Hang the Moon © Benoit Photo
Before Saturday, jockey Kazushi Kimura had not won a stakes race at Del Mar. At the end of the day he can now say he’s won two, including the Grade II, $251,000 John C. Mabee Stakes aboard outsider Hang the Moon, who races for the Texas outfit CJ Thoroughbreds.
The 25-year-old rider, spending his first summer at Del Mar, earlier in the day scored a huge Grade I success on the 2-year-old filly Tenma in the FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante, winning by a whisker in the seven-furlong stakes that carried a $301,000 purse.
In the Mabee, he came with a late rush with his 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo and got her home by a half length in the nine-furlong turf feature. She paid a healthy $43 for $2 for longshot players. Final time for the race was 1:48.50.
Finishing second in the Mabee was Kia-Ora Stud Australia’s Lucky Girl, who proved a head better than Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Anisette. Finishing fourth was the eastern invader Didia, who races in the silks of Merriebelle Stables or Resolute Racing and went off as the 7-10 favorite.
Hang the Moon earned a first prize of $150,000 and pushed her career bankroll up to $307,913. She’s now won four of 11 lifetime starts and the Mabee was her first stakes victory.
Earlier on the card, odds-on favorite Thought Process came running in the lane and took down the prize in the 13th running of the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, scoring by two lengths under rider Hector I. Berrios in the $103,500 feature for 2-year-old fillies.
Final time for the eight furlongs on turf was 1:35.06 and the winner, a daughter of Collected, returned $2.80 for $2 in the field of 11.
Phil D’Amato trains the winner who races for the partnership of Madaket Stables, Little Red Feather Racing and partners.
Finishing second in the race was Flying Dutchmen’s Supa Speed, who had two and a half lengths on third-place finisher Sea Runner, owned by CUYATHY.
Racing is back on at the seaside oval Sunday as the final day of the 2024 summer season will unfold starting at 1:30 p.m. The day’s main event will be the 77th running of the Del Mar Futurity.
KAZUSHI KIMURA (Hang The Moon, winner) - “This is the first time I have gotten to ride her. But in this race I know who the best horse is and I tried to finish up strong. Today it seemed best just to follow Anisette (GB) and my filly seemed pretty comfortable throughout.”
PHIL D’AMATO (Hang the Moon, winner) – “She came to me to run in these kind of races and I thought she just improved from race to race. She ran a really good second to Ag Bullet last time and Ag Bullet came back and won a million dollar race at Kentucky Downs, so I think she was a little overlooked here. Give a big shout out to KK (jockey Kazushi Kimura). He got her into a big stride there saving all the ground for the last quarter mile. She showed a really nice turn of foot to beat a couple of Grade I winners today.”
FRACTIONS: :24.65 :48.39 :1:12.85 1:36.87 1:48.50
The stakes win was the second of the meet for rider Kimura, but his first in the John C. Mabee Stakes. He now has two stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the eighth of the meet for trainer D’Amato but his second (Raymundos Secret, 2020) in the John C. Mabee Stakes. He now has 62 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owner is CJ Thoroughbreds, the nom du course of Corey Johnson of Grapevine, TX.