Choa Chom © Benoit Photo
S Samdow, Inc.’s Chao Chom hooked 1-9 favored Enola Gray shortly after the start and never relented in scoring a convincing victory in the featured $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes for older California-bred fillies and mares Sunday.
With Kent Desormeaux in the saddle, Chao Chom dueled with Enola Gray until mid- stretch where she asserted herself over the betting choice and drew away to score by a length and three-quarters in 1:22.53 for the seven furlongs.
Enola Gray, piloted by Tyler Baze and a winner of five of six starts prior to Sunday, was two and three-quarter lengths in front of the third horse, Cuddle Alert, with Barbara Beatrice fourth in the field of six.
Chao Chom, trained by Gary Stute, went postward as the second choice at 8-1 and returned $19.80, $3.60 and $3. Enola Gray paid $2.10 and $2.10, while Cuddle Alert returned $6.40 to show. It was the second victory in seven starts for the winner and first money of $57,000 increased the Tizbud filly’s earnings to $146,600.
There was a single winning ticket in the Pick Six Sunday and it returned $1,041,696. With a two-day carryover of $203,128, a single ticket Jackpot pool of $183,828 and $1,225,589 in “new” money Sunday, the total Pick Six pool Sunday was $1,612,545.
In addition to the single ticket payoff, there were 35 consolation payoffs for five winners and each was worth $4,008.
KENT DESORMEAUX (Chao Chom, winner) – “We won easy, so easy. There were dawdling fractions. She was just cantering down the backstretch. Then we turned for home and she just ascended to the front. She finished with her ears pricked. She just couldn’t have won much easier. Congratulations to Gary (trainer Gary Stute). Mel (his father and a long-time trainer) must have told him something good.”
TYLER BAZE (Enola Gray, second) – “I have no excuses. Turning for home, I thought I was home. But it just wasn’t there today. I just don’t know.”
AGAPITO DELGADILLO (Cuddle Alert, third) – “She ran great. We’re happy with her effort.”
GARY STUTE (Chao Chom, winner) – “I got tired of her getting beat as the favorite (four races in a row) so I put her in a race where I knew she wouldn’t be the favorite. Originally I was thinking about taking her back, because she hadn’t been finishing. Then I looked and thought Enola Gray is the only speed, so maybe we’ll get a slow pace and be close. I just left it up to Kent (Desormeaux) and he did the job.”
FRACTIONS: :23.17 :46.17 1:10.09 1:22.53
The stakes win was the first of the meet and the first in the Betty Grable for rider Desormeaux. He now has 76 stakes wins at Del Mar, ninth best of all time.
The stakes win was the first of the meet and the first in the Betty Grable for trainer Stute. This was his second stakes win at Del Mar.