Samy Camacho returned from a two-week absence in emphatic fashion Saturday, riding a three-winner card at Gulfstream Park and closing the gap in the Royal Palm Meet jockey standings with a well-timed victory aboard Call the Bullpen in the $100,000 Miss Gracie.
Call the Bullpen wins Miss Gracie.
Making the 12th start of the career and stepping into stakes company for the first time, Call the Bullpen produced a composed performance over a firm turf course, tracking the pace before wearing down Laigina in the final stages of the two-turn contest for 3-year-old fillies.
Laigina, the early leader, set fractions of 24.42 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.36 for the half. Camacho kept Call the Bullpen tucked in behind the favourite, saving ground along the rail while Bert’s Knoty Girl raced just outside in second.
The decisive move came after the far turn. As Laigina began to edge away from the field, Camacho angled Call the Bullpen into a narrow opening and set out after the leader. The pair gradually closed the gap before Call the Bullpen found enough late to prevail by half a length.
The winning time was 1:34.12.
For Camacho, the result added another important milestone to an already productive Royal Palm Meet. It was the Venezuelan rider’s sixth stakes victory of the meeting and his 20th occasion of winning at least two races on a card. He has also recorded 11 days with three or more victories.
The victory moved Camacho to within two wins of Diego Herrera in the jockey standings, with Herrera holding an 81-79 advantage. With only a handful of days remaining in the summer meeting, the battle for the leading rider position remains finely balanced.
Call the Bullpen was making her first appearance at stakes level after 11 previous starts, and the step up in class proved no obstacle. Her ability to settle behind the pace and produce a sustained finish was the key to the result.
Laigina, who had previously finished within two lengths in three turf stakes, maintained control for much of the race but could not repel the winner’s challenge in the closing yards.
Bert’s Knoty Girl stayed on for third, finishing 6¼ lengths behind the runner-up. Bayou Brigid was fourth, followed by Sorokin, Del Mar Sunrise and Turkish Flame. Curly Sue was scratched.
The result also marked Camacho’s first rides since Aug. 8, when he recorded two victories. His absence had interrupted a strong run during the meeting, but Saturday’s performance immediately put him back into contention at the top of the standings.
With the Royal Palm Meet scheduled to conclude Aug. 31, the jockey title remains within reach. Camacho will return Sunday with mounts in eight of the nine races, giving the veteran rider another opportunity to close the remaining margin.
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