80 exacta, $198.40 trifecta and $573.60
superfecta (5-3-6-1). King Dan tracked the pacesetter before taking over in
upper stretch, and held second by 2 1/4 lengths after being passed by the
winner. He returned $6.80 and $5.20 at 8-1, while Encaustic (Broad Brush) was
worth $5.20 at 9-1 in third. Halo Najib (Halo’s Image), the 7-5 favorite, led the way early through
splits of :23 1/5, :45 4/5 and 1:10, but faded to fourth on the wire. Por Que (Whywhywhy),
King Darius (Eltish) and Catmantoo (Vision and Verse) rounded out the order of
finish while Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz) was withdrawn.
Jonesboro has now earned nine stakes victories, with three coming at Oaklawn
Park, including last year’s Razorback H. (G3) and the 2007 Essex H. (G3). He’s
also placed in six other stakes, most recently earning third in the Oaklawn H.
(G2), and now boasts a 38-13-8-4 career mark.
Jonesboro was bred in the Bluegrass State by Jayeff ‘B’ Stables and reached a
final bid of $27,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September Yearling sale. His dam,
Hall of Famer Mom’s Command (Top Command), swept the Triple Tiara (Acorn S. [G1], Mother Goose
S. [G1] and Coaching Club American Oaks [G1]) as well as the Alabama S. (G1)
before being named champion three-year-old filly in 1985, and the late mare
captured 11 of 16 career starts, heading to the breeding shed with more than
$900,000 in earnings.