Defiantly © Benoit Photo
Ruis Racing’s Defiantly, sent postward as the longest shot in the field at 13-1 despite the presence in the saddle of Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, rallied powerfully through the stretch to overhaul strongly-supported Mittersill and win the featured $80,445 Let It Ride Stakes for three-year-olds.
Defiantly, a son of Exchange Rate trained by Craig Dollase, was last of six horses in the upper stretch but unleashed an impressive burst of speed to get up in the final strides and win by a neck in 1:34.80 for the mile over the infield grass course.
Mittersill, the second choice in the betting at 2-1 under Flavien Prat, appeared home free when he took the lead in the stretch but he couldn’t withstand the late challenge of the winner. Third, another half-length back, was Camino Del Paraiso, with Curlin Rules, the 8-5 favorite, fading to fourth after setting the early pace.
Defiantly returned $29.60, $10.80 and $4.80, while Mittersill paid $3.80 and $3 and Camino Del Paraiso returned $4.20 to show.
The victory was Defiantly’s second in seven races and first money of $46,440 increased the gelding’s earnings to $110,685,
Defiantly provided Stevens with his 94th stakes success at Del Mar, tying him with the great Bill Shoemaker for sixth place on the all-time list of stakes-winners at the seaside track.
GARY STEVENS (Defiantly, winner) – “Beforehand, he was acting just like his name. He was a handful. I tried to get him to cool out, but he wasn’t having it. I actually breezed him a half mile in the warm up to settle him down a bit. The plan was to go for the lead, but after all that it was out of the question. But he broke well for me and relaxed. I asked him for a run at the three-sixteenths and I wasn’t sure what I was going to get. But he had a nice turn of foot and ran on well. He sort of acts like a 2-year-old, but with some maturity and some racing he’s eligible to move forward.”
(Stevens was told that this stakes win – his 94th at Del Mar – tied him with the legendary Bill Shoemaker for number of wins and sixth place on the track’s all-time list. He broke into a big smile and said:
“Oh, that’s awesome. Terrific. I’m glad I won one at this meet so I can say that. Awesome.”
FLAVIEN PRAT (Mittersill, second) – “He ran good; too good to get beat.”
RICARDO GONZALEZ (Camino Del Paraiso, third) – “If I could have got him running earlier, we might have had something. He gave me a good late run.”
CRAIG DOLLASE (Defiantly, winner) – “He likes this course, he broke his maiden here this summer and we wanted to run against three-year-olds. Gary (Stevens) was very patient with him, he accelerated at the right time and got the money. It kind of went the way we expected. Gary let them break and let him settle and get into stride. He came rolling late and was obviously the best today.”
FRACTIONS: :22.93 :47.08 1:11.03 1:23.09 1:34.80
The stakes win was rider Stevens first in the Let It Ride and first of the Fall meet. He now has 94 stakes at Del Mar, tying him for sixth place on the all-time list with fellow Hall of Famer Bill Shoemaker.
The stakes win for trainer Dollase was his first in the Let It Ride and first of the Fall meet. He now has 11 stakes scores locally.