Return to Dirt Possible for G3-Placed 3YO Filly Discreet Ops

BALTIMORE – Jockey J.G. Torrealba continued what has been a torrid August with five winners on Sunday’s eight-race program at Laurel Park.

The 22-year-old native of Venezuela moved into second place in the rider standings at Laurel’s 35-day summer meet, which wraps up Aug. 18 and has three scheduled racing days remaining. His 30 wins trail only Jaime Rodriguez (39), who won twice Sunday.

Represented by Simon Purdy, Torrealba scored in Sunday’s opener with Radwin Racing Stable and D and D Stables’ Get Like Mike ($7.20) and followed with back-to-back wins aboard Kaya Gokmen’s Monday Morning Qb ($4.80) in Race 3 and Pepe Stable and J L M Jacona Stable’s Five Dreams ($3.20) in Race 4. He capped his big day on WWCD’s Next Girl ($10) in Race 6 and CBC Racing Stable’s At First Sight ($5.40) in the finale.

Torrealba’s five wins came for trainers Bob Klesaris, Kieron Magee, Jose Magana, Robbie Bailes and Troy Singh. It was his seventh multi-win day of the meet and third in five racing days during August. He has 10 wins from 29 mounts (34 percent) for the month, registering a hat trick Aug. 4 including stakes wins on Roanan Goddess in the Searching and Malibu Beauty in the Caesar’s Wish. He also won the Star de Naskra June 29 aboard Play Harder.

“I am very happy to have five wins today,” Torrealba said. “I have to say thank you to God, to my agent and to all the trainers and owners for the opportunity.”

Torrealba won his first career riding title at Laurel’s spring meet. He grew up in Venezuela with no family ties to racing or plans to make his living as a jockey, but fell in love with the sport watching the races and by 2019 he was riding. With the help of Laurel-based trainer Jose Corrales, Torrealba came to the U.S. in September 2022 and ultimately landed in Ohio.

Torrealba made his U.S. debut April 24, 2023 at Thistledown and rode his first winner the following day with Fast as Fast Can B before moving west to ride at Del Mar and Santa Anita. He rode his first Maryland races Jan. 27 at Laurel, notching his first two wins with Lisa’s Palace and Musical Heart Feb. 3 and ending the winter meet with the fifth-most winners (19) and sixth-highest earnings ($679,018) while also scoring his first career stakes win on Copper Tax in the March 23 Private Terms.

Laurel kicks off the final weekend of its summer meet with a 10-race program Friday, Aug. 16 starting at 12:25 p.m. Two $75,000 turf stakes for Maryland-bred/sired horses are scheduled on closing day, the Find for 3-year-olds and up and All Brandy for fillies and mares 3 and older.

Return to Dirt Possible for G3-Placed 3YO Filly Discreet Ops

Charles Reed’s Discreet Ops, third in the May 17 Miss Preakness (G3) at historic Pimlico Race Course in her third career start, may be back on dirt when she returns to action following back-to-back off-the-board finishes in turf sprint stakes.

Discreet Ops breezed a half-mile in 49.20 seconds Sunday at Laurel Park for trainer Ben Feliciano Jr., her first work since running a troubled sixth in the Blue Sparkler July 13 at Monmouth Park. Prior to that she was fourth in Laurel’s June 16 Stormy Blues, also going 5 ½ furlongs.

“We just went nice and easy with her today,” Felicano said. “The Monmouth race knocked a little bit out of her. It was kind of hot up there that day and it’s a long trip up there and she came back and got a little tucked up. We just gave her a little bit of time to catch herself up and today I told the rider just to go easy with her.”

By undefeated Grade 1 winner Army Mule, Discreet Ops won her mid-November unveiling last year and began 2024 with a popular 1 ¼-length optional claiming allowance triumph April 13, both at Laurel, setting her up for her stakes debut in the six-furlong Miss Preakness.

She ran well enough in the Stormy Blues that Felicano kept her on grass for the Blue Sparkler instead of Sunday’s Penny Chenery sprinting seven furlongs on the dirt at Colonial Downs. Among the horses in that race were Cap Classique and Carmelina, both of whom finished behind Discreet Ops in the Miss Preakness.

“I was looking for a 3-year-old race and I considered the one at Colonial,” Feliciano said. “We probably should have skipped the Monmouth race and ran the race at Colonial, but she runs either [surface]. The race at Monmouth, as soon as she broke she kind of clipped heels when horses came together so she had kind of a rough trip.”

Among the upcoming options for Discreet Ops is the $75,000 Shine Again for fillies and mares 3 and up which have never won an open sweepstakes sprinting 6 ½ furlongs Aug. 24 during the Maryland State Fair Meet at Timonium.

“She’s doing good. I was thinking about the race at Timonium. We nominated her and that’s what we’re kind of looking at. It’s at the end of the month and it’s perfect timing. I’m going to probably work her again next Saturday and crank her up a little bit more with an eye on that race,” Feliciano said. “I think she’d be OK at Timonium. It’s not for sure that we’re going there, but right now that’s what we’re aiming for.”