Jeranimo capitalizes on pace war in Eddie Read

Jeranimo, runner-up to Acclamation in the 2011 Eddie Read, went one better this time (Benoit Photos) Robert LaPenta and B.J. Wright’s Jeranimo got the fast pace set-up he loves in Saturday’s Grade 1, $301,000 Eddie Read at Del Mar, and the deep closer duly delivered his ferocious late kick. Trained by Mike Pender and patiently handled by Rafael Bejarano, the 5-2 favorite surged 1 1/2 lengths clear to earn his second career Grade 1 title, and his seventh graded score overall. “It seems almost surreal to say the horse redeemed himself when he had nothing to prove,” Pender said. “They’re going to say this was a weak rendition of the Eddie Read, but all he has done is run second to Acclamation (in the 2011 Eddie Read) and take down the winning honors today. “I think when Jeranimo is in a real horse race, where there’s speed, tactical speed and deep closers like himself, that’s when he’s able to shine. And today he had perfect conditions.” The rollicking tempo came courtesy of Fed Biz and Slim Shadey, who opened up on the field in the early going. Fed Biz maintained a slim lead through fractions of :23 1/5, :46 1/5 and 1:09 3/5, with Slim Shadey pressuring him every step of the way. Fly Lexis Fly was parked at the head of the chasing group in third, but Jeranimo bided his time in the rear.

Fly Lexis Fly took first run at the leaders turning for home. Slim Shadey
soon gave way, and although Fed Biz proved a bit tougher, he too succumbed. Fly Lexis Fly,
the 37-1 longest shot on the board, struck the front.

Meanwhile, Jeranimo had been uncorking a bold circling move, and straightened
into the stretch with a full head of steam. The 23-1 Vagabond Shoes was likewise making
eye-catching progress, but he was no match for Jeranimo. Kicking into high gear,
the favorite won going away in a final time of 1:45 4/5 for 1 1/8 miles on the
firm turf and paid $7.80 to win.

“I could tell they were going kind of fast up there and I knew that would be
good,” Bejarano said. “My horse likes to make that last run and he’s really got
a good kick. You can do what you want with him. He’s so classy. I have a lot of
confidence when I ride him.”

Jeranimo outkicked fellow closer Vagabond Shoes down the stretch (Benoit Photos) Vagabond Shoes nabbed Fly Lexis Fly by a half-length for runner-up honors, to the delight of jockey Victor Espinoza. “I had a perfect trip,” Espinoza said. “He put in a good close for me, an unbelievable close actually. And he’ll run better next time, too.” Fed Biz gamely held fourth, but Martin Garcia was ruing the early pressure from Slim Shadey. “I can’t believe I’m on the lead and the horse outside me (Slim Shadey) has his rider (Gary Stevens) sending,” Garcia said. “It ruined it for my horse.” Stevens said that his instructions were to go to the front. “I was told to make the lead,” the Hall of Famer said. “I did all I could to do so.” Barocci came next in fifth, followed by Cogito, Middie, Slim Shadey and the tailed-off French shipper Sofast. Lucayan was scratched.

The seven-year-old Jeranimo now sports a mark of 35-10-6-5, $1,400,864. His prior top-level victory came in last summer’s Shoemaker Mile.
He has also captured the 2010 Strub Stakes, 2011 Oak Tree Mile and Citation, and
two runnings of the San Gabriel, in 2010 and this year’s renewal on January 13.

LaPenta purchased an interest in the son of Congaree later in January. In his
first two starts for the new partnership, Jeranimo was seventh to
Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on Kentucky
Derby Day, and most recently fourth to Obviously when trying to defend his
Shoemaker title on June 29.

Aside from his runner-up effort in the 2011 Eddie Read to champion Acclamation, Jeranimo has garnered placings in the 2009 San Felipe in his stakes debut, the
2011 Frank E. Kilroe Mile and Arcadia, and the 2012 San Gabriel, San Francisco
Mile and Del Mar Mile. He was unplaced in the past two runnings of the Breeders’
Cup Mile.

Bred by Brylynn Farm in Florida, Jeranimo sold for $50,000 as an OBS August
yearling and $70,000 as a Barretts May two-year-old. The bay is out of the
stakes-winning Jeblar mare Jera, who has also produced the stakes-placed pair of
Wealthy Aviator and Tizthen.

Jeranimo descends from the same family as multiple Grade 1-winning sire First
Samurai and unbeaten Grade 2 star Kantharos.

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