Although he was coming off a loss in a stakes restricted to Louisiana-breds at Fair Grounds, Tumbarumba found the cutback from nine furlongs to a one-turn mile a perfect fit in the $150,000 Fred W. Hooper (G3) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
No more than 1 1/4 lengths off a solid pace set alternately by Expressman and Hejazi, Tumbarumba received an adequate setup and beat longer-priced closer Castle Chaos to the wire by a nose under Luis Saez. Tumbarumba finished up in 1:36.45 over a fast track and paid $18.80.
Castle Chaos had three parts of a length on second choice Steal Sunshine, with 13-10 favorite Hejazi a weakening fourth in the field of 11 older horses.
The Hooper was the second stakes win for Amerman Racing-owned Tumbarumba, a four-year-old son of Oscar Performance. The Brian Lynch trainee previously captured the Ellis Park Derby over a mile last August.
Although a neck third in the Oklahoma Derby and second in the aforementioned Louisiana Champions Day Classic, both over 1 1/8 miles, Tumbarumba has generally been more effective in one turn races, where his record now stands at 4-1-1-1 from seven attempts, the lone poor showing occurring over a sloppy track.
Tumbarumba was produced by Naive Enough, a daughter of Street Sense. His breeder was Coteau Grove Farms.
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. earned his fifth win on Saturday’s card when guiding Olivia Darling to a mild 7-1 upset win in the $210,000 Inside Information (G2), a seven-furlong dash for fillies and mares.
A close third in the Dec. 23 Sugar Swirl (G3) in her most recent outing, Olivia Darling rated just behind pacesetter Sassy Nature, took over from that rival in upper stretch, and proved best by 2 1/4 lengths. Bluefield finished second by the same margin over 3-2 favorite and 2023 Inside Information winner Maryquitecontrary.
“The day of the Sugar Swirl she did run good, but she didn’t give her 100 percent,” trainer Jorge Delgado said. “Maybe she needed the race after the layoff. After that race she has been so much sharper. She has been telling me by all the good signs that she was going to run a good race.”
Owned by Amo Racing, Olivia Darling paid $16 after completing the course in 1:23.04. She has now won four times in 17 starts.
Bred in Kentucky by Shalom Farm and Ramon Martinez, Olivia Darling is a daughter of Palace and Honky Tonk Angel, by Bluegrass Cat.
