Kineticat Yankee Wins Free Spirit For Hot Trainer and Top Jockey

RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (August 28, 2010) – Leading jockey Juan Ochoa and hot trainer Weston Martin teamed up to take the $40,000 Free Spirit Handicap with the promising Kineticat Yankee on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

Kineticat Yankee raced to his third-straight win by running the six furlongs in 1:10.63.

Ochoa, with his 43rd win for the season, has the thoroughbred jockey title virtually secured with a 13-win lead with five racing days left in the season. Martin is saddling winners at a 33-percent rate.

Kineticat Yankee, a 6-year-old making just his seventh career start, quickly stepped away from the starting gate and took the lead within the first quarter mile. The rangy gelded son of Tale Of The Cat cruised around the turn and then withstood a mile bid from Gentsfinishfirst to win by one-and-one-quarter lengths.

The 3-year-old Chicks A Flyin finished in third place, nearly four lengths behind Gentsfinishfirst.

Kineticat Yankee made his first three starts on the Southern California circuit and won his maiden at Santa Anita in 2008. He did not race in 2009 and surfaced in New Mexico with a second-place finish in a conditioned allowance race at Sunland Park in March.

That proved to be his most recent setback. He then won a second-level allowance race at Sunland Park as the 3-10 favorite and won an optional claiming race at Ruidoso Downs with similar strong odds.

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