Goldencents’ Wildman Jack dominates Palos Verdes S. (G3)

Wildman Jack proved he’s top-class on dirt as well as the turf with an emphatic 4 ¼-length score in Saturday’s Palos Verdes S. (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

The 5-year-old son of Goldencents won both the Daytona S. (G3) and Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3) both on the grass last year. The Palos Verdes was his first start on the dirt since being beaten just 1 ½-lengths in the Bing Crosby S. (G1) in August.

With longshot Captain Scotty setting the pace, Wildman Jack tracked the leader in second through a half-mile in :44.52. Given his cue by Abel Cedillo, Wildman Jack rocketed away from the field at the top of the stretch and was all alone at the finish as he stopped the timer in 1:08.98 for the six furlongs on a fast track.

“He’s been on the grass, but we loved his dirt race at Del Mar (the Bing Crosby), trainer Doug O’Neill’s assistant Leandro Mora. “We’ve been thinking about getting him back on the dirt since then and Doug and the owners decided this race would be good.  This is a huge win for him, and we can run him on either surface.”

Wildman Jack was bred and is owned by Glenn Sorgenstein’s WC Racing Inc. and has earned $559,505.

Goldencents, a two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), was the leading Third-Crop sire in the Northern Hemisphere in 2020 with progeny earnings of more than $6.5 million. His 2021 fee is $15,000 S&N.