John Sadler © Benoit Photo
RETURNING STARS MAKE SADLER A GOOD BET FOR REPEAT SUCCESS
Accelerate, Catalina Cruiser and Catapult, all out of the John Sadler stable, accounted for four of the nine divisional champions of the 2018 summer meeting. Accelerate was voted Horse of the Meeting and Top Older Horse while Catalina Cruiser took the Sprinter division and Catapult Top Grass Horse.
The trio’s combined five stakes wins contributed mightily to the more than $1.2 million in earnings at the meeting that put the Hronis Racing stable of brothers Kosta and Pete Hronis atop the ownership standings for the second year in a row and the fourth time overall.
Only Accelerate, retired to stud after an Eclipse Award season climaxed by a win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, is gone from Sadler’s standout horse group of a year ago. And Hronis Racing looks as strong as ever with one newcomer, Jasikan, the morning line favorite for Wednesday’s traditional opening day feature, the $100,000 Runhappy Oceanside Stakes.
So things are looking up, with one exception, for Sadler. When he looks out the door of his office and down the shedrow, he does not see horses conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer at the far end of the building.
“There’s a big sadness for me coming here this year with what happened to Hollendorfer,” Sadler said, carefully and measuredly, Tuesday morning, his first day on site. “He’s been my friend and neighbor at the end of the stalls for quite a few years here, so it’s a little depressing. But as far as the horses go, it’s looking good, we’re expecting to have a nice week and we’re going to load right up this weekend.”
Catalina Cruiser is scheduled to defend his title in Saturday’s Grade II $200,000 San Diego Handicap and Catapult comes back with a title defense in Sunday’s Grade II $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes.
Additional representatives in early stakes are Kentan Road and Lady Suebee in Saturday’s $85,000 Daisycutter Handicap and Higher Power in Sunday’s $85,000 Wickerr Stakes.
“Off to a strong start, I hope,” Sadler said. “I never look from year to year, I’ve been so consistent down here for so long. But you never know what’s going to happen. Hopefully we’ll get some breaks and have some luck.”
Sadler has four entered in the opening day program with Jasikan, an Irish-bred colt who was purchased following a maiden-breaking win in November, his second career start in his native country.
“He looks like a nice prospect,” Sadler said. “He was a very good third in a stake first out for us, then he won an allowance race very impressively in his next out. The mile (of the Oceanside) should be a very good distance for him.”
The Runhappy Oceanside field from the rail: Manhattan Up (Tiago Pereira, 12-1), Roger That (Martin Garcia, 30-1), Jasikan (Flavien Prat, 9-5), Legends of War (Rafael Bejarano, 6-1), King of Speed (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1), City Rage (Drayden Van Dyke, 15-1), More Ice (Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 15-1), Gregorian Chant (Geovanni Franco, 7-2), Rijeka (Ruben Fuentes, 20-1), Nolde (Victor Espinoza, 8-1), Golden Birthday (Joe Talamo, 20-1), Synthesis (Mario Gutierrez, 30-1).
IT’S EARLY DAYS, BUT RACING OFFICE PLEASED WITH BUSINESS SO FAR
Close of entries and the post position draw for Friday’s card were still a few hours away Tuesday morning as Executive Vice Racing Tom Robbins looked over the first two programs of the meeting.
“We’re happy with the first two days, given the lower inventory of horses in California this year and other circumstances,” Robbins said. “We’re doing our best to put together the best races we can on a five-day-a-week basis, but we know that it’s going to be a challenge.”
Wednesday’s opening day 10-race program drew 81 entries and had eight horses on also eligible status. On Thursday, the seven-race program has 59 total entries and two also eligibles.
The Santa Anita and Los Alamitos meetings which precede Del Mar both wound up cancelling racing days, something that Robbins and Racing Secretary David Jerkens hope to avoid by reducing the number of races. The aim is for 40 races per week, down from an average of 43 per week in 2018.
Jerkens’ mantra, since taking over racing secretary duties five summers ago, had been “One day at a time.”
To which Robbins, in his 39th year at Del Mar, adds an ‘Amen.’
“It’s very true, this year,” Robbins said.
SNEAKING OUT IS ‘IN’ AS SOLID FAVORITE FOR THURSDAY’S FLEET TREAT
KMN Racing’s Sneaking Out, most recently the runner-up to My Majestic Rose in the Grade II Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita in May, was tabbed as the 6-5 favorite in a field of seven for Thursday’s $150,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for 3-year-old California-bred or sired fillies.
Trained by J. Keith Desormeaux, Sneaking Out began a streak of four races in which she crossed under the wire first, with a 10 ½-length maiden-breaking romp in her second start here on the September 2, closing day of the 2018 meeting. The victory streak ended when the daughter of Indian Evening was disqualified to second in the Angels Flight on May 4 at Santa Anita. She led through most of the 1 1/16-mile Summertime Oaks before missing by a half-length as the even money favorite.
The Fleet Treat is seven furlongs on the main track.
The field from the rail: Sneaking Out (Drayden Van Dyke, 6-5), Violette Szabo (Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 12-1), Takethediamondlane (Joe Talamo, 4-1), Opus Won (Mario Gutierrez, 6-1), Tiz a Master (Mike Smith, 6-1), Ruby Bradley (Aaron Gryder, 8-1) and Hollywood Hills (Flavien Prat, 5-1).
O’NEILL ENTERS MEETING WITH NUMBERS AND HIS USUAL ENTHUSIASM
With the stable settled in on Monday, Doug O’Neill, the five-time Del Mar training champion, was his ever-smiling, ever-positive self.
“We’re happy to be back down here and on a scale of one to 10, the happiness level is a 10,” said O’Neill, who comes in as the training champion of the ill-starred Santa Anita meeting. “We’re hoping to hit the restart button and consider this our January 1. It’s a fresh start for us and everyone else.
“We love the management here, it looks like they’re getting everything ready. We’ve got a good number of horses and a great staff. We’re having a pretty good year so far and we’re eager to get started.
“We’re hoping to be pretty active throughout the meet.”
O’Neill has 50 horses on site at the track and 50 more at the San Luis Rey Downs training center. He has five entered on the opening day card Wednesday, tying Steve Knapp for the most of any trainer.
In Wednesday’s featured Runhappy Oceanside Stakes, O’Neill will saddle Legends of War, a Scat Daddy colt who began his career in England for trainer John Gosden and has run three times this year with the most recent result being a second to Listing in the Desert Code stakes at Santa Anita on June 9.
“Legends of War is doing really well,” O’Neill said. “But it’s a full field and definitely not an easy race.”
On Friday, O’Neill plans to send out Lynn’s Legacy in the $85,000 Osunitas Stakes. The six-year-old Unusual Heat mare will be making her 35th start and looking to add to $352,111 in career earnings. She hit the board in two straight Grade III events at Santa Anita.
“You know she’s always going to give her best,” O’Neill said.
CLOSERS – Bob Baffert assistant Jim Barnes and crew have their stable area looking sharp as usual for the Hall of Fame trainer’s arrival on Wednesday. Stable stars McKinzie and Game Winner, the 2018 Del Mar Futurity winner, are occupying stalls that once housed the likes of Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify, among many other notables … Selected works from 72 officially timed on Tuesday morning: American Anthem (3f, :37.00), Secret Spice (5f, :59.60).