Jardin Takes a Splashing Victory
The weather for the opening day at Saratoga Racecourse on Wednesday, 23 July 2008, was not playing along, with intermittent showers plaguing the day and leaving the track wet and sloppy for racing. But it seemed to have been a successful day for trainer Steve Asmussen, who had won two races before the start of the Grade 3 $112 900 Schuylerville Stakes, with Cognito winning the second race of the day and Jazz Nation taking the sixth. But Jardin, Asmussen’s 12-1 long shot, was preparing to put herself on the map in her debut stakes race.
Jardin, owned by Padua Stable and bought for $450 000 in February, was sired by Montbrook and born out of Unlimited Pleasure at the Ocala Stud Farm in Florida. She has a long and distinguished family tree, starting with her mother who was sired by Valid Appeal and is the half sister to Outofthebox, a Grade 1 horse racing champion. Her breeding makes her the full sister to Beacon Shine and comes from the same line as the magnificent Mighty Appealing. So for all intent and purposes, Jardin was born to run.
When Jardin was given the far outside post, and taking into account the weather and wet racing surface, Asmussen was not sure how she would perform. He knew she had it in her to be a champion as she won her first career start at Churchill Downs, but he was a little concerned, not knowing how she would be affected by the track. But Jardin came through like a true warrior, remaining wide behind the two front runners until the stretch where she ran four wide. Throughout the race, she was stalking the leader and managed to take the advantage to win the Schuylerville Stakes by four lengths. Being in outside post helped her, according to her jockey Robby Albarado, by not getting mud kicked up into her face by other contenders. She looked comfortable throughout the racing event and no-one could have been more proud than Steve Asmussen. The victory has pushed her racing career earnings to $87 270 and there is talk that she could be seen in the starting gates for the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes, which takes place on 31 August 2008.
Following Jardin home was Cameron Crazies in second, Girlfriendontheside in third and the rest of the field in position order, Collegiate, Renda, Chartreux, Boom Town Sally, Ouchy Night and race favorite, Ocean Colors, in last place. Jardin has now won both her career starts, and it seems to be the beginning of a favorable horse racing career.
