Tonito M. earns first win outside Puerto Rico in Oklahoma
Derby
M. Racing Group’s Tonito M. owned five prior U.S. mainland starts heading
into Sunday’s Grade 3, $400,000
Oklahoma
Derby at Remington
Park, and finally got that elusive first continental victory by taking the
overland route.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano settled the bay sophomore just off the rail in midpack
as Louies Flower led the way through an opening half-mile in :23 1/5 and :47
2/5. Wildcat Red, the even-money favorite, was latched onto the pacesetter’s
outside flank while Bay of Biscay took up a tracking position to the inside.
Tonito M. maintained his stalking spot while saving ground up until entering
the turn. As Wildcat Red came under a ride on the turn, Bejarano got busy aboard
Tonito M. and angled him to the outside. The Rock Hard Ten colt found himself
widest of all heading into the stretch, with Wildcat Red on his inside giving it
his best go and Bay of Biscay in command on the front end.
Tonito M. hit his best stride and sailed on past that duo, eventually
finishing 2 3/4 lengths in front of Bay of Biscay while stopping the clock in
1:50 2/5 for 1 1/8 miles over the fast main track. He returned $12.80 for the
win as the 5-1 third choice.
Bay of Biscay was game in defeat, holding second by 2 1/2 lengths over
Wildcat Red. It was another two lengths back to Louies Flower, with 5-1 second
favorite Charge Now following in fifth. For Goodness Sake, Ibaka, Street Prancer,
Away Game, Tulum, Even Echo, Edison, Rebranded and Declan’s Fast Cat completed
the order of finish.
Tonito M. is now 13-7-2-2 lifetime and more than doubled his career earnings
to $444,538 with Sunday’s score. The Jerry Hollendorfer pupil ran up a 6-1-0
mark from seven starts in Puerto Rico before shipping to the mainland over the
spring. He returned to action on May 10 at
Santa Anita Park and
finished second in the Lazaro Barrera before shipping cross-country to
Belmont Park for an
eighth-place effort in the June 7 Woody Stephens.
The bay colt traveled back to California for his next three — a third in the
Los Alamitos Derby on
July 5, a fifth in the La Jolla Handicap at
Del Mar one month later and,
most recently, a third in the September 6 Los Alamitos Mile. He earned his
biggest career score to date in the Oklahoma Derby.
Bred in Kentucky by Hilbert Thoroughbreds Inc and Menard Thoroughbreds Inc.,
Tonito M. was a bargain when passing through the sales ring. He brought $4,500
as a Keeneland
November weanling and $12,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. He is the first
registered stakes winner out of the winning Dixieland Band mare Esther’s Big
Band and counts as his third dam Grade 2 heroine Via Borghese, who is a
half-sister to Grade/Group 2 scorers El Angelo and Miswaki Tern.
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