Bus Buzz © Benoit Photo
Terry Lovingier, Tom Halasz and Amanda Navarro’s Bus Buzz blitzed five rivals at Del Mar Friday evening in the 36th edition of the Real Good Deal Stakes, covering seven furlong in 1:22.97 and finishing up four and a quarter lengths on top at the wire.
The homebred gelding by Stay Thirsty made every pole a winner in impressive fashion for crackerjack speed rider Edwin Maldonado in the feature for California-bred 3-year-olds. He’d been prepared for the dash nicely by trainer Steve Knapp.
Finishing second in the heat was J. Kirk and Judy Robison’s Giver Not a Taker, two and a quarter lengths ahead of ISK Racing Stable, Hames, Lawless et al’s Clouseau.
The winner was capturing his first stakes race and picked up a check for $99,750 from the gross purse of $175,000. He now shows a bankroll of $222,150 from three wins and two seconds in five starts. He returned $5.80 to win as the second choice in the field.
George Sharp’s Kangaroo Court went favored at 7/5, but faded to fifth after showing some early speed.
Racing resumes at Del Mar tomorrow with an 11-race card and a first post of 2 p.m.
EDWIN MALDONADO (Bus Buzz, winner) – “He broke real well, then I think the sun got in his eyes and he hesitated a bit. He was waiting for other horses to come to him. Then he felt one alongside him and he took off again. He’s a nice horse. Steve (trainer Knapp) and I agreed we wanted to be in front. Steve said he wanted me seven in front. I work to try to get my horses good breaks. I think it makes a big difference. It’s nice to have an edge.”
STEVE KNAPP (Bus Buzz, winner) – “I told Edwin to get six, seven, eight lengths in front and if we get beat we get beat. At the quarter pole I could see that Kangaroo Court was all out trying to catch him and he just got tired trying to catch us.”
FRACTIONS: :22.10 :44.23 1:09.41 1:22.97
The stakes win was the first at the meet for both the rider and the trainer.
The tally in the Real Good Deal was the 11th overall at Del Mar for Maldonado and his second in the stakes (he won it with Red Outlaw in 2014).
The win in the Real Good Deal was the fifth overall at Del Mar for Knapp, but his first in this particular race.
The winning owners are Terry Lovingier, Tom Halasz and Amanda Navarro. Lovingier was also the breeder of the horse.