FLAVIEN PRAT (Avenge, winner) – “Richard (trainer Mandella) said: ‘Just stay calm.’ This filly has a little breathing problem and she needs to relax. Today she did. The race came up just the way I’d hoped. We were in a good spot and she was going easy. Then she put in her good run. It worked out perfectly.”

KENT DESORMEAUX (Finest City, second) – “She did everything but win.”

VICTOR ESPINOZA (Elektrum, third) – “It was a slow pace; I could feel it. I moved her up a little earlier, but then they fanned out in front of me. I had no choice but to go wide. She tried. She ran hard.”

 

RICHARD MANDELLA  (Avenge, winner) – “We tried her in the mile earlier in the meet and were very happy with that result. We were kind of worrying about the mile and an eighth, but I thought about it, and ‘You know what, we’ll never know if we don’t try.’ That’s why we’re here. She was doing really well and whenever you’ve got a good horse that’s improving, you never know. I told John Mabee’s grandson it was an honor to win this race named for his grandfather. I trained for him and we had a lot of good days together.” 

 

 

FRACTIONS:  :23.26  :48.28  1:13.19  1:36.74  1:48.82

 

The stakes win was the fifth of the meet for rider Prat (putting him one behind Rafael Bejarano for most at the session), but his first in the John C. Mabee. He now has nine stakes wins at Del Mar.

 

The stakes win was the second of the meet for trainer Mandella and his third in the John C. Mabee. He now has 60 stakes wins at Del Mar, fifth best all time.