Going Global © Benoit Photo

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR SATURDAY’S STAKES WINNERS AT DEL MAR

All four of the top two finishers in Saturday’s stakes races at Del Mar came back in good order and one of them is already being pointed to stakes action toward the end of the meet.

Dubb, Gevertz or Nentwig, et al’s Going Global dominated a field of six other fillies and mares in the 70^th running of the G2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar, putting her tremendous turn of foot on full display in the stretch run and winning by three lengths.

“She came out of the race really good,” trainer Phil D’Amato said Sunday morning, “and I think we’ll just play it by ear but I would say the Mabee Stake and go from there.”

The G2 John C. Mabee will be run September 10 at Del Mar. D’Amato likes the idea of giving Going Global another shot on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

“The Del Mar turf course is very different from the Santa Anita turf course,” D’Amato points out, “and with the many turf horses I’ve had over the years, you can tell some prefer one over the other.”

Going Global has run four times on the grass at Del Mar and won three of them, all graded stakes, the Del Mar Oaks, the Goldikova and now the Yellow Ribbon. Her only blemish was a runner-up finish to Madone in last year’s G2 San Clemente.

D’Amato’s plan to run Going Global back in the Mabee is influencing trainer Leonard Powell’s decision on where to run Yellow Ribbon runner-up Convergence Stable, et al’s Avenue de France. Even though she came out of the race fine, Powell doesn’t want any part of Going Global.

“The John Mabee would be the obvious spot,” Powell says, “but looking at yesterday’s race I don’t think we can beat the winner in any circumstances. I mean, the winner would have to be very unlucky for us to improve our position.”

Still, Powell was pleased with his mare’s performance.

“Good trip, no excuse. Second best,” he said.

Three races later, Aldabbagh, Cady or Leatherman’s Vegas Magic seized control of the 2-year-old fillies division at Del Mar, nailing a very unlucky Procrastination in the final strides to win the G2 Sorrento. Trainer Doug O’Neill couldn’t have been more pleased.

“She came out of it in great shape, looks phenomenal,” O’Neill said. “That was all horse and heart. Credit to the groom and exercise rider, they’ve done a brilliant job having her tight and ready. Abel did a great job of getting a perfect trip and ran down a quality filly. Just real excited about her performance and her future.”

That future could include the G1 Del Mar Debutante on September 10.

“To win like that on this track where the Debutante is, it’s obviously a goal of ours,” O’Neill says. “It’s far enough away to see but as long as she continues to do well, that’ll be the goal.”

O’Neill’s other two horses in the race, The Del Mar Group’s Satin Doll (fourth) and Reddam Racing’s Absolutely Zero (sixth) also came out of the race in good shape.

“We’re still scratching our heads that they didn’t run better,” O’Neill says, “but they’re not machines so we’ll go over them good, pull some blood and get ‘em right.”

Trainer Michael McCarthy says he’ll give Eclipse Thoroughbred Partner’s Procrastination a couple of days before deciding where and when her next race will be.

“I thought she ran very well,” McCarthy said. “She was drawn inside and she stumbled a little bit leaving there but ran well. Obviously, you’d like to win those things but it’s never easy.”

EARLY INSIGHT INTO NEXT MONTH’S G1 TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC

We are still two weeks away from the deadline for nominations to this year’s G1 TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar but it’s already shaping up to be a must-see event. Of course, trainer John Sadler has made no secrets about running his superstar horse Hronis Racing, et al’s Flightline in the $1 million event on September 3.

Which then raises the question…will the undefeated son of Tapit scare off any potential contenders to the race? If trainer Richard Mandella is any indication, the answer is ‘no.’ Mandella has indicated he may point three of his big guns to the TVG Pacific Classic, a “Win & You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland this year.

Fox Hill Farms and Sienna Farm’s Royal Ship, winner of the G2 San Diego, the local prep for the TVG Pacific Classic, is one of those three possibles. The Brazilian-bred gelding has been keeping some lofty company of late. Eleven of his last 12 races have been graded stakes, dating back to the 2020 G2 Del Mar Mile.

MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm’s Tizamagician may also represent the Mandella barn in the Classic off of a runner-up finish to Heywoods Beach in the G3 Cougar II at Del Mar on July 24, a race Tizamagician won in 2021.

Rounding out the Mandella trio, Jay Em Ess Stable’s Extra Hope also may get a shot in the Classic. The son of Shanghai Bobby was third behind his stablemate in the Cougar II and has not visited the winners circle since capturing the 2020 G3 Native Diver at Del Mar.

