Dolce Zel (FR) © Benoit Photo
The 4-year-old filly Dolce Zel, making her first start in more than 11 months, overcame a gate incident just prior to the break and went on to tally by three-quarters of a length Saturday in the Kathryn Crosby Stakes, the feature on the Veterans Day card at Del Mar.
Owned by the partnership of Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Robert LaPenta and Michael Caruso, the French-bred lassie earned the lion’s share of the $85,100 purse in the overnight stakes and the $49,860 prize boosted her total earnings to $381,515.
Dolce Zel – in Post 5 with Flavien Prat – reacted when Gandora in Post 6 broke through the gate early and ran off a sixteenth of a mile. But though she, too, went through the gate early, rider Prat was able to snuggle her down and not let her go far.
Both fillies were reloaded and broke cleanly. While Dolce Zel went on to win, Gandora showed speed but backed up to finish sixth.
Running second in the mile turf test was Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Yerwanthere, who bested Team Valor International’s Nadette by a neck.
Dolce Zel, the 5/2 favorite in the feature, returned $7 to win after covering the grassy mile in 1:35.95.
Racing will resume at Del Mar Sunday with a first post of 12:30 p.m. The feature is the $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes, a seven-furlong spin for California-bred fillies and mares.
FLAVIEN PRAT (Dolce Zel, winner) – (His horse broke through the gate prior to the race, one of two who did.) “The horse next to me when through the gate early and my horse thought it was time to go. But we got back settled and everything went OK after that. When I squeezed her, she accelerated nicely.”
PHIL D’AMATO (Dolce Zel, winner) – “That’s the first time I’ve had a horse break through the gate and win. I give credit to Flavien (Prat) for catching her really quickly out of there. The six (horse) popped prematurely and caused our horse (to jump) but Flavien did a masterful job of saving her and giving her a beautiful ride after that. This is her first race in almost a year. She got the right spot here and hopefully we can keep improving.”
FRACTIONS: :23.65 :48.31 1:12.82 1:24.65 1:35.95
The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Prat and his first in the Kathryn Crosby. He now has 91 stakes wins at Del Mar, ninth best of all time.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer D’Amato and his first in the Kathryn
Crosby. He now has 51 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owners are the partnership of Makaket Stables (Sol Kumin), Michael Dubb, Robert LaPenta and Michael Caruso.