Spinelessjellyfish--California Gold Rush II

Before Spinelessjellyfish went out and defended his victory in the Khaled Handicap last year, there were plenty of questions that needed answers. Following his win in 2000, he had injured an ankle running unplaced in a race at Lone Star Park and went to the sidelines for the remainder of the year. When he resurfaced for a 6 1/2 furlong allowance race on the turf in January, he was only able to finish fifth under regular rider Chris McCarron.

While his next race under McCarron was a vastly improved third, it was still not winning. Then, when Chris was unable to ride him in the Crystal Water against Cal-breds three weeks later, Spinelessjellyfish ran sixth of seven behind Road to Slew. 

"Many people were very hard on Spinelessjellyfish, but I never gave up on him," said Jenine Sahadi, who trains the Skywalker horse for her brother Steve and Ronelle Heller, whose husband, Bart, passed away in August. "I knew he was going to come back."

Spinelessjellyfish and McCarron reunited for last year's Khaled. The 46-year-old rider was narrowing in on his 7,000th victory, but had been stalled at 6,999 wins for nearly a week. He had finished in the runner-up spot in two earlier races on the card before climbing aboard this quirky 5-year-old that really needed McCarron's magic to do his best running. The crowd sent the pair off as 3-1 second choice behind two-time California grass champion Native Desert.

They were rewarded with a hard-fought neck victory over a very tenacious Lesters Boy. The latter had grabbed an early lead and wasn't about to give it up. He proved very tough in the drive to the wire, but Spinelessjellyfish was just as tough and nailed him right on the wire to become Gold Rush Day's first back-to-back winner and the milestone victory for McCarron. Native Desert was just a head back in third.

"I'm so glad he was the one who provided Chris with his 7,000th win," Sahadi added. "Spinelessjellyfish just loves Chris and won't run for anyone except him."

Spinelessjellyfish and Native Desert faced off in two more close contests later in the season. They finished in a dead heat for first in the California Turf Championship at Bay Meadows in October and proved nearly as difficult to separate in the Cal Cup Mile. Native Desert scored by a neck in that round and captured his third California championship at nine years of age.

Spinelessjellyfish appears right on target to make it a three-peat in this year's Khaled after he narrowly missed to Hugh Hefner in the Crystal Water on March 24. Win or lose, though, he is scheduled to be sold in the Heller dispersal at Barretts two weeks after California Gold Rush.