Rodrigoknows returned to the winner’s circle at Del Mar on Thursday, ending an 18-month wait with a determined victory in the $81,000 allowance feature over a mile on the main track.
The six-year-old California-bred covered the distance in 1:38.55, beating eight rivals by a length and a quarter. The victory was the fourth of the campaign and lifted career earnings to $198,404.
Rodrigoknows was ridden by Kazushi Kimura and trained by veteran conditioner Hector Palma. The performance marked a welcome return to winning form for a runner who had not visited the winner’s circle since a victory 18 months earlier.
Winning Patriot, representing Irving Ventures, finished second, while Practical Blame was another head away in third for Four Quarters Corp.
The mile contest, restricted to California-bred three-year-olds and older horses, carried a $27,600 first prize. Rodrigoknows travelled with purpose before finding enough in the closing stages to settle the issue and complete a notable return to form.
Kimura’s patient handling proved effective as the veteran runner maintained his rhythm through the final stages. The winning time of 1:38.55 also gave the Palma stable a significant result during Del Mar’s summer meeting.
Attention on the afternoon also fell on Hall of Fame rider Joel Rosario, who enjoyed a four-win card. The haul moved Rosario to the top of the summer session’s jockey standings.
For Rodrigoknows, however, the afternoon belonged to a much simpler achievement: a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle. After an extended spell without a victory, the Del Mar success provided a timely reminder of the experience and staying power still at the veteran’s disposal.
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