Racing Around: Joe Bravo has saddle, will travel

By Alex Orr, Jr. for Horse News

New Jersey-based jockey Joe Bravo has no problem traveling from his home base in Monmouth County to ride horses in stakes races.

He took his tack to Delaware Park on Saturday (July 18) and won a rematch of a race from a month earlier in the Kentucky.

Bravo's travel paid off when he piloted Sheer Drama to the win in the $750,000, Grade 1 Delaware Handicap, the signature race at the Wilmington oval. He teamed with the 5-year-old mare to avenge a length and half defeat at the hands of longshot Frivolous in Churchill Downs' Grade 2 Fleur de Lis. In that race, Bravo and Sheer Drama, racing for Florida-based owner and breeder Harold L. Queen, tried to catch Frivolous in the home stretch only to fall short.

The plot reversed itself in the Delaware home stretch. After laying second for the first mile of the mile and a quarter handicap, Sheer Drama made her move and overtook the pace-setting Frivolous entering the lane. Sheer Drama and Frivolous dueled head to head with Frivolous and jockey Jon Court on the rail and Sheer Drama right alongside and virtually no room between the riders' boots. With Bravo asking his mare for everything she had, they started to edge clear a sixteenth out and hit the wire two lengths the winners. Frivolous was 3-3/4 lengths ahead of the show horse, America, the winner of Aqueduct's Affectionately in January.

Sheer Drama, a daughter of Burning Roma from Riveting Drama trained by David Fawkes, stopped the teletimer in 2 minutes, 1.58 seconds. The win was her fifth from 18 starts. Breeder Queen and trainer Fawkes have now banked $912,840 from her efforts. The Grade 1 designation of the 'Del 'Cap' enhanced her value as a broodmare far beyond that number.

Post race interviews were abandoned when Bravo dashed from the winner's circle to catch a plane for Indiana Downs and a ride on Calumet Farm's Mr. Z and Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas in the $500,000 Indiana Derby.

The trip almost proved to be a winner. Mr. Z and his itinerant rider were caught in tight quarters in the home stretch and finished second to Tiz Shea D and Jose Lezacano for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

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