Del Mar News
Thursday, August 28th
Stakes Winner, Shipper and Comebacker In El Cajon
Leonides, winner of Hollywood Park's Captain Squire Handicap, leads a field of nine 3-year-olds in Friday's $100,000 El Cajon Handicap at one mile on the main track.
The Vladimir Cerin-trained Leonides has two wins and two seconds in four starts this year. In an abbreviated 2-year-old campaign, the son of Richter Scale had a win and a second in three outings.
Coming back to the races after an impressive 2-year-old season cut short by sickness is Slew's Tiznow, another well-meant son of super young stallion and two-time Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow. After breaking his maiden at Saratoga and finishing second in Keeneland's Breeders Futurity, the colt fell sick at Monmouth Park preparing for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and has been off ever since. He comes to the race from six solid works over the Del Mar main track for trainer Doug O'Neill.
Shipping in this week to contend for honors in the El Cajon is Cherokee Artist, who drops out of three straight graded races to tackle the El Cajon field for trainer H. Graham Motion. He finished fourth in the Grade III West Virginia Derby, preceded by runner-up finishes in the Grade II Ohio Derby and Grade III Barbaro Stakes.
Here's the lineup from the rail, with weights and riders: Lukimbi, 117, Alex Solis; Waafi, 117, Mike Smith; Wind's Legacy, 117, Jon Court; Young Joe, 117, Joe Talamo; Spinning Sound, 117, Joel Rosario; National Holiday, 117, Jose Valdivia Jr.; Slew's Tiznow, 117, Rafael Bejarano; Cherokee Artist, 117, Garrett Gomez; Leonides, 119, Richard Migliore.
Brazilian-Born Zardana Gets Major Test In Palomar
Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally is hoping what he saw from 4-year-old Zardana in Del Mar’s Osunitas Handicap is just the first sample of what he was expecting when he brought the Brazilian-bred to the United States for prime owner Arnold Zetcher.
She’ll get her class test Saturday in the 1 1/16-mile Palomar Handicap, a Grade II, $200,000 race on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
The 4-year-old daughter of Crimson Tide was undefeated as a 3-year-old in Brazil, demolishing the fields in her three starts by no less than 10 ˝ lengths. But her Brazilian form had not translated to winning form in this country until the Osunitas when she stalked the pace and then won by a half-length over Bahama Mama.
“We’ve been disappointed until the Osunitas,” McAnally said this morning, “but she’s been training real well down here and we felt good about her last race. We hope she runs that well again.”
Multiple graded stakes winner Vacare leads the field that also includes Solana Beach Handicap winner America’s Friend and Del Mar Oaks runner-up Bel Air Sizzle, both from the Barry Abrams barn.
The field is limited to 10.
Here’s how they’ll line up from the rail, with weights and riders: Zardana, 115, Aaron Gryder; Live Life, 113, Jose Valdivia Jr.; Ransom Captive, 114, Michael Baze; Kris’ Sis, 115, Rafael Bejarano; Vacare, 119, Corey Nakatani; Forest Melody, 114, Tyler Baze; Gotta Have Her, 115, Richard Migliore; Moujane, 114, David Flores; Ainamaa, 113, Victor Espinoza; America’s Friend, 114, Alex Solis.
Gula Gold, 113, with Joel Rosario, is on the also-eligible list.
Canani Brings International Flavor To Del Mar Derby
Trainer Julio Canani will saddle two horses for Sunday’s Del Mar Derby and one offers a true international flavor to the race.
Blue Chagall not only is the unknown factor in the race as he makes his first start in the United States, but all the factors involved smack of a United Nations runner. The French-bred’s sire, Testa Rossa, is an Australian-bred, his dam, Eloisey is Irish; his owner is Texan Jack Preston and his trainer is an Italian transplanted to Peru.
Add to that the fact his rider is Brice Blanc. Allez, Allez would be a normal call from the Frenchman as they turn into the stretch of the 1 1/8-mile race on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
The field of 10 includes Nownownow, winner of the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Heading the field will be La Jolla Handicap winner Sky Cape, trained, bred and co-owned by Kristin Mulhall, with Steve Taub; La Jolla runner-up Tangled Tango, also trained by Canani, and Virginia Derby winner Gio Ponti, trained by Christophe Clement.
All will carry 122 pounds.
Here’s the lineup from the rail, with riders: Tangled Tango, Tyler Baze; Kilderry, Rafael Bejarano; Captain Roy, Michael Baze; Madeo, Mike Smith; Tiz West, Victor Espinoza; Nownownow, Julien Leparoux; Blue Chagall, Brice Blanc; Sky Cape, Joel Rosario; Spinning Sound, Alex Solis; Gio Ponti, Garrett Gomez.
New Shooter Takes Aim At Del Mar Futurity
Fresh from an undefeated season at Woodbine Race Course in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, comes Southern Exchange to contest the Grade I, $250,000 Del Mar Futurity on Wednesday, September 3.
The son of Exchange Rate will be supplemented to the field for $10,000 at Sunday’s entry time.
