Hot Girl Walk © Benoit Photo
Richard Barton’s bay Hot Girl Walk proved best Monday in the 32nd edition of the Generous Portion Stakes for 2-year-old California-bred fillies as she got home a length and a quarter the best in the six furlong sprint headlining the Labor Day card.
The race carried a purse of $100,000 and was one of the 35 stakes that make up the Golden State Series for California-bred or sired horses worth a total of $4.45 million.
Del Mar will host eight of those races over the course of its summer season.
The winner, a homebred daughter of Bodexpress, picked up a check for $57,000 for her second victory in three starts and pushed her earnings up to $117,000. She was ridden by Antonio Fresu and is trained by Carla Gaines.
Finishing second was Chacon, Flores or Lovingier’s In the Air Tonight, who had 14 full lengths on race favorite Cayucos, owned by Fairview.
Final time for the dash was 1:11.28. The winner paid $13.00.
Earlier on the card, Del Mar’s leading rider and leading trainer combined once again to come away winners in a stakes race. This was the $100,000 Tranquility Lake Overnight Stakes and their victorious horse was Juddmonte’s Show Card, a 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief who won for fun in the dirt mile. At the end she was 10 lengths clear of her nearest rival after covering the distance in 1:37.88. She paid $5.40 to win as the second choice in the field of five runners.
Del Mar will take the next two days off, then return for its final extended weekend starting on Thursday with a first post of 1:30 p.m.
ANTONIO FRESU (Hot Girl Walk, winner) – “She ran very well. This filly she is tactical; she has a little bit of speed, too. When she started running from the 3/8th pole, I just tried to not go against her. She acted up a little bit when she was in the front, you know. But I thought she ran in good style. She is in pretty good shape, thanks to Carla (trainer Gaines). She showed a lot of ability last race when she broke her maiden. I was very happy to be a part of it today.”
CARLA GAINES (Hot Girl Walk, winner) – “She finally left the gate with some authority. Previously she broke slowly and had to circle the field. Today she was on it and speed holds here. Antonio (Fresu) rode a smart race when he let those two go. He sat right behind them and she still showed her kick.”
FRACTIONS: :21.77 :45.27 :57.81 1:11.28
The stakes win was the fifth of the meet for rider Fresu, but his first in the Generous Portion. He now has nine stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Gaines and her first in the Generous Portion. She now has 20 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owner Richard Barton is from Ontario, CA.