Cambier Parc © Benoit Photo
Displaying an impressive turn of foot in the stretch, Eastern invader Cambier Parc, patiently ridden by John Velazquez, rallied in the stretch to notch a decisive victory in the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Oaks Saturday.
Placed in mid-pack in the early stages of the nine-furlong grass course race, the 9-5 favored Cambier Parc responded generously when taken to the outside in the upper stretch and went on to win by a length in a fast 1:46.75.
Second was Hidden Messages, under Flavien Prat, with Lady Prancealot running third, a half-length behind the runner-up and a length and one-quarter ahead of fourth-place Keeper Ofthe Stars in the field of 13 fillies. Strike at Dawn was withdrawn.
Cambier Parc, a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro owned by OXO Equine of Lawrence Best of Boston, Mass., and conditioned by America’s leading trainer thus far this year, Chad Brown, returned $4.40, $3.20 and $2.60 while earning first money of $180,000 as a result of her fourth win in seven starts. She was fourth in the Belmont Oaks prior to her journey to California to compete in the Del Mar Oaks.
Hidden Messages paid $7.60 and $6.20, while Lady Prancealot returned $6.40 to show.
Gary and Mary West’s Fighting Mad, with Joe Talamo in the saddle, made a show of her opposition in the Grade III $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes for three-year-old fillies, winning by as many lengths as her rider pleased in romping home eight in front.
The Bob Baffert-trained daughter of New Year’s Day went postward the 2-1 favorite and left no doubt as to her superiority in winning the one-mile race over Del Mar’s main track.
Runner-up was Hollywood Hills, a 30-1 longshot who closed well to be second, a head in front of Into Chocolate, with Kim K fourth in the field of seven fillies. Colonial Creed was scratched.
Fighting Mad was timed in 1:38.61 in scoring her third victory in five starts. She paid $6.60, $4.40 and $3.20 while earning first money of $60,000. Second-place Hollywood Hills returned $14.60 and $7, while Into Chocolate paid $3.60 to show.
JOHN VELAZQUEZ ((Cambier Parc, winner) – “It sure is nice to ride one like this. When you ask for it, they give it to you. We were in a good spot the first time by the wire and comfortable. When we went past the three-quarters, I shifted her out to where she was comfortable. We’d already saved enough ground and I wanted to get her going. She took care of it from there.”
FLAVIEN PRAT (Hidden Message, second) – “My filly ran great. The winner just a little too salty.”
JOE TALAMO (Lady Prancealot, third) – “She came flying at the finish. A really good try for her. That post (No. 11) didn’t help us any.”
LARRY BEST (owner of Cambier Parc, winner )- “I left all the terms of guidance to John (Velasquez) and to Chad Brown. The horse looked very relaxed all the way around and I’m glad she had the turn of foot to get home.”
FRACTIONS: :23.31 :46.89 1:10.50 1:34.77 1:46.75
The stakes win was the first of the meet and the first in the Del Mar Oaks for rider Velazquez. He now has seven stakes wins at Del Mar, four of them in Grade I races.
The stakes win was the first of the meet and the first in the Del Mar Oaks for trainer Brown. He now has eight stakes wins at Del Mar, seven of them in Grade I races.
The winning owner, OXO Equine, is the nom de course of Lawrence Best of Boston, MA.