By DRF.com
VINTON, La. (Nov. 18, 2014) — California-bred Wake Up Nick will find himself in an unfamiliar situation on Saturday when he starts in the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot. He will be looking to get back into the win column after suffering his first loss in six career starts earlier this month at Santa Anita.
Wake Up Nick ran second in the $196,000 Golden State Juvenile on the Breeders’ Cup undercard Nov. 1. He was beaten
1 1/4 lengths after having to go around horses when unable to advance along the inside at a key point in the race, said his trainer, Leandro Mora.
“He lost his momentum,” Mora said. “It was a very good race. He’s becoming more and more of a pro.”
:: DELTA DOWNS JACKPOT: Get PPs, watch Saturday’s card live
Wake Up Nick was entered Tuesday in the Jackpot, a 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-olds run around two turns on the six-furlong track at Delta. The field will be capped at 10. Delta also took entries for seven other stakes on Saturday’s card, with Take Charge Brandi, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, expected to head the Grade 3, $400,000 Delta Downs Princess.
The Jackpot and Princess will be part of a pick four that has a guaranteed pool of $200,000. There will be a reduced 10 percent takeout on the wager for those playing through DRF Bets. Daily Racing Form will have live streaming video of the entire card Saturday.
Wake up Nick debuted at Santa Anita on May 1, and rolled to a 9 1/4-length win in a maiden special weight sprint restricted to horses bred in California. He proceeded to win the $125,000 Santa Anita Juvenile, the $100,000 Graduation and $150,000 I’m Smokin, both for California-breds at Del Mar, and the $103,000 Barretts Juvenile at Los Alamitos on Sept. 14.
Mario Gutierrez, who has ridden Wake Up Nick in five of his six starts, has the mount on Saturday.
Wake Up Nick races for Reddam Racing. He figures to start as one of the top choices in a well-matched Jackpot field which is expected to draw Mr. Z, the fifth-place finisher in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 1; Conquest Tsunami, winner of the $55,000 Street Sense at Churchill Downs in his last start Oct. 26; and undefeated stakes winners Prime Engine and Ocho Ocho Ocho.
Also expected for the Jackpot are Saratoga Heater, winner of the $150,000 Bertram Bongard for New York-breds at Belmont Park in his last start Sept. 21; Golden Actor, winner of the $250,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta; and stakes-placed runners Far Right and Red Button.
The Jackpot has a scheduled post of 4:15 p.m. Central.
Mora also will saddle Sharla Rae in the Princess on Saturday. She won the $93,000 Barretts Debutante at Los Alamitos in September and the $75,000 Pike Place Dancer at Golden Gate in her most recent out Oct. 25.
“She’s going up the ladder, we know, but we like how she’s been doing,” Mora said.
Mora said Kyle Frey has the mount Saturday. Both Sharla Rae, who races for W C Racing, and Wake Up Nick are flying in on Thursday from Southern California.
In addition to Take Charge Brandi and Sharla Rae, the Princess is expected to draw Temper Mint Patty, winner of the Joe A. Gimma for New York-breds at Belmont Park in September; Vivian Da Bling, winner of the $100,000 My Trusty Cat at Delta; Skipalute, the runner-up in the Grade 2 Matron at Belmont; and Danessa Deluxe, a recent allowance winner at Gulfstream Park West.
The Princess, a one-mile race to be run around two turns, has a scheduled post of 3:43 p.m.
Delta will have a first post of 1:15 p.m. on Saturday. Temperatures are forecast to be in the low 70s, with a 90 percent chance of thunderstorms, according to The Weather Channel.