Tap the Wire © Benoit Photo

DRAYDEN VAN DYKE (Tap the Wire, winner) – “He broke really well. We were just sitting in there; he was relaxed. I asked him in the stretch and he went. When we went by Gary Stevens (on leader Luck’s Royal Flush), he (Tap the Wire) eased up. I was watching the big screen (in the infield) to see if anything was coming, but we were OK. I had a lot left. If anything came to him, I think my horse would have surged again.”

GARY STEVENS (Luck’s Royal Flush, second) – “He’s fast. Maybe if I was drawn outside, I could have gotten him to relax. But he just got outrun today.”

MARTIN GARCIA (Oliver, third) – “He tried. The winner was best today; no doubt. Another day for my horse.”

DANIEL DUNHAM (Tap the Wire, winner) – “It’s special to win at Del Mar and to win a stake is even more special. I’ve won races here, but never a stake. I’ve won a stake before, but that was 15 years ago at Pomona. The (debut win by Tap the Wire) was one of the first baby races of the year, so we were able to give him a little time and have pointed to this race all along. This horse is a San Luis Rey fire survivor. He was turned loose and I found him the next day in a field of a different ranch. No major burns or anything; he was lucky. He came to Del Mar and trained here, so he knows the place. ”

FRACTIONS:  :22.01  :45.68  :58.52  1:05.48

The stakes win is the third of the meet (most by any rider), but first in the Graduation by rider Van Dyke. He now has 14 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the first ever at Del Mar by trainer Dunham.

The owners, John and Allegra Ernst, are from San Diego, CA.SP