Order and Law

Jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr. and trainer Vladimir Cerin had them right where they wanted them.

The two veterans were 0-for-the-meet – Valdivia 0-for-18 and Cerin 0-for-8. So naturally, they were due. And do they did.

Cerin gave Valdivia a leg up on Bran Jam Stable or Clark’s Order and Law in the featured 8th Race at Del Mar Monday and the Peruvian native did the rest, taking his 4-year-old bay charge to the lead out of the gate from Post 1 and never relinquishing it as they scored a one-length victory in the allowance race on turf. It was an interesting change of tactics for the horse who had done all of his running in the last year from off the pace.

The ridgling by the Kentucky stallion Violence – a son of the top sire Medaglia d’Oro --  covered the one mile distance in 1:33.54 and paid his backers $39.00, $16.40 and $9.00.

Order and Law scored the third victory of his career and picked up a check for $31,800 for finishing first. That pushed his bankroll to $180,533.

Finishing second was the Estate of Sharon Alesia, Burns Racing or Ciaglia’s Maestro Dearte and pulling in third was Slam Dunk Racing and Old Bones Racing Stable’s Gregorian Chant.

Valdivia, Jr. and Cerin, a native of Croatia, have raced at Del Mar since the early 2000s and both have had their share of winners. The rider has a dozen stakes wins to his credit and the trainer has saddle 11 stakes firsts. Their cold spell to start the meet – now broken – could turn hot from here on out.

There were several price horses on the card and Pick Six players couldn’t solve the puzzle today meaning there will be a carryover of $53,944 into Friday’s return to action.

Today’s Monday card was the seventh racing day of the current meet and the first time Del Mar had raced on a non-holiday Monday since 2008.