Mokat © Benoit
M AND M (MOKAT & METABOSS) EYE SWEET SATURDAY STAKES
After three races in as many months against the best 3-year-old fillies in the country, trainer Richard Baltas couldn’t wait to get Mokat back on turf and back to Del Mar.
And the daughter of Uncle Mo, owned by JK Racing Stable, came through as Baltas hoped in the Grade II San Clemente Handicap on July 23. Without Songbird and Cathryn Sophia to contend with, as had been the case in her previous three races, and back on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course here, Mokat burst from mid-pack at the half-mile mark and won the mile race by 3 ¾ lengths going away under Kent Desormeaux.
Saturday, Mokat will be tasked to go an additional furlong with Norberto Arroyo, Jr., up in the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Oaks, the final leg of the grass series for 3-year-old fillies here. Mokat is the 7-2 favorite in a field of 11 on oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line.
“I think she’s just a better horse overall on the grass,” Baltas said Thursday morning. “She moves better, she’s got a better stride on the turf. I really think that’s what she had wanted all along. We ran in the (Grade I) Santa Anita Oaks and got second to Songbird and ran in the Kentucky Oaks, but I really think this is her calling.”
The Oaks will be the longest grass test for Mokat in a career that has produced two wins in nine starts with earnings of $285,040.
“I really don’t think the distance will be any problem,” Baltas said. “She loves Del Mar. She broke her maiden here, she’s got both of her career wins here on grass. And she’s been training great.”
The field for the Oaks, which goes as the sixth on an 11-race card, from the rail: Lady Valeur (Rafael Bejarano), Decked Out (Kent Desormeaux), Mokat (Norberto Arroyo, Jr.), Mines and Magic (Drayden Van Dyke), Barleysugar (Gary Stevens), Lynne’s Legacy (Victor Espinoza), Harmonize (Junior Alvarado), Cheekaboo (Santiago Gonzalez), Mrs. Norris (Tyler Baze), Stays in Vegas (Flavien Prat) and Tin Type Gal (Joe Talamo).
In Saturday’s other major stakes, the Grade II $250,000 Del Mar Handicap, trainer Phil D’Amato is stretching out Metaboss to 1 3/8 miles after the son of Street Boss showed an impressive turn of foot in winning a one-mile turf race by 1 ½ lengths in 1:34.40 on July 23. Metaboss is the 4-1 morning line third choice.
“We’re taking a shot,” D’Amato said. “Usually, turf courses like this lend themselves to horses with his kind of style. He’s the one-run type that can kind of cruise along and then kick it in the last quarter. Horses with that style can usually go farther in distance.
“We were here trying to just win a Ship-And-Win race, but after the last one he wasn’t (tired) at all. Before I even asked him Rafael Bejarano said, ‘This horse will run all day.’ So we put our heads together and came up with the Del Mar Handicap.
The Del Mar Handicap is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf on November 5 at Santa Anita. Coincidentally, the Del Mar Handicap has been won the past two years by D’Amato-trained Big John B.
“This race has been good to me,” D’Amato. “I like this race and hopefully we can make it a three-peat.”
The field for the Del Mar Handicap, which goes as the eighth race, from the rail: Belisarius (Junior Alvarado), Quick Casablanca (Tyler Baze), Wanstead Gardens (Santiago Gonzalez), Metaboss (Rafael Bejarano), Power Foot (Norberto Arroyo, Jr.), Express Himself (Victor Espinoza), Flamboyant (Flavien Prat), Ashleyluvssugar (Gary Stevens), Finnegans Wake (Kent Desormeaux), El Huerfano (Brice Blanc), Patentar (Drayden Van Dyke) and Texas Ryano (Joe Talamo).
BEHOLDER HAS STOOD THE TESTS OF TIME BETTER THAN ANY BEFORE
According to research from the Equibase Company, Beholder is the only Thoroughbred to win Grade I stakes every campaign from ages two to six, and one of only five horses to win graded stakes over such a span of time.
Beholder’s Grade I wins by year are: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (2012), Las Virgenes, Santa Anita Oaks, Zenyatta, Breeders’ Cup Distaff (2013), Zenyatta (2014), Clement L. Hirsch, Pacific Classic, Zenyatta (2015) and Vanity (2016).
Others to have won graded stakes from ages 2-6 are: Best Pal 1990-94, Flawlessly (1990-94), Court Vision (2007-2011) and Stephanie’s Kitten (2011-15).
PACIFIC CLASSIC WINNING POST POSITIONS: NO. 5 IS NO. 1
With California Chrome drawing the usually dreaded No. 1 and Beholder the more highly regarded No. 7 in a field of nine for Saturday’s $1 million TVG Pacific Classic, the question has been raised about winning posts for the first 25 runnings of Del Mar’s signature event.
