Global Magician © Benoit Photo

 

Global Magician, the 3-2 favorite ridden by Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza, overhauled pacesetting Signature Cat in the stretch and went on to win Del Mar’s feature race Thursday, a five-furlong sprint on the grass.

 

Global Magician, owned by Barber and Wachtel Stable and trained by Peter Miller, scored by one and one-quarter lengths over Signature Cat in 57.18 for the abbreviated distance. Gutsy Ruler was third, one and one-quarter lengths behind the runner-up and the same margin in front of fourth-place Burnaroundtheedges in the field of nine sprinters.

 

Global Magician, a son of Globalize, paid $5, $3 and $2.40; Signature Cat returned $5.20 and $3.60 while Gutsy Ruler paid $9.80 to show.

 

Trainer Doug O’Neill, who sent out four consecutive winners on last Sunday’s program, continued his march toward career winner no. 2,000 as he saddled two winners Thursday to move within three of the milestone. O’Neill’s Exactamente won the first at $15 and he made it a double with Derby Glass at $3.40 in the fourth. With his two victories, O’Neill moved into the top spot in the trainer standings with nine wins, one ahead of Phil D’Amato.

 

Rafael Bejarano booted in three winners – Dream Team at $2.80 in the second, Derby Glass at $3.40 in the fourth and Be a Lady at $6.80 in the eighth and final. Bejarano now has a dozen victories this fall season, two behind leading jockey Santiago Gonzalez who doubled on Exactamente at $15 and True History at $13 in the third.