Joyful Victory - Bullet Work

Byron King: Joyful Victory is worth betting on, for once, in Santa Margarita
By Byron King

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – I admit, I’ve had a love affair with Joyful Victory for almost two years now.

I type the words “love affair” in jest as, truth be told, what I truly loved about her was the opportunity to bet against her. Beginning with her starting as the favorite in the 2011 Kentucky Oaks and continuing through the end of 2012, she was a money destroyer for her backers, winning 1 of 10 races despite going off at 5-2 odds or less eight times. And even when she did win, in the Tiffany Lass at Fair Grounds last year, she paid . . . wait for it . . . $3.60

But I’ve had a change of heart about Joyful Victory, seeing more aggressiveness and determination from her in recent starts, leading me to hope she is a more dependable mare.

I certainly hope so: I’ll bet her to win Saturday’s Santa Margarita at Santa Anita Park, unless she is bet down from her 9-5 morning line.

Why the change of heart? It stretches back to a performance she turned in at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3 in the Chilukki Stakes, a race she lost by the narrowest of margins, but a race in which she showed much more fight than usual.

Racing against Brushed by a Star, she and that rival battled the final furlong, and although Joyful Victory fell a head short on the wire, she rallied past the winner shortly past the wire and was simply the unlucky recipient of a head bob – the rough equivalent of a well-placed basketball shot rolling in and eventually out of the rim.

Coming off that strong performance, she regressed in her final start of 2012, fading to third in the Fall City Handicap at Churchill Downs. But her most recent performance in the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic on Jan. 26 was even superior to her Chilukki race, resulting in a wire-to-wire, 4 1/4-length triumph.

Now sent to Southern California for the Santa Margarita, I fully expect her to continue to produce at the high level she has shown in two of her last three starts, particularly against a small field that is light for a Grade 1.

So, despite Joyful Victory’s past short-priced failures, I’m feeling the love in backing her Saturday.

www.drf.com/news/byron-king-joyful-victory-worth-betting-once-santa-margarita

Race 7 - 3:35 PM $1 Exacta / $1 Trifecta $2 Daily Double / $1 Rolling Pick Three (Races 7-8-9) $1 Superfecta (.10 Min.) STAKES Santa Margarita S. (Grade I)

Purse $300,000. For Fillies And Mares Four Years Old And Upward. By subscription of $300 each if made on or before Thursday, March 7 closed with 11. $500 to enter, $4,000 to start with $300,000 guaranteed, of which $180,000 to first, $60,000 to second, $36,000 to third, $18,000 to fourth and $6,000 to fifth. 123 Lbs. Non-winners of a Grade I race at One Mile or Over since September 15, 2012 allowed 3 Lbs.: Non-winners of a Grade I race at One Mile or Over OR Two Grade II races at One Mile or Over since March 15, 2012, 5 Lbs. A trophy will be presented to the owner of the winner. One And One Eighth Miles.

www.drf.com/news/byron-king-joyful-victory-worth-betting-once-santa-margarita

1 1 The Only Key (GB) 7/M L K Krigger 118 D Greenman 30/1
2 2 Brushed by a Star (KY) 5/M L V Espinoza 120 E Kenneally 7/2
3 3 Joyful Victory (ON) 5/M L R Napravnik 118 J L Jones 9/5
4 4 Great Hot (BRZ) 5/M L G L Stevens 118 A C Avila 4/1
5 5 Snow Fall (KY) 5/M L T Baze 118 J Hollendorfer 7/2
6 6 More Chocolate (KY) 4/F L M Garcia 118 J W Sadler 5/2


Owners: 1 - Ronald L. Charles; 2 - Unlimited Equine, LLC; 3 - Fox Hill Farms, Inc.; 4 - Coudelaria Jessica; 5 - Abruzzo or Taylor or Saufley; 6 - Michael Talla

Breeders: 1 - Newsells Park Stud; 2 - Desmond Ryan, Barry Donworth &Ken Donworth; 3 - William D. Graham; 4 - Coudelaria Jessica; 5 - Stonerside Stable; 6 - Calumet Farm

Equipment Changes: 5 - Snow Fall - Blinkers On

www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA031613USA-EQB.html