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Jonesboro dominates Essex on front end Michael Langford's JONESBORO (Sefapiano) broke on top and never looked back in Saturday's $100,000 Essex H. (G3) at Oaklawn Park. Out of the recently deceased champion Mom's Command (Top Command), the five-year-old horse notched his first graded victory with a facile 5 3/4-length score. He opened a clear lead entering the first turn and never faced a serious challenge throughout, setting splits in :23 2/5, :47 1/5, 1:12 2/5 and 1:37 4/5 before finishing 1 1/16 miles over the fast track in 1:44 1/5. Trained by Randy Morse and ridden by Calvin Borel, Jonesboro returned $10.80, $5 and $3.40 as the near 9-2 third choice. Red Raymond (Deputy Commander) rallied wide into contention on the far turn and easily held second through the stretch, paying $4.80 and $3.40 at 4-1. More Than Regal (More Than Ready), the 5-1 fifth choice, finished 2 1/2 lengths back in third and gave back $4.20. The $2 exacta generated a $61 payoff, and the $1 trifecta (9-3-2) was $210.90. Rotary (Wagon Limit), Thunder Mission (Pulpit), Commander Buck (Deputy Commander), Absent Friend (Runaway Groom), 7-2 favorite Mr. Pursuit (General Royal) and Joey Carson (Lord Carson) rounded out the order of finish following the defections of Go Now (Go for Gin) and Sampson's Son (Lil's Lad). Jonesboro entered the Essex off a close second in the Louisiana Breeders' Cup S. at Fair Grounds and won the Sam's Town S. at Delta Downs two starts back. The chestnut also posted a victory in the 2005 Northern Spur Breeders' Cup S. at Oaklawn. Bred in Kentucky by Jayeff "B" Stables, Jonesboro sold for $27,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September yearling sale and has now earned $277,885 for his connections from a 16-6-4-1 mark. His dam swept the Triple Tiara (Acorn S. [G1], Mother Goose S. [G1] and Coaching Club American Oaks [G1]) as well as the Alabama S. (G1) before being named champion three-year-old filly in 1985, and Mom's Command captured 11 of 16 career starts, heading to the breeding shed with more than $900,000 in earnings. Jonesboro was her first stakes winner.
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