Solid Wager © Benoit Photo
The veteran gelding Solid Wager scored a smashing victory in Sunday’s $100,690 Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar, the third time he’s won the race in four tries. The other time he was second.
The 7-year-old by Birdonthewire was six and a quarter lengths clear under Drayden Van Dyke at the end of the seven-furlong stakes for California-breds, covering the distance in 1:22.47. He beat seven rivals and picked up $57,000 for doing it. The bay stretch runner is owned by Gary and Cecil Barber of Los Angeles in partnership with the Stanford Stable of Michael De Andra and Sandra Tsujihara, also of Los Angeles.
Finishing second in the extended dash was Hronis Racing’s Edwards Going Left and third, another half length back, was Brandothebartender, who races for Flawless Racing, Flanagan or Jarvis.
The durable Solid Wager, who now shows 10 victories in 47 lifetime starts and a career bankroll of $740,731, paid $11.40, $4.20 and $3.20 for $2 wagers. Favored Edwards Going Left returned $3.40 and $2.80 and Brandothebartender paid $4.80.
Solid Wager captured this same race in 2015 and 2016, then was second beaten a half length by Edwards Going Left last year.
There were 22 winning Pick Six tickets Sunday, each worth $4,433. The track’s Pick Six Jackpot pool rose to $83,347. The Sunday crowd was 5,301.
Racing resumes at the seaside oval of Thanksgiving Thursday with an eight-race card and a special first post of 11 a.m.
DRAYDEN VAN DYKE (Solid Wager, winner) -- “Oh, my. I was pleasantly surprised by that. He was running great and I had all the horses I was concerned about in my sights – and then he went right on by without me even asking him. He just ran away from them. It’s fun riding horses that run like that.”
TYLER BAZE (Edwards Going Left, second) – “My horse ran good, but the winner freaked. He went by me like I was tied to the eighth pole.”
JOE TALAMO (Brandothebartender, third) – “He ran great. Most of his form is on the grass, but he handled the dirt today fine. Ran a big race.”
PETER MILLER (Solid Wager, winner) – “Wow, he never wins like that. He’s always a Stormy Liberal nail biter, gets up in the last jump type. But today, he was on it. I know he loves this track; this is his favorite racetrack. And seven-eighths is his favorite distance. It looked like we got a good pace setup and Drayden kept him in the clear. Once he gets rolling, you don’t want to get him stopped. For a seven-year-old, he looked pretty spritely out there.”
FRACTIONS: :22.46 :44.97 1:09.94 1:22.47
The stakes win was the second of the meet for rider Van Dyke, but first in the Cary Grant. He now has 24 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Miller, but his third in the Cary Grant (Solid Wager won the race in both 2015 and 2016). Miller now has 24 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owners are brothers Gary and Cecil Barber of Los Angeles and the Stanford Stable of Michael De Anda and Sandra Tsujihara, also of Los Angeles.