Wilkes Sends Out Rare Debut Winner To Make Hernandez 2-for-2 On Day

Here’s how hot trainer Ian Wilkes’ Kentucky operation is these days: He won with a first-time starter, as Lothenbach Stables’ Datt Town held off Missingdixie by a neck in a 5 1/2-furlong turf maiden race for 2-year-old fillies Sunday at Ellis Park.

Wilkes, as with his mentor, Carl Nafzger, is famous for not having his young horses all cranked up to win their first start. In fact, he’s the first to joke about his poor record with “firsters,” so his staff doesn’t hesitate to poke fun either.

“I just told Brian he made history,” said Bob Tucker, the assistant trainer who oversees Wilkes’ Skylight training center operation in Oldham County as well as running the horses at Ellis while the boss is at Saratoga. “He won on two first-time starters for Ian. I don’t think any other jock has ever done that. I don’t think anyone else will ever do it.”

Hernandez also won first time out at Churchill Downs aboard 16-1 Fun on June 24. This is how good she is: She finished second in Saratoga’s opening day Schuylerville Stakes at 22-1 and will run back in the Grade 1 Spinaway.

“All these years I’ve ridden for Ian, these are the first two I’ve ever won first time out,” Hernandez said. “This filly today, I don’t think I’ve ever been on her in the morning. But her works were pretty quick for his program. Even with the instruction, he told us to kind of get her in the race a little and see where she put us. She ran a big race. He must have thought pretty highly of her going into today.”

Hernandez won with his only two mounts Sunday, taking the fourth race on the Kim Hammond-trained Proven Warrior. Hernandez’ 19 victories, out of only 73 mounts, has him tied for third in the standings behind Corey Lanerie’s 22 wins and James Graham’s 20. Also at 19 is Miguel Mena with four racing days remaining: Sept. 1 (a special Thursday card), 2, 4 and 5th. There is no racing at Ellis on Saturday, Sept. 3, as that is opening day at Kentucky Downs.

“That’s a good meet. We haven’t ridden many but the percentage is good,” Hernandez said, adding of his agent, Frank Bernis, “I guess that means Frank is doing a pretty good job.”

Wilkes’ stable now has 11 wins out of 37 starts at the meet, trailing only Steve Asmussen’s 14 out of 66 starters.

Graham, who has heated up the last half of the meet, also won two races — the seventh aboard Rhythm Park ($5.60) for Don Campbell and the ninth on Grey Cape ($20) for Steve Margolis.