The answer is, from a historical perspective, the result of Tuesday’s draw is advantage California Chrome and disadvantage Beholder.
Of the 25 runnings of the Pacific Classic, winners have come from the No. 5 post seven times (hello Win the Space), more than double any other stall. Tied for second with three wins apiece are No. 2 (Hoppertunity), No. 3 (War Story) and No. 6 (Imperative)
Checking in with two wins each are post position No. 1 (California Chrome), No. 8 (Dortmund) and No. 9 (Dalmore) and No. 10 (nobody home). The No. 4 post (Hard Aces) has sent forth one winner.
The No. 7, from which Beholder will break, is 0-for-21 overall but has been the starting point for six runner-up finishers. A rundown of the winners by post position:
1. Bertrando (1993), General Challenge (1999)
2. Dare And Go (1996), Borrego (2005), Lava Man (2006)
3. Missionary Ridge (1992), Skimming (2001), Candy Ride (2003)
4. Richard’s Kid (2009)
5. Tinners Way, (1995), Gentlemen (1997), Skimming (2000), Pleasantly Perfect (2004), Student Council (2007), Acclamation (2011), Dullahan (2012)
6. Best Pal (1991), Go Between (2008), Richard’s Kid (2010),
7. None
8. Tinners Way (1994), Free House (1998)
9. Came Home (2002), Beholder (2015)
10. Game On Dude (2013), Shared Belief (2014)
FIVE LIKELY FOR SUNDAY’S DEL MAR MILE
From 16 nominees, a field of five is expected for Sunday’s 30th running of the Grade II $200,000 Del Mar Mile.
With the post position draw scheduled later Thursday, the expected entrants, in alphabetical order with trainers/jockeys are: Ambitious Brew (Marty Jones/Flavien Prat), Little Curlin (Jerry Hollendorfer/Santiago Gonzalez), Midnight Storm (Phil D’Amato/Rafael Bejarano), Ohio (Paulo Lobo/Brice Blanc) and Om (Dan Hendricks/Gary Stevens).
ADVANCED WAGERING ON TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC AVAILABLE FRIDAY
Due to huge interest in the race, advanced wagering will be offered starting Friday on the TVG Pacific Classic.
Wagering on the Saturday race will be available beginning at 9 a.m. (Pacific) Friday on-track and at all regular wagering outlets that handle Del Mar. The advanced betting will be for the Grade I headliner only, not for other races on the 11-race card.
Saturday’s TVG Pacific Classic is headed by Horse of the Year California Chrome, three time Eclipse Award winner Beholder and multiple-stakes winner Dortmund.
TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR PINCAY AWARD DAY WITH MCCARRON
Some tickets remain available to racing fans interested in spending an afternoon with riding legends Laffit Pincay, Jr. and Chris McCarron at Del Mar this Sunday in conjunction with the ceremonies around the Laffit Pincay, Jr. Award presentation. McCarron was named the 2016 winner of the prestigious Pincay Award, which will be presented to him in the winner’s circle during the course of the afternoon.
The Winners Foundation, one of racing’s foremost charities and the sponsor of the event, is offering an afternoon with the two Hall of Fame riders that includes lunch with them in Del Mar’s exclusive Director’s Room.
Tickets at $250 to $300 can be purchased through the Winners Foundation website at winnersfoundation.org or by calling (626) 945-0880.
As part of the day’s activities, Pincay and McCarron will take part in an autograph session Sunday from noon to 1 p.m. in the track’s Plaza de Mexico.
SPECIAL DEL MAR/SARATOGA “ALL STAKES” PICK 4 OFFERED SATURDAY
Racing fans will be able to wager on a special “all stakes” Pick Four Saturday on black type events at Del Mar and Saratoga.
The four-race sequence will consist of Del Mar’s TVG Pacific Classic and the Del Mar Handicap and Saratoga’s Alabama and Fourstardave.
The minimum bet for the Pick Four is .50¢ and it will close prior to the start of the Fourstardave Stakes (9th race) at Saratoga at 2:40 p.m. Pacific. The Alabama (10th race), which will feature champion Songbird, goes at 3:18 p.m. Pacific. The two Del Mar races go at 5:43 (Del Mar Handicap, 8th race) and 6:15 (TVG Pacific Classic, 9th race).