Trainer Bob Baffert has said he will point his Dubai World Cup winner, Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, et al’s Country Grammer, to the TVG Pacific Classic. The son of Tonalist finished second to Royal Ship in the San Diego July 30.

And trainer John Shirreffs has hinted about running his Santa Anita Handicap winner, C R K Stable’s Express Train, in the Classic. The son of Union Rags last ran second to Stilleto Boy in the G2 Californian at Santa Anita in April.

More nominations for the TVG Pacific Classic are expected to trickle in by next weekend. Nominations close for the big race on Thursday, August 25.

PAPAPRODROMOU BECOMING A HOUSEHOLD NAME AT DEL MAR

Trainer George Papaprodromou is having a meet to remember this summer at Del Mar. The native of Cyprus, an island country in the Mediterranean Sea, currently sits fourth in the trainers standings with eight victories, two of which are graded stakes wins.

“It’s just my horses right now are doing well,” Papaprodromou said. “They’re on top of their form and pretty much ready to go.”

It could also be the result of years of hard work, early wake-up calls and plenty of sacrifice. A lifestyle Papaprodromou knows all too well. He’s been involved in horse racing since he was a kid.

“My whole family was into horse racing,” Papaprodromou says. “My father, my grandpa. It was a family thing; I just grew up with it.”

Papaprodromou has a string of 55 horses at Del Mar this summer but training was not his objective when he first came to the United States back in 1996.

“I was a jockey back there (in Cyprus) when I was a teen,” Papaprodromou says. “I had just finished the Army, it’s mandatory you have to go in the Army when you’re 18. So I finished the Army and my dad was coming to the states to look at a couple of horses to buy, sires to take back home. I ended up coming with him and I decided to stay.”

Papaprodromou says it was a struggle and he had to call a few audibles to stay afloat.

“I tried to ride but I was too big,” he said. “I had the equipment so I galloped horses for some trainers here…(Bob) Baffert and (David) Hofmans.”

Finally, he came up with a plan that would kick start his training career.

“I talked my dad into coming over here to train and then one day I would take over,” Papaprodromou said. “We met with a few owners, got a couple horses and it went from there.”

His father, Andreas Papaprodromou, raced horses on the Southern California circuit from 1997 to 2003. Then it was time for George to take over. There were some lean years for Papaprodromou. He won just nine races in his first four years. But he kept at it and in 2014 struck gold when he claimed a son of Bernardini for $50,000. Imperative promptly won the 2014 G2 Charles Town Classic, giving Papaprodromou his first graded stakes victory. The conditioner would go on to enjoy his best year ever in terms of earnings, until this year.

Papaprodromou surpassed his personal all-time earnings mark with his victory in the G3 La Jolla with Cabo Spirit last Sunday at Del Mar. He now has compiled $1,990,891 in purses in 2022 with at least two horses in the barn that have the potential to add significantly to the sum at the current Del Mar meet. With his win in the G1 Bing Crosby, Kretz Racing’s American Theorem earned an all-expenses-paid trip to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland in November. In the meantime the son of American Pharoah is being pointed to the G2 Pat O’Brien at Del Mar August 27. Kretz Racing’s Cabo Spirit will be pointed to the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby September 3.

COOLING OUT: Eclipse Award winner Ce Ce worked Saturday morning at Del Mar. The Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner went five furlongs in :59.60, fourth best out of 76 works at the distance. Trainer Mike McCarthy says he is pointing the mare to the G1 Ballerina at Saratoga August 28…Notable works on Sunday: Dirt – American Theorem (4f, :49.40); Neige Blanche (4f, 47.60); C Z Rocket (5f, 1:01.00); Edgeway (5f, :58.80), and Country Grammer (6f, 1:12.20). Turf – Balnikhov (5f, 1:05.40); Bellabel (5f, 1:03.40); Cairo Memories (5f, 1:01.40); Count Again (5f, 1:02.20), and Going To Vegas (5f, 1:02.80). A total of 206 horses worked on the dirt, 44 worked on the turf.

Del Mar Statistics

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Saturday, August 13, 2022 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Saturday, August 13, 2022 Inclusive)  

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Saturday, August 13, 2022 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 45 out of 134 -- 33.58%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 28 out of 75 -- 37.33%
Winning favorites on turf -- 17 out of 59 -- 28.81%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 8 out of 21 -- 38.10%
In-the-Money favorites -- 99 out of 134 -- 73.88%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 18 out of 21 -- 85.71%