Patriotic Diamond, a well-backed 9-5 second choice despite her maiden status, rallied from far back to wear down longshot Just Google Me in the stretch and win the featured $150,000 Generous Portion Stakes for California-bred two-year-old fillies Friday.
With Del Mar’s leading rider, Rafael Bejarano, in the saddle, Patriotic Diamond tallied by a length and one-quarter over 19-1 Just Google Me in the six furlong sprint. Later My Love was third, four and three-quarters back of the runner-up and two and one-quarter lengths ahead of fourth-place Sambamzajammin in the field of nine fillies. Obey, the tepid 8-5 favorite, was fifth.;
Patriotic Diamond, a daughter of Hat Trick owned by the Diamond 100 Racing Club of Ivy Tui Lan Leunghui of Arcadia, Ca and trained by Patrick Biancone, accomplished the distance in 1:11.05 and paid $5.80, $3.60 and $2.80. Just Google Me returned $11.80 and $7.20, while Later My Love paid $4.60 to show.
First money of $85,500 increased the winner’s earnings to $99,500. In Patriotic Diamond’s career debut she was a fast-closing runner-up in a maiden race August 15.
RAFAEL BEJARANO (Patriotic Diamond, winner) – “Good race for her. Last time she had trouble at the start. Today she broke well outside. I had a good position right behind the speed and at the half mile I let her go. She finished well. I think she’ll go longer, too. She was finishing well.”
EDWIN MALDONADO (Just Google Me, second) – “Her first two races (5 furlongs and 5 1/2 furlongs) were really too short for her. We knew she’d like it better going at least six. She figured to run well today and she did. She’ll run on farther, too.”
FERNANDO PEREZ (Later My Love, third) – “Too much pressure from the seven (Sambamzajammin). Too much pressure. It took it out of my filly.”
PATRICK BIANCONE (Patriotic Diamond, winner) – “She is the first baby of a filly we trained on the East Coast (Patriotic Viva) who was a stakes winning filly. This one seems to be all right. She may need more distance but today six furlongs was perfect. We learned last time that she likes to come from behind and when you have the best rider in town, I just told him to be patient and let her run at the end. This race came a little bit quick (two weeks after her debut) but she didn’t have a hard race then.”
FRACTIONS: :21.54 :45.07 :58.02 1:11.05
The stakes win was the fifth of the meet for rider Bejarano (tying him with Gary Stevens for most stakes scores at the session) and his third in the Generous Portion. He now has 48 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Biancone and his first in the Generous Portion. He now has two stakes victories at Del Mar.
Patriotic Diamond is owned by Ivy Tui Lan Leunghui and the Diamond 100 Racing Club of Arcadia, CA.