DAGMAR G. STEINER IS DEL MAR’S “ARTIST OF THE WEEK”
Award-winning artist Dagmar G. Steiner, who was commissioned to paint Del Mar’s portraits of the last two TVG Pacific Classic winners, is the track’s currently featured “Artist of the Week” and will be showing and selling her works inside the Turf Club/Clubhouse entranceway through Sunday.
The German-born artist painted well-received portraits of Shared Belief (2014) and Beholder (2015) for Del Mar Thoroughbred Club as part of its series of Pacific Classic winners that dates back to the race’s inception in 1991. Copies of those paintings hang in the hallways inside the Clubhouse. The artist also will paint this year’s winner of the TVG Pacific Classic, which will be run this Saturday.
Steiner, who is married to former jockey Joe Steiner, specializes in equine art and is an avid backer of horse rescue and repurposing, as well as equine retirement facilities.
The artist and her works will be available all racing days this week from noon through the running of the day’s final race.
ANDREWS, BALAN GUEST FOR WEEKEND HANDICAPPING SEMINARS
Veteran handicapper Bruce Andrews, whose “Deuce Bruce” cards are a fixture on the Southern California racing circuit, and Blood Horse magazine writer/correspondent Jeremy Balan will provide expertise at the upcoming Weekend Handicapping Seminars.
Andrews headlines the Saturday program while Balan will be host Scott Shapiro’s guest on Sunday.
The programs are presented from 12:45-1:30 at the Seaside Terrace near the head of the stretch.
CLOSERS – Del Mar’s “Ship and Win” program, started in 2011 and credited with bringing hundreds of horses to the track’s race meeting – many of whom have gone on to stay and race on the Southern California circuit, continues to bear fruit in 2016. Fifteen horses brought to the track this summer are entered to race on Saturday’s TVG Pacific Classic Day program … Selected turf workouts from Thursday morning: Quick Casablanca (3f, :42.60), Sobradora Inc (4f, :50.60), Queen of The Sand (6f, 1:14.40).
DEL MAR STATISTICS
Jockey Standings
(Current Through Wednesday, August 17, 2016 Inclusive)
|
Jockey |
Mts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
In-money% |
Money Won |
|
Flavien Prat |
128 |
24 |
20 |
12 |
19% |
44% |
$1,468,870 |
|
Santiago Gonzalez |
133 |
21 |
23 |
17 |
16% |
46% |
$1,025,759 |
|
Rafael Bejarano |
102 |
20 |
19 |
16 |
20% |
54% |
$1,295,296 |
|
Kent Desormeaux |
90 |
15 |
17 |
12 |
17% |
49% |
$919,903 |
|
Tyler Baze |
118 |
13 |
18 |
22 |
11% |
45% |
$858,108 |
|
Victor Espinoza |
46 |
11 |
7 |
8 |
24% |
57% |
$848,333 |
|
Stewart Elliott |
67 |
10 |
5 |
7 |
15% |
33% |
$384,185 |
|
Mario Gutierrez |
64 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
14% |
38% |
$630,772 |
|
Norberto Arroyo Jr. |
56 |
8 |
9 |
8 |
14% |
45% |
$400,450 |
|
Joseph Talamo |
87 |
7 |
5 |
14 |
8% |
30% |
$540,089 |
Trainer Standings
(Current Through Wednesday, August 17, 2016 Inclusive)
|
Trainer |
Sts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
In-money% |
Money Won |
|
Philip D'Amato |
60 |
11 |
7 |
8 |
18% |
43% |
$782,281 |
|
Bob Baffert |
42 |
10 |
8 |
5 |
24% |
55% |
$846,415 |
|
Richard Baltas |
46 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
20% |
50% |
$574,951 |
|
Mark Glatt |
34 |
9 |
6 |
7 |
26% |
65% |
$324,190 |
|
John W. Sadler |
37 |
9 |
6 |
6 |
24% |
57% |
$635,715 |
|
Peter Miller |
56 |
8 |
10 |
9 |
14% |
48% |
$491,855 |
|
Doug F. O'Neill |
87 |
7 |
10 |
12 |
8% |
33% |
$503,430 |
|
James M. Cassidy |
31 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
19% |
45% |
$326,847 |
|
Michael Machowsky |
16 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
38% |
44% |
$204,565 |
|
Jerry Hollendorfer |
38 |
5 |
6 |
2 |
13% |
34% |
$359,253 |
Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Wednesday, August 17, 2016 Inclusive)
Winning favorites -- 74 out of 211 -- 35.07%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 52 out of 135 -- 38.52%
Winning favorites on turf -- 22 out of 76 -- 28.95%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 15 out of 31 -- 48.39%
In-the-Money favorites -- 148 out of 211 -- 70.14%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 24 out of 31 -- 77.42%
Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793