Finger Lakes 2012 Horse of the Year: Clean Jean (Stephanie Van Minos/Tom Cooley)
FARMINGTON, N.Y. – Finger Lakes Casino and Racetrack concluded its 50th year of racing on Friday with Bandit Lady winning the final race of the season. Wilfredo Rohena guided the 5-year-old mare to a six and three-quarter length victory in the ninth race for trainer Jeremiah Englehart.
RECORD STREAK COMES TO AN END
Rohena completed the season as the leading jockey at the Western New York track. He visited the winners circle a total of 138 times during the 2012 meet.
John Davila, Jr had been the top rider at Finger Lakes for ten consecutive years before finishing second to Rohena this year. The record streak concluded for Davila, who recorded a total of 129 wins in 2012.
Rohena is a veteran rider from Carolina, Puerto Rico who has been competing for 28 years. In 1994, he was the leading jockey at El Comandante (Hipodromo Camarero). The 47-year-old journeyman had immediate success at Finger Lakes. His 107 victories in 2011 ranked him second in the local standings behind John Davila, Jr.
Chris Englehart continued his dominance in the local trainer standings. He was the top Finger Lakes conditioner for the tenth consecutive year. Englehart saddled 135 winning horses to earn his twelfth career trainer title.
2012 MILESTONES
Fox Rules wins the New York Derby to give Ferraro win #1,500 (Stephanie Van Minos/Tom Cooley)
Fox Rules went gate-to-wire to score an upset in the $160,800 New York Derby on July 21. The 12-1 outsider gave trainer M. Anthony Ferraro his 1,500th career win.
Ferraro has a career total of 29 stakes victories including two with the mother of Fox Rules. In 2001, Shesastonecoldfox took the $65,350 Lady Finger Stakes and the $137,900 New York Breeders’ Futurity before being entered in the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.
Jockey Luis Perez also recorded his 1,500th win this season. Perez guided Neva Masquerade to a two and one-quarter triumph on April 27 to reach the milestone.
Dennis Carr earned his 2,500th win on Opening Day. Carr was aboard Valuable Lady who scored a one length victory in the feature race.
Trainer H. James Bond registered his 1,000th career win with Messorio on September 28. The 54-year-old conditioner began his career at Finger Lakes and went on to train horses that were successful on the national scene. Horses from his barn have amassed a sum of $37,067,230 in lifetime earnings.
CLASSY FILLIES PROVIDE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Clean Jean received the award for 2012 Finger Lakes “Horse of the Year”. The chestnut filly owned by Mark Valentine registered a total of eight wins in 15 Finger Lakes starts this year.
The $125,149 earner was claimed for $4,000 on May 1 by trainer Sal Iorio, Jr. She won six races and hit the board in two stakes events after moving to the new barn.
The 4-year-old New York-bred was guided by jockey Dean Frates to her tenth victory of the year on November 6. With the two length score, she ascended into the lead in the 2012 North American thoroughbred standings in the category of wins.
Matchmadeinheaven was the only multiple stakes winner of the meet. The talented young filly owned by Merrylegs Farm won the $124,888 Lady Finger Stakes in her career debut on September 3. The Chris Englehart-trainee also took the $50,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes on September 29 to remain undefeated at the Western New York Track.
