Square Deal © Benoit Photo
Square Deal, disqualified from victory as a 13-1 longshot in the Graduation Stakes August 2, gained a measure of redemption Friday with a decisive triumph in the featured $100,000 I’m Smokin Stakes for California-bred two-year-olds.
With leading rider Flavien Prat in the saddle, Square Deal rallied on the far outside turning into the stretch and went on to score by a length and three-quarters in 1:11.72 for the six furlongs on the main track.
Bluegrass Faith, a 20-1 longshot, outfinished Tap Back for runner-up honors by three-quarters of a length with Pas de Panique checking in fourth in the field of eight runners. Phantom Boss, the 8-5 favorite, was seventh after breaking slowly. Withdrawn from the race were Riding With Dino, El Tigre Terrible and Big Returns.
Square Deal, a son of Square Eddie owned by Arnold Zetcher and Qatar Racing and trained by Simon Callaghan, was a solid second choice at 2-1 and paid $6.40, $4.20 and $2.80 while earning first money of $60,000 with his initial official win in four starts.
Bluegrass Faith paid $12.60 and $6, while Tap Back returned $3.80 to show.
There were no perfect tickets in Friday’s Pick Six. Thus, Saturday’s program will have a Pick Six carryover of $92,872. Post time for the first of ten races will be 2 p.m.
FLAVIEN PRAT (Square Deal, winner) – “The draw (outside Post 11) worked well for us. He liked it out there. When we got to the stretch, he went well. A good win.”
DRAYDEN VAN DYKE (Bluegrass Faith, second) – “Good trip for us. He was a very game second.”
VICTOR ESPINOZA (Tap Back, third) – “We tried. Just not good enough today.”
SIMON CALLAGHAN (Square Deal, winner) – “With the speed horses down on the inside it worked out just about as we expected it would. It is a bit of compensation (for DQ 1st to 3rd in the Graduation). We got a split when, of course, we wanted a sweep. This is a nice horse and we think Mr. (Arnold) Zetcher and Quatar Racing will have some fun with him.”
FRACTIONS: :21.99 :45.41 :58.10 1:11.72
The stakes win was the eighth (and most by any rider) at the session, but first in the I’m Smokin for rider Prat. He now has 41 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the second of the meet, but first in the I’m Smokin, for trainer Callaghan. He now has 11 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owners are Arnold Zetcher of Century City, CA and Qatar Racing Limited, which is the nom de course for David Redvers of Suffolk, England.