Owned by Bill and Vicki Poston of Atlanta and trained by Gregory de Gannes, Southern Exchange has compiled a record of three victories, the most important of which came in Woodbine’s Colin Stakes. De Gannes describes the Florida-bred as “very uncomplicated, a horse with speed who is a stalker in a race.”
In the Colin, de Gannes said, “He came out of the one hole and the rest of the field sort of ganged up on him and tried to keep him buried down on the inside. But when they turned into the stretch a bit of a hole opened up and he went right on through.”
That move, with regular rider Jono Jones aboard, sent him to the finish line 3 1/4 lengths better than the runner-up. For the Futurity, Garrett Gomez will ride. “We’re very fortunate that Garrett will be able to ride,” de Gannes said. “Obviously, he’s one of the top riders here.”
Gomez worked the colt, who arrived Monday, an easy half-mile this morning in 49 seconds. “Garrett liked the way he went,” de Gannes said.
The trainer, who has 21 horses at Woodbine, was leaving later today for home, but plans to return Saturday and saddle the colt on Wednesday.
The addition of Southern Exchange, residing in the barn of Kathy Walsh, runs the list of those committed to the Futurity to eight. At this point, the others expected include Arashi Cat with Clinton Potts and Blazing Spirit with Michael Baze from the Jeff Mullins barn; Believe in Hope with Jose Valdivia Jr. for Ron Ellis; Coronet of a Baron with Corey Nakatani for Eoin Harty; Escalon with Rafael Bejarano for Doug O’Neill; Kelly Leak with Victor Espinoza for Mike Machowsky, and Midshipman with Tyler Baze for Bob Baffert.
Kelly Leak crossed the finish line first in both of his career starts, but was disqualified to fourth for interference in the Grade II Best Pal Stakes August 10.
Choosing to skip the Futurity at this point is the undefeated Azul Leon, owned by Joseph LaCombe Stables and trained by O’Neill. LaCombe also owns Escalon. Azul Leon finished behind Kelly Leak in the Best Pal but was moved up to the win via the disqualification.
Dozen 2-Year-Old Fillies Set For Debutante Stakes
Twelve 2-year-old fillies, including three supplemental entries, are sitting on “go” for Monday’s Grade I, $250,000 Del Mar Debutante Stakes at 7 furlongs on the main track.
Undefeated and winner of Del Mar’s Grade III Sorrento Stakes Evita Argentina heads the field, with the three fillies that finished after her returning to duel with the daughter of Candy Ride.
Second in the Sorrento was Stardom Bound, still a maiden but impressive in two runner-up finishes at the seashore. Third-place finisher Glitter City, who was dropped to fourth for interference in the stretch, will test the top two finishers, as will Emmy Darling, who won Hollywood Park’s Landaluce Stakes and was moved up from fourth in the Sorrento.
The supplemented trio: Saucey Evening, a close second in the C.T.B.A. Stakes July 18, Palacio de Amor, an impressive winner here August 16, and Will O Way, impressive winner at first asking at Calder Race Course and half-sister to 2005 Del Mar Horse of the Meeting Willow O Wisp. Willow O Wisp was trained by Vladimir Cerin as is the filly.
The rest in the race are maiden winners, either at Del Mar or Hollywood Park.
All will carry 123 pounds.
Here’s the lineup from the rail: Palacio de Amor, Victor Espinoza; Will O Way, Joel Rosario; Evita Argentina, Alex Solis; Stardom Bound, Mike Smith; Saucey Evening, Garrett Gomez; Candilejas, Martin Garcia; Trifecta King, Alonso Quinonez; Glitter City, Michael Baze; Montana Fields, Rafael Bejarano; Turtle Creek Babe, Joe Talamo; Emmy Darling, David Flores; Empressive Lady, Tyler Baze.
Go Between, Pacific Classic Champion
Peter Vegso’s favored Go Between, runner-up in both the Santa Anita Handicap and Hollywood Gold Cup this year, gave jockey Garrett Gomez his second million-dollar victory in two days East to West, capturing the Grade I $1 million Pacific Classic, signature event of the summer racing season at Del Mar.
Gomez, who won the $1 million Travers Stakes for three-year-olds aboard West Coast-based Colonel John at Saratoga, Saturday, drove Go Between to a neck victory over Well Armed, with Mast Track third and Zappa fourth in a field of ten older horses.
McCann’s Mojave was withdrawn from the line-up Sunday morning.
Go Between, a five-year-old son of Point Given, is trained by Bill Mott, who was running a horse in the Pacific Classic for the first time since l996 when Cigar was upset by Dare And Go as he sought his 17th consecutive victory to break the great Citation’s record.
Go Between accomplished the mile and one-quarter in 2:01.18 and paid $7.60,. $5.60 and $3 while earning a prize of $600,000 with his eighth win in 26 starts. He now has earnings of $2,783,880. He also earned a place in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, October 25 since the Pacific Classic is a qualifier for that championship day of racing.
Well Armed, who was piloted by Aaron Gryder in a sterling performance, paid $5.80 and $5.60, while Mast Track paid $5.80 to show.
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