It took a week longer than planned, but, in the end, the horse that would have been heavily favored on Aug. 24 was heavily favored in the Aug. 31 Grade III $200,000 Parx Dash. The Critical Way did not exactly win like a 1-5 shot, just getting my second choice Francatelli late and holding off a serious final charge by 9-1 Battle Station to win by a nose.
They don’t pay for margins. They do pay for winning. And that is what The Critical Way does best. Even though the 5-furlong grass race had to be postponed for a week after drenching rains left the course too soft to run on, the wait was no issue for The Critical Way.
After breaking his maiden at 45-1 in May 2017 at Santa Anita, the Pennsylvania bred came east to win the Danzig Stakes at Penn National. Since then, The Critical Way has raced all over, but it was Jan. 15, 2020 that changed everything. Owner Randal Gindi of Monster Racing Stables put up $30,000 to claim The Critical Way at Gulfstream Park. Since then, in 12 races for the owner, The Critical Way, now 7-years-old, has six wins, four seconds, two thirds, and earnings of $394,565.
“I took a $30,000 shot,’’ Gindi said.
Nice shot.
“To win it here… he’s a Pennsylvania bred,’’ Gindi said. “It’s just so exciting to be in this position.’’
It was the first graded stakes win for trainer Jose Delgado. It was not the first big win for jockey Paco Lopez who, in his 15 years riding, has won 3,136 races. His mounts have earned $112 million.
“He tries hard every time,’’ Lopez said of The Critical Way. “He’s a very good horse.’’
Such a good horse that he won despite the course not being hard and tight like he prefers.
“I waited and when I asked, he gave me everything in the stretch,’’ Lopez said.
One of the gelding’s 10-lifetime wins came in last year’s Marshall Jenney on Labor Day at Parx when The Critical Way was 11-1. Two years earlier, the horse finished fourth in the same race as the 9-5 favorite. The plan is to bring The Critical Way (stabled at Monmouth Park) back for the Grade III $300,000 Turf Monster on Sept. 25, Pennsylvania Derby Day. Only makes sense for a horse owned by the Monster Racing Stables.
“I was just looking last year at the (Jenney),’’ Delgado said. “We came to the (Jenney) and he crushed the field…I think he loves this track.’’
After the return visit to Parx, up next could be the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 6.
“That would be a dream come true and that would be my goal,’’ Gindi said.
BOBBY VELEZ PASSES AWAY
He was a fixture on the backstretch in the mornings. During the races, you would usually see him perched on a bench not far from the paddock and walking ring. It will not be the same at Parx without Bobby Velez who recently passed away.
“Bobby was family to me and my family,’’ said trainer John Servis. “My kids grew up with him. (Velez) and Big Bill (Foster), they were two guys my kids looked up to. Bobby started with me right before Smarty Jones.’’
Foster and Velez were fixtures around Smarty that spring and summer of 2004 when Smarty ran his way into horse racing history. We lost Bill a few years ago. Now, Bobby.
“He worked for me for 10 plus years, went home to Puerto Rico for maybe a year and a half and went to work for my son (trainer Tyler Servis) and worked for my son right up until he died, Servis said.’’
Velez was the assistant trainer for Budd Lepman when the trainer sent Eillo to Hollywood Park in 1984 to win the first Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He was the exercise rider for the great Spend A Buck when the colt won the 1985 Kentucky Derby and Jersey Derby on his way to Horse of the Year. Then came his time with Smarty.
“Bobby was quiet, paid attention to detail,’’ Servis said. “He grew up around horses. That’s why I was (so happy) when he came back to go to work for Tyler. I’m sure Tyler learned a lot from him.’’ From Eillo to Spend A Buck to Smarty Jones, Bobby Velez was around some great horses and those horses were around a great man.
