Hollywood Turf Express H. (gr. III)
(gr. IIIT , 6f ,)
JUNGLE PRINCE
(B g,
118
lb) $90,000
Sir Cat —Wayward Song , by
Seattle Song
B—Nick Bentley,
KY.;
O—Burk, Jack D., Sciarra, Joseph A. and Zamarripa, Robert;
T—Juan J. Garcia
In Summation
(DK B/ h,
117
lb) $30,000
Put It Back —Fiesta Baby , by
Dayjur
B—Arthur I. Appleton,
FL.;
O—Waterford Stable;
T—Christophe Clement
Moth Ball (GB)
(B g,
115
lb) $18,000
Royal Applause (GB) —Chrysalis (GB) , by
Soviet Star
B—Stratford Place Stud,
GB.;
O—Cassidy, James M. and Pearson, Deron;
T—James M. Cassidy
Margins: ½, ½, ½. Others: Osidy 118($9,000) , Sherwood Park 117($3,000) , Houseofroyalhearts 116 , Captain Kurt (NZ) 115 , Lazzeri 115 . Winning Jockey, Agapito Delgadillo.
On the 15th birthday of the Turf Festival at Hollywood Park, Jungle Prince defied his high odds in the Nov. 25 Hollywood Turf Express Handicap (gr. IIIT) as he held off In Summation to capture the race by a half-length.
The 5-year-old Juan Garcia-trained gelding covered six furlongs on the Lakeside Turf Course in 1:08.76 to register his first graded victory. A two-time track record setter and the winner of four stakes at Zia Park, Turf Paradise, and Fairplex Park, Jungle Prince also had a major on-the-board effort in the grade I Ancient Title Breeders’ Cup Stakes at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet Oct. 7, where he finished third.
He came into the Turf Express off a fourth-place finish in the Morvich Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Oak Tree Oct. 29, beaten just a length.
“He should have won last time,” Garcia said. “He’s a hard-knocking horse—he loves to run.”
Jockey Agapito Delgadillo, a 40-year-old native of Mexico City, had not ridden a stakes winner at Hollywood Park prior to the Turf Express, which was his third graded stakes victory.
It was Jungle Prince’s eighth win in 29 career starts. The winner’s share of $90,000 boosted his earnings to $480,888.
Jungle Prince was bred by Nick Bentley and is owned by the partnership of Jack D. Burk, Joseph A. Sciarra, and Robert Zamarripa.
Bentley owns Coldwater Farm near Lexington where Wayward Song, the dam of Jungle Prince, is kept. The winning Seattle Song mare is a half-sister to stakes winners Fenimore and Termez (both by Relaunch), and stakes-placed runner Body Talk (by Stop the Music).
Selling four times at auction, Wayward Song was purchased for $26,000 by Coldwater Farm at the 1999 Keeneland November mixed sale. Carrying a Forest Wildcat foal, she was consigned by Katalpa Farm, agent.
Jungle Prince is the sole stakes winner out of Wayward Song, whose yearling colt by Yankee Gentleman was purchased for $85,000 by Kentucky D Stable at this year’s Keeneland September sale from Bluewater Sales, agent.
Wayward Song produced a colt by Forest Camp May 6.
Sir Cat is the sire of Jungle Prince and 15 other stakes winners. He is also represented this year by Surf Cat (gr. II), Cat Singer, and Sir Tricky. A 13-year-old son of Storm Cat, Sir Cat stands at Agricola Haras Jockey in Chile for a private fee. He formerly stood at the Beck family’s Gainesway Farm near Lexington.—E.M.
